Headlines

John Kennedy to Retire as President of JSA

He’s been with the organization for 32 years.

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2024

INSTORE Staff

NEW YORK — John Kennedy, who has served as president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance for 32 years, has announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2024.

Kennedy, an attorney, joined JSA in 1992 after serving as assistant commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation. He had also held other positions in government, academia and a non-profit organization.

“JSA has never been stronger,” Kennedy said. “It has a superb Board and crime team, excellent relations with law enforcement, and a wide and effective reach to its large membership and the entire industry. JSA’s finances are solid, and its supporters are loyal and generous. This is a perfect time for me to step aside from what has been a very satisfying career.”

The organization’s board and its search committee are in the process of selecting a new JSA president, according to a press release. There have only been four JSA presidents since 1897, with an average terms of over 30 years each. JSA is a non-profit trade association providing crime prevention information and assistance to the jewelry industry.

Alan Zimmer, chairperson of JSA, said, “JSA will miss John’s steady leadership of the organization for the last 32 years. He will also be missed for his many contributions to the jewelry industry. On a personal level, I would like to thank John for his stewardship of JSA and will greatly miss John for his professionalism and friendship. We wish John all the best in his future retirement.”

Kennedy has been recognized for his many contributions to the jewelry industry and been awarded JCK’s Person of the Year in 2002; the AGS Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008; the Gem Award for Lifetime Achievement from Jewelers of America in 2021; and the Stanley Schechter Award from Jewelers Vigilance Committee, also in 2021.

Kennedy said, “I am grateful for the unfailing industry support that I have always felt, and I look forward to staying in touch with friends and colleagues by continuing my service as Secretary of the 24 Karat Club of New York, as I have done for the past 22 years.”

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When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."