The American Apparel & Footwear Association has revealed the transition of its board of directors’ leadership, in addition to the names of 15 freshly elected — and re-elected — board members. The officer induction ceremony that honored the changes occurred yesterday at the AAFA Executive Summit of 2018 in Washington, D.C.
For the 2018-19 term, AAFA confirmed that Thomas Glaser, VF Corporation’s VP and president of global supply chain, has been named chairman and that Gary Simmons, president and CEO of Gerber Childrenswear LLC, has been identified as vice chairman. What’s more, the spokesperson said Kurt Cavano, president of Infor GT Nexus Commerce Network, has been named treasurer, with Colin Browne, chief supply chain officer of Under Armour Inc., as secretary.
The transition comes with the departure of Paula Zusi, of Advent International Corp., who has stepped down from her one-year tenure as chairman.
“Through the collective efforts of my fellow board members and the AAFA staff, we’ve made strides beyond what any of us could have imagined,” she reflected. “As I pass on the gavel, I feel that I have positioned the association and my successor, Tom Glaser, to continue to provide exceptional support for our growing association membership in the year ahead.”
Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the AAFA, described Zusi as an “incredible ambassador for AAFA” and expressed his appreciation for her leadership, in addition to Glaser’s to come. “For several years, Tom, Paula and I have worked together, and this will be a seamless transition for AAFA,” he said.
The AAFA’s newly minted chairman also offered his thoughts. “AAFA provides the industry with indispensable value as we pave the way to bring new product to market around the world,” Glaser said. “Having worked directly with the team at AAFA for many years, I can say that their advice and support has played a crucial advisory and advocacy role throughout my career.”
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