Ken Williams, president and CEO of Caesarstone The Americas, has been elected chair of NKBA’s 2024 board of directors, effective Jan 1. He succeeds Jan Heck, president and CEO of Miele USA. 

Jan Heck, as well as Kristen Elder, vice president of residential builder and showrooms at Ferguson Enterprises, completed their four-year terms and will be leaving the NKBA Board of Directors at the end of 2023.  

“I am deeply honored to assume the role of 2024 chairman of the NKBA Board,” Williams said, who is serving his third year on the board. “Reflecting on my time serving on the board for the past two years, I’ve seen firsthand the remarkable efforts dedicated to cultivating new opportunities and the next generation of talent for our industry. I look forward to this next chapter with the NKBA to further drive innovation and excellence.” 

Bill Darcy, named global president and CEO of NKBA | KBIS at the association’s November board meeting, expressed a warm welcome to Williams and thanked the board members for their contributions.

“They all bring a unique perspective from different sectors and roles in the industry, and NKBA benefits from the intelligent exchange of ideas that comes from this collaboration,” Darcy said, whose new title reflects the growing influence and importance of NKBA and KBIS in the international market. “I’d also like to thank our outgoing chair, Jaeck, for his efforts in 2023.”  

In addition to Williams, NKBA | KBIS  also elected returning board member, Louis “Lou” M. Rohl, founder of The House of ROHL, as vice chair, and returning board member Kerrie Kelly, founder and CEO + creative director of Kerrie Kelly Studio, as secretary/treasurer. Rohl will be in his fourth and final year on the board, while Kelly will be serving out her second year. 

New 2024 board members include John Barkhouse, CEO of Cabinetworks Group, and Nicola Bertazzoni, chief operating officer of Bertazzoni Group, Italy, and CEO of Bertazzoni North America Inc.,  and both will serve four-year terms. Bertazzoni is the first-ever board member to be based outside of North America, again underscoring the increasing global impact of NKBA and KBIS. 

Click here for a complete list of the 2024 NKBA board members, whose tenure begins on Jan. 1, 2024.