BIFMA, the not for profit trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers, recently annunced that Director Brad Miller will be retiring after 26 years of service. Brad Miller joined BIFMA in 1994 after working for two Members of the United States Congress for 16 years. He will retire from the work he has loved on December 31, 2020.
Brad’s various titles through those years have reflected his multiple talents. From Manager of Government Affairs to Director of Communications & Government Affairs to Director of Advocacy & Sustainability, there was always something exciting and meaningful to do in collaboration with the great people he met within and outside of the industry. If there is one phrase to describe his approach to government, it would be “proactive problem-solving through partnerships”.
In addition to being the organization’s official lobbyist, he helped develop its first website, was editor of BIFMA’s newsletter, and pioneered the association’s presence on social media. Legislative and regulatory achievements included working with Congressional leaders to end prison industry mandatory sourcing; piloting a materials reclamation program within prisons; bipartisan formaldehyde legislation signed by the President of the United States; and establishment of a government advisory council in Canada to ensure a competitive purchasing process.
Among the many activities that Brad led for the association, the most important one for him personally was the establishment of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. Working with NSF International and a multi-stakeholder group of hundreds of observers, the first version of the standard was released for industry use in 2008. The LEVEL Certification Program was launched the following year and, today, more than 4,300 products have been certified by approximately 70 furniture brands. It has been recommended for use in U.S. Government purchasing by the EPA; required in Canada and India; emulated in the EU by that region’s furniture association; and written into specifications by states, provinces, municipalities, universities, and private sector purchasers.
Brad is looking forward to spending mass amounts of time with his family and will remain active on community boards and advisory groups in his many areas of interest including consulting for BIFMA
BIFMA is taking this time to strengthen the alignment of their technical services in support and response to the increased focus in wellness and sustainability. Customer organizations and members are actively exploring and implementing changes to address these issues driven by the ever increasing awareness and education of the impacts of climate change, environmental health, and vulnerabilities to virus spread. As the voice of the commercial furniture industry, we recognize these are important issues that affect not only our industry but the world.
BIFMA has begun the search for a new Director of Health and Sustainability. Resumes or referrals can be sent to Deirdre Jimenez, President and CEO, at djimenez@bifma.org.
A position description has been posted on the BIFMA website.