New NKBA President Works Toward Future

New NKBA President Works Toward Future

Witt, in office several months now, has established a clear agenda for her one-year term. It's a vision that has been forged through years of active involvement in both the kitchen and bath industry, and the NKBA.

Witt, who has been in the kitchen and bath industry for more than 20 years, is a Certified Kitchen Designer, a Certified Bathroom Designer and a State Licensed Contractor. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she entered the industry as a sales professional in 1978 and joined the NKBA in 1982 the same year she established the dealership she heads, Kitchens by Stephanie, Ltd., in Petosky, MI. She subsequently opened a Grand Rapids branch, and consolidated her operations in that city in 1990.

Witt has been active in the NKBA at both the chapter and national levels, serving in various capacities in the Michigan State Chapter and on the NKBA's executive committee as a secretary, vice president, president-elect and now president.

She has also remained highly active as a designer, In fact, aside from many kitchen and bath projects in private residences, she designed and installed a new kitchen for the Michigan Governor's Mansion in the summer of 1996.
Witt recently shared her views with Kitchen & Bath Design News about the direction and goals the NKBA has defined for itself, and the role she plans to play as president in 2000. 

Q What are your primary objectives as the president of NKBA? What do you hope you can accomplish?

A I was fortunate that, as president-elect, past president Jeff Burton permitted me to become very involved in helping to implement the new long-term strategic plan adopted by the NKBA. My primary goal is to see that the objectives of that plan are met.

The thing I feel best about is that now we have a comprehensive, workable, viable, forward-looking strategic plan that enables us to work together toward a very promising future. I feel very good that we were able, as a group, to sit down and discuss where we are coming from, where we are, and where we want to go, in a way that was more open and sharing than at anytime I can remember in the past and that's a real reflection of what the people who make up the association want for their future. What we have done is to express their collective vision.

My primary goal for my year as president is to see our new strategic plan through, and to assure its continuity. I want to be certain that what we've done to date just doesn't stop here.

Q What is the mood, and the mindset, at NKBA these days?

A There's a feeling right now of excitement and communication and connectedness that, in my view, hasn't been there in past years. That's a very important element of what's taking place. I've been involved in NKBA since 1982, and I believe that this is the first time we've created an opportunity for all governing bodies, at all levels, to exchange ideas so openly, without the pressure of time, without operating in a vacuum. What we have done 
started from the grassroots assessment of needs.

To this point in time, there has been some friction and discontent within the association. But I think people realize now that the evolution of the kitchen and bath industry has demonstrated that this is a broad-based industry with room for everyone. The NKBA, it's clear to me, must comfortably encompass all aspects of the industry. We have to continue to come together and share ideas. As a matter of fact, the association has started an endowment fund that was established by using a surplus revenue of $50,000.

Q What specific areas do you see the NKBA focusing particular attention on in the next several years  and why?