New CMA VP Chris Dehmer with Matt Krig, former CMA president and fellow CMA board member, at last summer’s AWFS (Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers) Fair in Las Vegas.
After serving two years as an at-large member on the Board of Directors of the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA), Dark Horse Woodworks’ Chris Dehmer has been elected vice president of the industry group for professional cabinet makers and woodworkers in the United States and Canada.
The CMA describes itself as a professional organization “where cabinetmakers and woodworkers from both the residential and commercial markets get together and share their hard earned knowledge and experience to help one another.”
Chris joins new president Leland Thomasset, treasurer James Fox and secretary Monika Soos.
“Being a board member has opened up new communication lines with other board members,” Chris says. “It really has taken my involvement to a whole new level.” He points to a visit that he and former CMA president Matt Krig made to Thomasset’s workshop in Maine when they were in the area for a regional event. Their idea was to take advantage of being nearby to have a hands-on working visit with Thomasset.
“We showed up in work clothes and were able to work on a project and see how Leland’s shop works, get ideas from him and offer ideas from our own shops,” he says.
FDMC magazine even ran a feature about the collaboration.
“Being on this board has changed me and my business forever,” Chris adds. “Being a member of the CMA was great, but being a board member forces you to be involved – and being involved is the only way to get maximum return on membership.
“Without my board experience, I probably wouldn’t have agreed to be a part of the CMA shop tours this coming August when the International Woodworking Fair comes to Atlanta,” he says. “Before, pride and ego would have gotten in the way. Now I’m inviting people to come on the CMA tour and tell me what we’re doing wrong. It’s great to be part of a group that allows me to get to know people who are so generous with their time, experience and expertise.
“My involvement with the CMA is the single best professional development opportunity I’ve ever encountered, and I’m happy to take on a new role this year.”
