Michelle Graff and Rob Bates
(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – On Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance will host its annual luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in New York, honoring several individuals for outstanding assistance to the safety and security of the jewelry industry.
JSA will present the 14th Annual Industry Service Award to Michelle Graff, editor-in-chief of National Jeweler, and Rob Bates, news director of JCK. Graff has been with National Jeweler for 11 years, and Bates with JCK for 21 years, and during that time they have posted many articles that provided important information and advice to the industry on crime and crime prevention.
John Kennedy, president of JSA, said, “Michelle and Rob are terrific journalists with a deep knowledge of crime and the jewelry industry. The information they are able to spread to a wide audience has been of enormous assistance to JSA in its mission of reducing crime against the industry.”
JSA will also present the 20th Annual James B. White Award to three members of the Paramus, NJ, police deparment: Deputy Chief Robert M. Guidetti, Detective Lieutenant Frank Scott and Detective Nicholas J. Luciano. These three honorees have collectively been involved in well over 100 cases involving the jewelry industry, totaling millions of dollars in stolen merchandise.
Kennedy said of the Paramus personnel: “The Paramus Police have long rendered important assistance to the jewelry industry. Their investigations, arrests and assistance to other police agencies have made a tremendous impact on keeping the industry safer.”
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Paramus Police Department and NYPD on Traveling Salesperson Decoy Operation, 2004.
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
