Retail Observer

JANUARY 2023 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 39 T he Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA) also recognized outstanding individuals and companies at its Annual Awards Ceremony. Mary Labowitz, Steven Weinberg and Antonio Musso were inducted into the DPHA Council of Fellows in recognition of their career contributions to the decorative plumbing and hardware industry. DPHA created the Council of Fellows to recognize career accomplishments. In keeping with DPHA's tradition of innovation and defying convention, election to DPHA's Council of Fellows is not simply an honor; it is also a call to continue to serve our organization and industry. The Council is expected to undertake projects that it deems important and vital to the continued success of our industry. Today, the Council of Fellows serves as a strategic think tank. Mary Labowitz has spent her entire career in the decorative plumbing and hardware business, starting as a secretary/receptionist for the Crane Company in Southern California. She moved to inside and then outside sales before transitioning to a showroom sales professional at Eurobath and Tile in Orange County, CA. She quickly learned how to network effectively and became a successful saleswoman in a male-dominated industry. New opportunities knocked when Ken Rohl (House of Rohl) tapped Mary in 1982 to be the company's top representative in northern California. Two years later, she established Premier Marketing. Today, Premier Marketing is one of the leading decorative plumbing and hardware representative agencies in North America. For nearly four decades Mary Labowitz has advanced the industry, serving unselfishly in leadership positions at DPHA, NKBA, AIM/R and a representative council. During her career, Mary has been recognized for her performance with numerous honors including the DPHA Representative Agency of the Year Award in 2017 and as the first recipient of the DPHA Representative Professional of the Year. Steven Weinberg has held leadership positions throughout his career in all phases and disciplines of the decorative plumbing and hardware industry. As a showroom owner, Steven oversaw high-end bathroom remodeling projects for a discriminating clientele, many of whom were Wall Street professionals. When Steven relocated, he closed his showroom and started a representative agency, later joining California Faucets as its national sales manager. He currently serves as the vice president of sales where he readily shares his tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience with his representative agencies and showroom clients. Steven Weinberg's service to his industry is unmatched. He was the first chair of the DPHA Program and Showcase Committee which is responsible for the DPHA Annual Conference. He served as DPHA president in 2011 and has been an active board member for nearly two decades. Antonio Musso received his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Rome and started his academic career teaching Italian at Georgetown University. His career in the decorative plumbing and hardware industry began in 1978 representing Italian DPHA RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING LEADERS AND PERFORMANCE M A R Y L A B O W I T Z S T E V E N W E I X A N B E R G A N T O N I O M U S S O

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