NEWH - Winter 2024 - 8

NEWS
NEWH, Inc. Announces Leadership Transition
NEWH, Inc. is thrilled to announce that NEWH International and NEWH, Inc. past president Chris Tucker will assume
the position of CEO of NEWH, Inc. and NEWH Canada, Inc. on November 1st, 2024. Current CEO Shelia Lohmiller will
transition to NEWH, Inc. Chair Emerita/Founder, where she will still serve as an active and critical part of the organization.
Tucker, who also currently serves as President of NEWH Canada, Inc., will turn that role over to Tara Witt, current vice
president of finance for the NEWH Canada Board of Directors.
With more than 35 years of experience in the design industry, Tucker began her career studying interior design at
Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. This evolved to the supply side of the industry, where she has worked closely with
purchasers, property owners, designers, and architects to meet the client and project specifications in product, price, and
service as the founder of Tucker and Associates, a multi-line agency representing product companies in Canada. Tucker
and Associates will continue on under new leadership following Tucker's transition.
A true champion of NEWH, Tucker joined the organization in 2005, and has since held more than 40 different board
positions-from treasurer, president, and executive advisor on the NEWH Toronto chapter board; to NEWH, Inc.
International board positions including vice president, president elect, and her most recent tenure as president and past
president of the NEWH, Inc. board and NEWH Canada, Inc.
Shelia Lohmiller cofounded the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality in 1984 with Dorrit St. John and Susan
Spalding. She served as founding president from 1984 to 1986, and then secretary of the NEWH, Inc. Board of Directors.
Lohmiller was honored as the first recipient of NEWH's Recognition of Excellence in 1992 for exemplary service to the
organization. She served as the NEWH, Inc. executive director from 1993 until 2020 when she was promoted to CEO.
Passionate about education and empowering women, Lohmiller is a driving force of NEWH domestically and globally. The
organization, now nearly 30 chapters strong, has awarded more than $9.2 million in educational scholarships to rising
professionals pursuing hospitality careers.
" Sheila has been a mentor to so many people, myself included, " says Tucker. " She has been there for so many of our
members. " Lohmiller's new role will have her as active as ever within the organization, Tucker stresses. " Shelia will be
coaching me through the transition, " she says, " and will still be putting in the same hours. So if anyone wants to reach her
she will be there (but only if it's a nice call!). "
Says Lohmiller: " I've been looking at people probably for the last five years thinking that there's going to come a point when
it is time to step down and bring a younger person on board. There's only one person I believe loves NEWH as much as I
do, and that's Chris. I have complete faith and trust in her. I know that NEWH will continue to grow under her leadership. "
The NEWH, Inc. headquarters will remain in Shawano, Wisconsin, with satellite offices in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and in
Toronto, where Tucker will be based. ❙❘❚
Chris Tucker
Shelia Lohmiller
NEWH Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary
With its official first meeting on October 10th, 1994, this year
marks the 40th birthday of the NEWH organization. NEWH
celebrated with an anniversary bash during this year's HD Expo
+ Conference in Las Vegas, drawing more than 700 members
and supporters to celebrate the momentous milestone. Thank
you to all the sponsors who made the wonderful night possible!
Back row: Ann Parenti, Las Vegas; Lisa Gray, Los
Angeles Founding; Deborah Herman Los Angeles
Founding; Sandy Banks, NEWH, Inc. President;
Claire Koch, Los Angeles Founding; Desiree Perkins,
Washington DC; Lisette Cirni Cicconi, Lynda Sullivan,
and Kathy Stein, Los Angeles Founding; Front row:
Shelia Lohmiller, NEWH, Inc.; and Nikki Jones, Las
Vegas chapter founding member, NEWH Fellow, and
2019 NEWH Pinnacle Award winner
8 newh.org

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NEWH - Winter 2024

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