ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Sharron Bradley, the Home Furnishings Assn.’s CEO, will retire next month, and Executive Vice President Mark Schumacher will step into the role.
Bradley informed the board of directors earlier this year of her intention to step down, but she delayed the change when the coronavirus pandemic closed many parts of the economy. “I feel extremely confident where we are as a company and how we are helping our retailers during these times,” she said.
Bradley added, “I wanted to make sure I was leaving the Association in a strong leadership position to move forward. I’m confident we are there.”
Sharron Bradley
She took over as executive director of the Western Home Furnishings Assn., then the largest regional furniture retailer association in the country, in 2001. In 2012, she helped merge two other furniture retailer associations, the National Home Furnishings Assn. and the Home Furnishings International Assn., with the WHFA. Those three groups collectively became known as the North American Home Furnishings Assn. in 2013 before changing the name to the Home Furnishings Assn.
HFA President Jesús R. Capó said Bradley “was the right person at the right time for the association. She helped the HFA regain the respect of the industry. I believe we would not be celebrating our 100th anniversary if not for Sharron.”
Mark Schumacher
Schumacher came to the HFA in 2018 as the vice president of membership. He possesses a deep background in business development and marketing, having spent a decade with nonprofits Victory Junction and Make-a-Wish. Previously, Schumacher spent 25 years in broadcasting as a news anchor and reporter in Florida, Texas, California and New York.
Schumacher said he hopes to build on Bradley’s legacy. “Sharron has been at the helm of the association through some incredibly challenging times,” he said, adding, “We will be building on her successes for years to come.”
Schumacher said the pandemic has shown just how important the HFA, celebrating its centennial anniversary, is to its members. “This crisis is what we were built for,” he said. “Our challenge is to continue to help bring members back to financial health through the dozens of services we can connect them to at discounted rates and to prepare them for the next disruption, whatever it may be.”
