Page 8 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

Society Update
t l
i
Priscilla received her lovely glass trophy from CHA President and CEO Andrej Suskavcevic (left) and CHA Awards Committee Chair David Murray.
Priscilla shared a moment with SDP Board Members Wendy Watson, Allison Leeds, and Linda Sharp cda; and old friend and colleague Dennis Kapp, Martin/F. Weber Company.
FIRST SDP PRESIDENT INDuCTED INTO
CHA HALL OF FAmE
“It was October 22, 1972, when twenty-two women met to- gether in Tulsa, Okla., to form an organization of tole and decora- ive painters—an organization to bring all painters closer together.
It was a dream come true for many.” That was how the first news- etter of the Society opened.
It was during that meeting that Priscilla Hauser mda was named our first president, the original bylaws were written, mem- bership qualifications were established, and the first conference was planned. And with that, the Society was launched.
Forty-two years later, on Jan. 12, 2014, Priscilla Hauser mda was nducted into the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Founda-
tion Hall of Fame, during a gala banquet held as part of the CHA’s 2014 Conference and Trade Show in Anaheim, Calif. This honor was presented in recognition of Priscilla’s hard work in helping to establish the first decorative painting group of its kind, acting as its first president, her exemplary lifetime achievements in the painting industry, and her years as an innovator and spokesperson.
Last autumn, CHA Foundation announced the establishment of the Hall of Fame to recognize the trailblazers of the craft and hobby industry. They asked members to suggest appropriate can- didates for the honor. The SDP Board of Directors jumped on the opportunity to nominate Priscilla. “We have had so many won- derful people in SDP who have committed their creativity, their dedicated spirits, and their ingenuity to decorative painting, but Priscilla was our obvious choice,” said Donna Frost, SDP presi- dent. “She found her life’s work and invited all of us on the same journey to personal creativity.”
Priscilla was one of three inductees in the first year of the Hall of Fame. Eric Dickenson of Michaels, and Julie Stephanie, writer, publisher, and craft designer, were also honored at the gala. “The Hall of Fame is our opportunity to honor the great industry veter- ans,” states David Murray, CHA Awards Committee chair. “We are thrilled to announce this new opportunity for CHA members to take time and recognize, remember, and thank these individuals for their service to our industry.”
SDP board members Allison Leeds, Linda Sharp cda, and Wendy Watson attended the gala as SDP representatives. Leeds stated, “I’ve met and studied with Priscilla many times, wherein she has always been lively and energetic, but never more than this evening. She was absolutely radiant. When Priscilla walked to the podium to give her unrehearsed acceptance speech, the entire room full of industry notables jumped to its feet with thunderous applause for her. They knew exactly who Priscilla is and what she has done for not only the craft industry but for the world.”
Priscilla said that the honor is “a highlight of my life” and “rec- ognition of the importance of all Society of Decorative Painters members.” Priscilla told us afterward that she hadn’t had time to prepare a speech and wasn’t even sure what she had said.
Thank you, Priscilla, from all of us at SDP. To send your own congratulations, email Priscilla at phauser376@aol.com.
Priscilla joined Jeffrey Sparr, keynote speaker at the gala and co-founder of the mental health advocacy group PeaceLove, for a little paint fun.
6 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2014
decorativepainters.org