The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has elected four directors to its board.
The appointees will take office in February 2027, the organization said Wednesday. The new members are Dudley Blauwet of Dudley Blauwet Gems, Sailesh Lakhi of Sparkles and Colors USA, Cynthia Renee Marcusson of Cynthia Renee and Ron Rahmanan of Sara Gem Corporation.
“I am pleased to welcome and congratulate our newly elected directors as they join the board,” said AGTA president Bruce Bridges. “Their experience and leadership will strengthen our ability to address the challenges ahead and advance the interests of our association and the broader colored-gemstone industry. Together, we will remain focused on strengthening our community, upholding the highest standards and supporting the industry’s continued growth and success.”
The following members will continue to serve on the board: Ann Barker of Barker & Company, John Bradshaw of John J. Bradshaw, Bruce Bridges of Bridges Tsavorite, Malinda Daniel of Tim Roark, Matthew Hopkins of Hopkins Opal, Ravi Jajoo of United Color Gems, Eshvar Kotahwala of Vinod Kotahwala, Bryan Lichtenstein of 3090 Gems, Tracy Lindwall of Nomad’s Lapidary Co., Oren Nhaissi of EMCO Gem and Jaimeen Shah of Prima Gems USA. Meanwhile, Rohan Agrawal will be leaving the board in February after six years.
Past president Kimberly Collins chaired the nomination committee. AGTA will introduce the new board members at its membership meeting, which will take place during the AGTA GemFair jewelry show in Tucson, Arizona, from January 31 to February 4.
Image: Natural sapphire, ruby and emerald. (Shutterstock)
