Dec 9, 2011

2011 CHA Industry Award Winners Announced

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Awards Committee announces recipients of the craft and hobby industry’s most prestigious service awards. All CHA Industry Awards recognize exceptional contributions to not only crafting, but also the world, on behalf of the craft and hobby industry, the Association and its members. The awards will be presented to recipients at CHA’s 2012 Winter Conference & Trade Show in Anaheim, Calif., proceeding a State of the Industry Special Event on Jan. 29, 2012.

CHA’s Industry Achievement Award is given to a member who has contributed to the growth and vitality of the craft and hobby industry as a whole. This year’s recipient is Suzanne McNeill, founder of Design Originals and affiliate of Fox Chapel Publishing. With a lifelong dedication to crafting, McNeill has taught arts and crafts in summer camps and public schools; worked for American Handicrafts, Merribee Needlework and Tandy Leather; designed kits; authored books; and experimented with materials. She has produced a TV show, ‘Crafts with Katy,’ edited numerous books and reinterpreted fine art as crewel embroidery, latch hook rugs and string art.

Over her distinguished career, McNeill created Design Originals and has designed and published dozen of books with industry icons, including projects by Cindy Gorder, Tim Holtz, Alice Koresch, Mark Montano and Robin Beam, among others. Her insight and expertise have been instrumental in helping launch careers of many craft industry notables. McNeill continues to lead the industry through innovative designs, published books and setting hot industry trends, including her latest drive behind the Zentangle® phenomenon across creative industries.

CHA’s Special Recognition Award is given to an individual or group for an extraordinary contribution in an activity that showcases the craft and hobby industry in a positive way. This year, the Award will be presented to two groups that selflessly coordinated relief efforts through crafts, including Nikki Sivils and her craft relief efforts for the tornado victims in Joplin, Mo., and a group working under the name ‘Clara’s Calling,’ which collectively recognizes U.S. Army Master Sgt. Clara Vargas, Lisa Steele of Bella Fabrics, Rob Krieger of Checker Distributors, Laurie Harsh of The Fabric Shop Network and Jan and John Bradley of The Lamia Afghan Foundation, for their work in providing sewing and quilting supplies to thousands of women in Afghanistan.

Nikki Sivils coordinated craft relief efforts following the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., working with dozens of companies to secure, organize and distribute $50,000 worth of donated scrapbook supplies to the victims of the tornado. On Sunday, July 10, 2011, Sivils and her team delivered 50 tubs filled with scrapbook supplies to crafters who lost everything in the tornado. The donated supplies also went to local schools, the Spiva Art Center in Joplin and were used for the children’s ‘Healing Through Art’ program. Her efforts following the disaster helped return some normalcy to the local area and scrapbooking community. Sivils selfless activity directly inspired two other craft relief efforts in Joplin where products and funds were raised for St. Mary’s Elementary School, as well as an art auction benefiting the City of Joplin.

‘Clara’s Calling’ is recognized for their hard work in soliciting, securing, shipping and distributing international relief by providing sewing and quilting supplies to 4,000 widows across Afghanistan. To date, Clara’s Calling collected, shipped and distributed well over 100 pallets of donated sewing supplies to Afghan women through a network of military and governmental organizations, refugee camps, Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps, villages, schools and orphanages. With a mission to help win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people through humanitarian service and the economic gift of self-sustainability, Clara’s Calling and supporting organizations help reiterate the truly therapeutic and healing power of crafting.

The highest honor CHA can bestow is its Meritorious Award of Honor, which acknowledges an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Association and industry. This year’s recipient is Michael McCooey, president and CEO of Plaid Enterprises, Inc.McCooey has an extensive history of leadership and service in the craft industry.Prior to joining Plaid, he held senior management positions with various manufacturers in the home décor market that included paint, decorative fabrics and wall coverings. In addition to a long and outstanding career in the craft and hobby industry, McCooey has served on boards of directors for the Hobby Industry Association (HIA) and the Association of Crafts & Creative Industries (ACCI) as chairman and was a member of the Joint Task Force that unified these two associations to form the Craft & Hobby Association. He also served CHA in many areas, including task forces, as a governance team member, a CHA board member, CHA’s vice chairman and CHA’s past chairman. McCooey’s contributions to the industry will be lasting and far reaching.

About the Craft & Hobby Association
The Craft & Hobby Association is an international nonprofit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the nearly $30 billion craft and hobby industry. For more information about CHA visit www.craftandhobby.org.