By John W. Ford Sr., AGTA CEO
Dear AGTA members,
I want to extend my sincere wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year to you and your family. As your CEO, my purpose is to provide our members with opportunities to sell your goods while maintaining high ethical standards, sound corporate management, promoting colored gemstones, and uniform ethical standards to the industry, all within a framework designed around AGTA’s members.
The board and I are making many changes for AGTA to meet its ultimate potential for the membership and the colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry. You can’t be an industry leader if your own house is not in order, so that’s why I have made other necessary changes to restructure AGTA by implementing proper corporate practices and governance, reorganizing personnel, and planning sound budgets. While the reorganization is not totally complete, I feel that AGTA is a viable and sustainable corporate entity ready to move forward as a leading not-for-profit jewelry organization.
Major accomplishments to date are many. First, AGTA returned to JCK Las Vegas in 2022 with its own pavilion. Afterwards, AGTA renegotiated another agreement with Reed Events to reunite all AGTA members into yet another new pavilion for 2023 that is over four times the size of last year’s space. AGTA also reengaged the industry through its new Industry Term Committee formed by AGTA President Kimberly Collins. This committee is an example of AGTA once again providing leadership for the industry by spearheading discussions about terminology and definitions such as ethical sourcing and sustainability, nomenclature that widely affects the colored gemstone industry.
Among the most visible changes thus far may be the addition of original content in Prism and weekly ePrism. Jennifer Heebner has been named Editor in Chief of both. I hope you like the newly redesigned and formatted magazine and e-newsletter, with original, thought-provoking content that makes both valuable industry resources. These changes illustrate only one of the strategic changes being implemented to propel AGTA back into a leadership position in the jewelry industry.
What will AGTA do in 2023? Stay tuned; this year will be exciting as AGTA is pursuing new strategic partnerships to promote our brand and increase sales opportunities for you, our members. AGTA is cementing partnerships to promote clarity and understanding in the colored gemstone industry. Our association and members, working together, will be the guiding light forward for the entire colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry.
I look forward to visiting with you all in Tucson!
Sincerely,
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