Hackettstown, NJ — Months shy of his three-year anniversary as chief executive officer of the National & Kitchen Bath Association (NKBA) – and less than a month prior to the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) in Chicago – Michael P. Kelly is no longer at the executive helm of the NKBA, association officials have announced.

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Although NKBA leaders termed Kelly’s departure “a mutual agreement,” the details leading to the surprising development remained unclear as of press time. Kelly was unavailable for comment.

“It’s the right decision for the NKBA and for Mr. Kelly, and while there will be glitches along the way, we are so far ahead in the planning [of K/BIS] that it seemed to be the right time for this change,” said Sara Ann Busby, CKD, 2008 NKBA national president.

“The NKBA continues to show a strong growth in our membership – which has been close to 20% in two years, a huge increase in education opportunities and a commitment to legislative issues, so we’re seeking a CEO to take us to another level.”

Busby added that the NKBA has also committed a large amount of money to work in the legislative field and wants a CEO who shares that vision.

To that end, the association has named Don Sciolaro, director of member services, to serve as interim CEO. Sciolaro will also continue his duties as director of member services, which entails overseeing four association functions, including membership, customer service, database operations and regions and chapters.

Prior to joining NKBA in 2006, Sciolaro was senior manager for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for 15 years, and prior to that worked in the District Office of Congresswoman Marghe Roukema.

Kelly, who was named CEO in July 2005 after the abrupt departure of former CEO Larry Spangler – also just before a K/BIS event – was expected to remain in the position long term, despite the lack of a binding contract, said 2005 NKBA national president Jeffrey Cannata, CMKBD, at the time of Kelly’s hire. Ironically, one of Kelly’s first duties as CEO was to select a director of membership, Sciolaro, who will be replacing him.

While not committing to a timetable for a permanent replacement, Busby said that the NKBA is solidifying search committees and companies to find pre-qualified candidates.

Sciolaro concluded: “It typically takes up to six months to find a new CEO, so I can decide if I want to be considered as a candidate for permanent CEO while showing the Executive Committee what I offer. It’s a nice period to be in.”

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