Kleber Elected to Head the National Remodeling Foundation

ATLANTA (May 2010) – The National Remodeling Foundation (NRF) held elections to its board on April 9 at the Wyndham Hotel in Phoenix. Steven Kleber, an NRF board member and owner of marketing communications firm Kleber & Associates, was elected president of the foundation.

Outgoing NRF President John Gordon, director of contractor business at The Home Depot, said the organization looks forward to stewardship under Kleber.

“We have been really focused on redefining our purpose in the industry. We have a strategic plan in place for 2010 and beyond,” said Gordon. “We have a very engaged board of trustees and we continued to award scholarships even under the most difficult times. Steve brings a serious tenure based on his wealth of experience with the industry, particularly with the National Kitchen and Bath Industry (NKBA) and from the marketing and communications side of the business.”

“I have some big shoes to fill,” Kleber said. “John Gordon has done great work for the past few years. It’s a tough act to follow.” He said the NRF board and he will continue to develop new strategic alliances within the industry, particularly among those who share the foundation’s vision of humanitarian efforts and financial assistance to those in need.

Stacey Freed, senior editor at Remodeling magazine, was elected to the NRF board as Secretary. “Both Remodeling and the NRF have the same goals: to raise the level of professionalism in the remodeling industry. We know that education is the key,” Freed said. “NRF has some great things planned for the coming year and I look forward to being part of them.” Other newly appointed officers to the NRF are Vice President John Quaregna; Vice President Kevin Ford; and Treasurer Mark Brick.

The NRF has already secured one endowed scholarship in 2010, and according to both Gordon and Kleber, the organization is seeking to build more sustaining endowments.

“Thomas Jefferson said ‘we must plant trees under which we may never get to sit,’” Kleber said. “Our industry has grown at a phenomenal pace and we’re in a perfect position to enhance professionalism and the educational opportunities available to individuals seeking to advance in the remodeling industry.”

“The primary reason donors give to the NRF is that they believe in the mission, have confidence in its members’ ability to fulfill that mission, and they want to know their contribution will make a difference,” said Kleber. “We’re hoping the NRF program becomes the principle organization for others to align with. The more endowments we are able to raise the better as we’re in a unique position to address this industry’s growing educational needs.”

Steven Kleber is the founder of Kleber & Associates, an Atlanta-based full-service marketing agency which specializes in the home and building industry. He recently served as president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Center for Kitchen and Bath Education and Research, a non-profit foundation created for the purpose of educating professionals in the kitchen and bath industry. Steve and his agency are active members of the National Association of Home Builders, National Association of The Remodeling Industry, National Kitchen and Bath Association, American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Marketing Association, Atlanta Ad Club, and the Public Relations Society of America. Kleber is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

The NRF is the 501-c3 foundation of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). The mission of the NRF is to establish and maintain a commitment to programs that expand and unite the remodeling industry, to ensure the industry's growth and security, and to encourage ethical conduct and professionalism. The foundation also provides assistance for those in need as an aftermath of their home’s exposure to natural disasters and other calamities, notably Hurricane Katrina. The Foundation also provides scholarships and promotes educational opportunities to individuals who are entering the remodeling industry or remodelers taking their formal education to the next level. For more information on the NRF, please visit the website at www.nationalremodelingfoundation.org.
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Kleber & Associates is an Atlanta-based integrated marketing agency that specializes in brand development for clients in the home and building marketplace. An independent agency with more than 23 years of measurable results, K&A has a set of core principles that hinges on valued relationships with its clients worldwide.

Kleber & Associates
1215 Hightower Trail, Building C
Atlanta GA 30350
Maggie Hampl

This release was published on openPR.