Dallas Furniture Bank Names Mary Frye to Board of Directors

Furniture World News

Mary Frye, president of Home Furnishings International Association, has been named to the Dallas Furniture Bank Board of Directors. The Dallas Furniture Bank, a member of the National Furniture Bank Association, is a nonprofit agency that collects and stores gently used, basic household furniture through donations from the furniture industry, businesses, hotels, motels, and individuals from the community. The Furniture Bank then turns around and sells those pieces at nominal prices to individuals and families referred to the bank by charitable organizations. Tina Morris, executive director for the Dallas Furniture Bank, said that board members serve a two-year term and are primarily responsible for strategic planning, both immediate and long term. “We are excited that Mary is coming on board and for the perspective that she will bring,” Morris said. “She can assist us in identifying other resources to help enhance houses and help turn those houses into homes.” Frye brings a wealth of knowledge and industry contacts to this position, as well as compassion for the Dallas Furniture Bank clients. Currently the president of Home Furnishings International Association, a national trade association serving the interests and needs of the home furnishings industry which is headquartered in the Dallas area, Frye has made a career of monitoring and making sense of the impact of changes in the industry, especially for the independent retailer. She already serves on the board of the National Furniture Bank Association. In addition, Fry serves on other industry boards including Women in the Home Industry Today (WithIt), Furniture Industry Data Exchange (FIDX) and the Bill Cooper Salesman Fund. “I am honored to be asked to be on the board of the Dallas Furniture Bank. I look forward to using my contacts in the home furnishings industry to further the work of furniture banks across the country and particularly in Dallas,” Frye said. Through this appointment, she hopes to engage the home furnishings industry in the mission of furniture banks and re-direct usable furniture into the hands of those in need, while helping retailers meet both their profitable and charitable initiatives.