Harold Chapman, CFE became chairman of the board of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) effective July 1, 2012. Chapman, president of Bonitz Flooring Group, Inc., fills the role vacated by Jim Walters of Macco’s Floor Covering Center, Inc. Green Bay, WI, who became immediate past chairman.  

At the spring board of directors Meeting in Boca Raton, FL, directors also elected Janice Clifton, Abbey Carpets, Napa, CA as chairman-elect; confirmed Paul F. Johnson, CFE, president, Interiors One, Inc., Carpet One, Tulsa, OK as secretary; Scott Walker, Walkers Carpet One, Bellingham, WA as CFO; Mark Weaver, Carpet Weavers, Bloomington, IL as vice chairman; and Tom Jennings, CFE as past chairman. These individuals will comprise the association’s executive committee for the 2012-13 fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

The WFCA elects a third of its board of directors each year for three-year terms.  Directors in Boca Raton confirmed the selection by the membership of directors of the Board to serve terms beginning July 1, 2012. In addition to re-electing Chapman, WFCA members also re-elected Scott Walker and Eric Langan. Newly elected directors to 3-year terms include:

• Scott Appel, president, Touch of Color, Harrisburg, PA<br><br>
• Carrie Seifert, vice president, Diversified Flooring Design Center, Edgewater, FL<br><br>
• Mark Tollefson, CFO, Tollefson’s Retail Group, Inc., Minot, ND

Directors also re-elected Terry Wheat, CFE, president, RFMS to a three (3) year term as an associate director.

Chapman has spent his entire professional life in the flooring industry. His first job after graduating from Clemson University in South Carolina was as a salesman for Sears in their commercial division in Anderson, SC. Within his first two years on the job, he was promoted to division sales manager for the entire state. <br><br>

Chapman’s next big feat occurred when he joined Bonitz Flooring Group in Greenville, SC. At that time, he was the only flooring sales person in the city. His role included conducting all estimates, sales and project management. He was promoted to manager within his first year and became an officer of the company within his first 5-years.

Chapman soon rose to the position of president and chief executive officer at Bonitz Flooring Group, a company he grew to become the nation’s largest independent commercial flooring company. In his current role, he is responsible for providing the corporate vision, as well as leading the employee owned company. Besides his skill set for management, sales, sales training and marketing strategies, his associates know him best for his mentoring and life skills teaching.

In addition to his day job, Chapman serves as chairman emeritus at StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative and is also a former chairman of the board of directors. He served as chairman for 5 years during the vertical integration days and helped reestablish StarNet as a successful entity for the independent flooring contractor. His dedication and vision still play an important role as StarNet continues to prosper.

Chapman was also honored and elected by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) in 2000 to join their inaugural Hall of Fame for his dedication and support of the commercial design community. He is also a former member of the board of directors for FCIB (Floor Covering Installation Board), whose directors came directly from the FCICA membership. Harold has served on many advisory boards during his 35-year career, including Dupont and BASF, among others. He is a past board member for the Carolina’s Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, where his leadership and insight were directly responsible for their early success.

Chapman’s involvement with the WFCA began in 1998 when his company became a member. He was elected to the board for the first time in 2002. Within those fours years as a member, Chapman served on several WFCA committees, including the Finance and Executive Committees.

“I am taking on this position at a very critical point in the WFCA’s history with the recent loss of its leader, D. Christopher Davis, in February,” Chapman said. “My predecessor, Jim Walters, has done an excellent job, along with executives at WFCA, in helping the organization steer its course without issue. I have no doubt the WFCA is poised to move forward stronger than ever. We have a tremendous team, a talented board, strong committees and great programs in place. My commitment lies within that of the WFCA, to focus on efforts to enhance and improve the floor covering industry first and foremost. I am looking forward to a year of both growth and success.”