Judy Fisher and David Bonaparte to be honored
Jewelers for Children will hold the 21st Annual Facets of Hope event on Sunday, June 2, 2019 in Las Vegas during jewelry market week. The 2019 edition will mark a return to the Venetian Las Vegas, along with the move of the JCK Show to the Sands Expo Center. Judy Fisher, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Reeds Jewelers and David Bonaparte, President and CEO of Jewelers of America, Inc. have agreed to serve as honorees.
The event will celebrate the success of JFC’s fund raising efforts for the year and commitments to the charity partners will be announced. In 2018, nearly 1,650 industry guests attended during the event. Both Fisher and Bonaparte have agreed to serve as guests of honor at the event with the responsibility of assisting JFC in raising funds to benefit children who are the victims of catastrophic illness or life-threatening abuse and neglect.
“Dave and Judy truly represent the finest of our industry,” said Pamela Mortensen JFC Board Chair. “We are fortunate to have them both serving as honorees and assisting us in raising funds to help the children who need it the most. ”
The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth level of the hotel with cocktails, followed by dinner and the program beginning at 7:30. Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring can contact JFC at 212-687-2949 or info@jewelersforchildren.org. Details and participation forms are available at the JFC website, www.jewelersforchildren.org.
About Judy Fisher
Judy Fisher is excited about her recent career transition in January of 2018 to the role of SVP of Merchandising for Reeds Jewelers in Wilmington, NC. She is enjoying the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and share her professional knowledge in the development of her team to support and grow the Reeds jewelry business.
Judy began her career in the jewelry industry in 1979 as a sales associate and buyer for an independent jeweler. It was during this time that Judy acquired her GIA (Gemological Institute of America), Graduate Gemologist certification and became a Certified Gemologist Appraiser. She transitioned to the majors in 1996 where she took on a buying role with Service Merchandise and was eventually promoted to Merchant Director of Bridal and Solitaries. In 2000, Judy was recognized, by her company, as Merchant of the Year.
In 2001, Judy moved to Whitehall Jewelers and managed the diamond portion of the business, eventually taking on the role of Vice President of Merchandising.
Judy joined Signet Jewelers in 2008, as Director of Diamond Fashion and Rings for the Mall brands. In 2010, she was promoted to Merchandising Director of the Jared stores. In 2012, Judy was once again promoted to Divisional Vice President, Merchandising of Mall stores and in 2013 promoted to Corporate Vice President of Mall and Jared store brands. Her final promotion was in November 2015 to SVP of Merchandising. In this role, Judy was responsible for the development and management of all Akron store brands’ merchandising initiatives and product assortments.
In July 2017, Judy was honored by the Women’s Jewelry Association and awarded the WJA Award for Excellence in the Large-Scale Retail category for her dedication to helping women in the jewelry industry advance and develop. Her greatest joy throughout her career has been developing people professionally and being involved in the advancement of their careers.
Judy is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. She resides in Kure Beach, NC with her husband of 30 years, Doug, and is the proud mother of sons Oliver, Logan and Jackson.
About David Bonaparte
David J. Bonaparte is President & CEO of Jewelers of America,. Jewelers of America and its members maintain a deep commitment to high social, environmental and ethical practices. Since his appointment to the role in 2013, he has been dedicated to the association’s mission of improving consumer confidence in the jewelry industry through his advocacy work in Washington, D.C., and through global initiatives.
Bonaparte spearheads Jewelers of America’s legislative advocacy in Washington, D.C., often representing the jewelry industry in key meetings with Congressional leaders, the Federal Trade Commission and other industry stakeholders. He was instrumental in the association’s efforts to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that created an uneven playing field on sales taxation between traditional and online sellers. With the milestone ruling overturned in 2018, states can now collect sales taxes equally from both traditional retailers and sellers without a physical in-state presence.
Under Bonaparte’s leadership, Jewelers of America has grown to include several successful strategic partnerships. In 2015, he led the acquisition of National Jeweler magazine. In 2017, Bonaparte completed a strategic affiliation with DCA (Diamond Council of America), which enhances benefits to both JA and DCA memberships by providing quality education to the next generation of industry leaders.
Prior to his appointment at Jewelers of America, Bonaparte served as Sr. Vice President for the JCK portfolio of products and was the Global leader for the jewelry portfolio at Reed Exhibitions worldwide.
Bonaparte is actively involved in many jewelry industry organizations and serves as Treasurer of the U.S. Jewelry Council and sits on the Board of Directors of the Jewelers Security Alliance. He is also a member of the Women’s Jewelry Association and the 24 Karat Club of New York and Southern California. He received the Jewelers Security Alliance Industry Service Award in 2009 and the Ben Kaiser Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Jewelry Association in 2014.
About Jewelers for Children
Jewelers for Children was founded in 1999 by the U.S. jewelry industry with the mission of helping children in need. Since its inception, JFC has raised more than $55 million for programs benefiting children whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse or neglect through charity partners St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Make-A-Wish® America, and the National CASA Association. JFC also provides support to Make-A-Wish® International, and the Santa-America Fund. Visit www.JewelersForChildren.org for more information.
