NAILD welcomes new president Becky Phillips

The National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD) has named Becky Phillips president of the organization, the non-profit trade association announced.

Other members of NAILD’s new executive board include president-elect Robin Watt of C.N. Robinson Supply in Baltimore, secretary-treasurer Cory Schneider of Lighting Unlimited in Chandler, Arizona and immediate past president Greg Ehrich of Premier Lighting in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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NAILD extends its thanks and recognizes the outstanding contributions of departing board member Gene Siepka of USHIO America, Inc. in Chicago and welcomes Gerard Darville of Lutron Electronics in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania to the board.

“We’re all trying to navigate through the tumultuous stages of LED lighting and its effects on the industry,” said Phillips, president of Professional Lighting in Greensboro, North Carolina. “We want to make sure NAILD provides for its membership what they need to survive past the economic onslaught.”

Phillips is the third female president in the organization’s 39-year history. Past female NAILD presidents include Janet Wright of Archway Lighting Supply in St. Louis and Shannon Carr, formerly of Pacific Lamp & Supply in Seattle.
Having been a NAILD member for nearly 30 years, Phillips understands the importance for independent entrepreneurs to develop relationships with other lighting distributors and manufacturers across the United States.

“Some of the most valuable assets of a NAILD membership are the networking opportunities with other lighting distributors across the nation,” said Phillips, who has an extensive background in retail, inventory management and running a small business. “The understanding of recent trends, even outside of your marketplace, will help you manage the effects on your business. You become a global or national player even though you may be a small regional player. NAILD gives you that prestige and credibility because you have access to those types of contacts.”

NAILD is also on the cutting-edge of lighting training. It offers a self-paced online Lighting Specialist I program that is geared to those new to the lighting industry and those working in inside or outside sales. It combines expert technical instruction with hands-on field experience. The Lighting Specialist II program moves beyond basic lighting concepts and focuses on applying the concepts to find holistic lighting solutions.

The Lighting Specialist II program is currently being upgraded to include additional training modules focused on specific market segments. Future training programs will focus on lighting controls as well as regional training programs focused on specific technologies.

About The National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD)
Founded in 1977, The National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD) is a non-profit trade association made up of specialty lighting distributors and vendor/manufacturers of lighting goods and supplies used in the operation of specialized lighting distributors. NAILD’s mission is to provide its members the opportunity to grow their businesses profitably through education, networking, and technology.