Oct 21, 2013

Amy Smyth of Amy Smyth Made It Elected to The Greeting Card Association’s Board of Directors

Amy Smyth, owner of the Washington, D.C.-based Amy Smyth Made It, was appointed to the board of directors of the Greeting Card Association (GCA) at its recently concluded 72nd Annual Convention in Savannah, Ga.

“I look forward to sharing my experiences as a small business owner with the Greeting Card Association,” says Smyth. “By sharing these experiences, I hope to expand the role of the GCA to provide more education and services to small businesses in the stationery industry.”

Smyth launched her greeting card company, Amy Smyth Made It, in May 2006, at the National Stationery Show trade show in New York City. The company was in full swing by 2008, and grew to more than 1,000 accounts across the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., and New Zealand. Amy Smyth Made It partnered with American Greetings in 2010 to expand the reach of the brand. In 2011, the company created a new boutique greeting card line, Ecka & Pecka, which is sold to independent retailers in the U.S. and abroad. Amy Smyth Made It has won six of the Greeting Card Association’s coveted LOUIE Awards, including Card of the Year.

Others on the GCA’s board for 2013-14 include President Steve Doyal of Hallmark Cards, Inc.; Vice President Carlos Llansó of Legacy Publishing Group, Inc.; Treasurer Christy Kaprosy of American Greetings Corporation; Past President Susan January of Leanin’ Tree; as well as at-large executive committee members Jason Evans of Birchcraft Studio; Alan Friedman of Great Arrow Graphics; Steve Gimbelman of Designer Greetings, Inc.; Bob Harju of Pumpernickel Press: Andy Meehan of Christian Inspirations; George White of Up With Paper; plus board members Rick Ruffner of Avanti Press, Inc.; Nicky Burton of Calpyso Cards; Brenda Turner of DaySpring Cards; Tom Otto of Exclusive Bordering Co.; Rich Lund of Fine Impressions; Patti Stracher of GLM; Andrea Liss of Hannah Handmade Cards; Sue Charlier of Independent Printing Co., Inc.; Glen Biely of The Madison Park Group; Doug Faust of Masterpiece Studios/The Occasions Group, Inc.; Katy Greenspan of Minted.com; Brad Cannaday of Neenah Paper; Ron Kanfi of NobleWorks, Inc.; Maryanne Day of Paper Magic Group; Sue Buchta of Papyrus-Recycled Greetings; Kathy Alpert of PostMark Press Inc.; Ray Hooper of Ray Hooper Design, LLC; Brian Virgona of Stationery Trends magazine; and Nicole Mercer of Universal Engraving, Inc.