Garis Distelhorst, CAE, Executive VP and CEO of the Marble Institute of America (MIA) since 2002, will retire December 31, 2012. The MIA Board of Directors has named James Hieb, CAE, the association’s VP, as his successor.
Prior to joining MIA, Distelhorst was CEO of the National Association of College Stores (NACS) for 17 years. Previously, he was a senior executive at Smith Bucklin, an association management firm in Washington, DC. Distelhorst’s 11-year leadership of MIA helped transform the association by increasing membership, expanding StonExpo, establishing the first professional accreditation for stone fabricators and installers, developing information resources for members, and overseeing the creation of safety training programs.
“Gary brought a professionalism to the stone industry by the leadership he provided, and as a result, MIA is a totally different entity now than it was 10 years ago,” said Tony Malisani, president of Malisani Inc. and secretary of the MIA Board. “Our industry now has an association group to advocate for the industry, where we weren’t doing much of that before. He’s done a great job of marshaling resources and taking on challenges.”
“It’s been an extraordinary honor and privilege to lead MIA during this time of growth, challenge and change,” said Distelhorst. “I am deeply proud of all we’ve achieved and grateful to the Board, to MIA members, and to my staff for all the support I have received. I am also especially happy about the many friends I’ve made in this noble industry. The Board has made a superb choice in selecting Jim Hieb to be Executive VP. He will be an excellent leader. I look forward to a successful transition and helping Jim take the reins of this wonderful organization.”
