People

Keith Covey was appointed sales manager for P.J. Kids juvenile furniture division. Covey worked most recently as an inside sales associate and northwest territories regional sales representative for Vermont Precision Woodworks. His responsibilities will include coordinating the company's new juvenile furniture division and establishing a footing in the juvenile market. P.J. Kids, Princeton, NJ, manufactures private label children's furniture.

Roman Inc., Roselle, IL, promoted two employees to brand director positions. Cheryl Lenkowski was named brand director for Fontanini Heirloom Nativities. She will oversee development of new products, packaging, and marketing strategies to increase awareness and foster the growth of the Fontanini brand. Lenkowski has been a product development coordinator for Roman since 1998. Paul Nonte was appointed brand director of giftware. Nonte came to Roman six years ago from Abbey Press, St. Meinrad, IN. He will oversee day-to-day operations of gift and collectible product lines. In other company news, Roman named Ohio representative Bridget Rosen the company's Sales Representative of the Year. The award is based on the representative's overall degree of accomplishment, including sales growth, account participation sales programs, the number and quality of new accounts established, and sales per capita.

Blyth Inc., Greenwich, CT, designer and manufacturer of candles and home fragrance products, named Glenn Evans vice president of global sourcing. He will be charged with continuing the strategic initiative to leverage the company's worldwide resourcing capabilities. Evans replaces James Kopp, who was recently appointed president of Blyth's Candle Corp. of America unit. The company also recently named Jeff Carr to the newly created position of managing director of the company's European Affiliate Group (EAG). Its major operating entities are the Gies Group, based in Germany, and the Colony Group, based in the United Kingdom. Products are sold under the Ambria, Carolina Designs, Colony, Gies, Liljehomens, and Asp brands. The EAG also includes Wax Lyrical, the U.K retail chain for candles and accessories. Carr has more than 25 years of management experience in international consumer business and brand development with a variety of multinational companies.

Dennis Marton was named to the newly created position of vice president of marketing for Villeroy & Boch Tableware. He served as vice president of retail marketing at Mikasa. In his new position, Marton will oversee advertising, public relations, promotion, and all marketing functions for all of Villeroy & Boch's divisions.

RetailExchange.com, an online business-to-business global marketplace for excess consumer products, appointed Frank Carpenito president and CEO. Carpenito will be responsible for directing the company's daily business operations, further developing its sales and marketing organization, and overseeing ongoing Web site and technology development. The appointment is part of RetailExchange.com's continued expansion of its management team. Most recently, Carpenito served as president and CEO of Nationstreet, a Web-based logistics and e-fulfillment service enabler.

Seiko Corp. of America, Mahwah, NJ, realigned its top sales executives. Bob Perry, formerly vice president of national accounts, becomes vice president of special markets. Dan Yung, vice president of special markets, assumes the position of vice president of national accounts.

Richard Silver, previously senior associate with the consulting organization The O'Company, was named vice president of operations for Aroma Candle & Scent, a Kent, WA-based marketer of candles and accessories under the Trends, Aromatherapy of Rome, and Color & Fragrance brands. He will oversee production, quality, sourcing, and warehousing for the company.

Robert Drake joined the sales and marketing team of Scientific Explorer Inc., a Seattle company that manufactures products that enhance science education. Drake, who spent nearly ten years as a primary grade science teacher in the Alpine school district in Utah, will be responsible for key specialty toy and education accounts, developing new markets for the company's growing product line, and overseeing trade show and sales presentations.

Hen-Feathers Corp., King of Prussia, PA, maker of decorative accents for the home and garden, made two additions to its management team. Barry Matus was named vice president of sourcing. Matus comes to the company from the International Collector Society in Baltimore. Dan Lammon was appointed the company's new vice president of sales and marketing. Most recently, he was vice president of sales and marketing for Vietri in Hillsboro, NC.

Tabletop and cutlery resource Excel Importing, Hicksville, NY, appointed Gary Latzman senior vice president of sales, assuming responsibility for the Sabatier division of Excel. Latzman will oversee sales of all Sabatier products, including French cutlery, flatware, dinnerware, bakeware, and stainless steel holloware and giftware.

Louis Toscano was appointed director of sales for Brownlow, a Ft. Worth, TX-based resource for inspirational gift books, stationery, and gourmet gifts. Toscano served most recently as director of sales for Peter Pauper Press. He will supervise Brownlow's national sales force, and oversee the development if key accounts and sales promotions.

Russ Berrie & Co., Oakland, NJ, appointed John Willie vice president and CEO. Prior to joining Russ Berrie, Willie was vice president and controller for Time Life Inc. in Alexandria, VA.

Helen Chantos, director of international services for the International Housewares Association (IHA), Rosemont, IL, retired after 19 years with the association. In that time, she helped numerous IHA member companies expand internationally. Her affiliations led to a network of resources for IHA members, including international offices in Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, as well as reciprocal memberships in the Australian Gift & Homewares Association, British Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers' Association, and the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers' Association. Derek Miller, who joined IHA last year as director of international business development, will assume Chantos' responsibilities. In other IHA news, Dale Zalusky, vice president of international sales and business development at Taylor Precision Products LP, was appointed to the board of directors of the Housewares Export Council of North America (HECNA). HECNA is an export-focused group of IHA members. Zalusky replaces Stephanie Rapp of Vance Industries, who left the housewares industry.

Timothy von Gal was made a partner in the Atlanta-based trade show producer Urban Expositions. His official title will be executive vice president, and he will oversee marketing and information systems. He will also work on new business development. Von Gal is a founding member of the Fairchild Urban Expositions Team, which, in 1995, was backed by Fairchild Publications, where he served as director of trade shows and corporate projects. In 1997, von Gal became executive vice president for Fairchild Urban Expositions, wherein he was responsible for corporate and individual marketing, show development, and exhibitor sales. He remained with the trade show producer when founders Douglas Miller and J. Thomas Fulghum acquired 100 percent of the company from Fairchild Publications, consolidating Urban Expositions as an independent entity.