Last month, the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) announced its Hall of Fame Honorees for its annual Awards for Excellence Gala. The three recipients, Cecilia Gardner, Michael Pollak, and Day’s Jewelers, will be honoured at the New York event on July 24.
Cecilia Gardner is set to receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her two decades of work with the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC). The WJA notes that Gardner’s “leadership of the not-for-profit trade association” helped it gain a space “at the forefront of some of the most complex issues related to compliance and ethics in the jewellery industry.”
This year’s Ben Kaiser Award will be presented to Michael Pollak, who has developed seven luxury jewellery and watch stores. He also founded Diamonds in the Rough, a non-profit organization that has raised nearly USD $2.5 million to support local charities and youth-based initiatives.
Finally, Day’s Jewellers, a family-owned retailer, will be given the Corporate award. The retailer has been open for over 100 years and is a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. It has also received numerous awards, including the Retail Association of Maine’s 2016 Retailer of the Year award, as well as the 2009 Retailer of the Year Award from the WJA.
“It’s my utmost pleasure to be a part of honoring such a distinguished group of individuals during the 2017 Awards for Excellence,” says Brandee Dallow, WJA’s president.
The gala will take place at Pier 60 on New York City’s Chelsea Piers. Individuals and organizations will also be recognized for their excellence in retail, design, manufacturing, sales, marketing and communications, and editorial categories.
