Press Releases

MJSA Re-elects Board Chair, Adds New Directors

Joseph Esposito enters his third term as chair, Stanley Zale and Allison Peck start their first as directors.

Published

2 years ago

December 18, 2022

Press Releases

Joseph Esposito | Stanley Zale | Allison Peck

(PRESS RELEASE) Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America, the U.S. trade alliance dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, recently re-elected Joseph Esposito to his third one-year term as chair of the MJSA Board of Directors.

The alliance also elected two new directors, Stanley Zale and Allison Peck, to three-year terms.

Joseph Esposito is the executive vice president of National Chain Group in Warwick, Rhode Island. He entered the jewelry industry as an apprentice in 1979 and, in 1988, partnered to form Prime Time Manufacturing in Warwick, Rhode Island. He later ran global manufacturing for the Berkshire Hathaway–owned Richline Group before joining National Chain in 2019. Esposito holds several patents for jewelry metallurgical processes and component designs.

Stanley Zale is vice president of diamond and gemstone procurement at Lafayette, Louisiana–based Stuller Inc., where he has served since 2006. A 40-year veteran of the diamond business, Zale was trained as a diamond sawyer. He has held accountability for diamond manufacturing at Zale Corp. and Stuller, and he represented both at the Diamond Trading Company.

Allison Peck is creative director of Color Merchants in New York City, where she oversees product design, merchandising, manufacturing, marketing, and trade shows. A second-generation jeweler, Peck joined the company in 2017 after several years in the fashion apparel industry. She is also the founder of Brevani, Color Merchants’ in-house brand that offers fashion-forward finished jewelry.

The following MJSA executive committee members were also re-elected:

Vice Chair: Arien Gessner, president of Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Vice Chair: David Siminski, vice president of sales and marketing at United Precious Metal Refining in Alden, New York.
Secretary: Dave Meleski, president/CEO of the New York City–based Richline Group.
Treasurer: Michael Toback, president of Myron Toback Inc. in New York City.
Officer at Large: Edward DeCristofaro, president of LDC Inc. in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Officer at Large: Ann Arnold, chief strategy officer for the Buyers Intelligence Group (BIG) in Norwood, New Jersey.
Chair, MJSA Education Foundation: Steven A. Cipolla, president of National Chain Group in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Coby Blanchard, chief supply chain officer for Stuller Inc., and Mark D. Devereaux, vice president of sales at Jewelers Mutual Group in Neenah, Wisconsin, ended their terms as directors. Both had served for two consecutive three-year terms.

For a complete list of MJSA officers and directors, go here

Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless

When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time. "We'd already experienced Wilkerson's professionalism during a previous sale," Shipman recalls. "But their approach to our relocation event truly impressed us. They strategically prioritized our existing pieces while tactfully introducing complementary merchandise as inventory levels decreased." The carefully orchestrated sale didn't just meet targets—it shattered them. Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."