Jery Huntley will retire from the helm of the Vinyl Siding Institute in December after 20 years of overseeing initiatives to keep the building material the most popular in the country, certify products and installers, and support non-profit groups like Habitat for Humanity International.
When Huntley started with the VSI in 1995, it was a business unit of the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. She helped facilitate its transition to an independent trade association for vinyl siding manufacturers and suppliers in 2004.
Huntley has been the only president and CEO since VSI became a separate organization. It now represents more than 40 companies. An executive search to select a new VSI president by Jan. 1 is underway.
Huntley said in a news release that she is leaving the Washington-based trade association knowing it is strong with unrivaled products.
“I am proud to have worked with so many professional, passionate individuals, companies and staff as we improved product quality and maintained vinyl siding as the No. 1 choice for exterior cladding over the past two decades,” Huntley said.
Under her leadership, VSI has provided third-party certification for more than 98 percent of the vinyl siding, polypropylene siding and insulated siding manufactured in North America. More than 8,600 installers also have been certified through a program started in 2005. To educate builders, remodelers, architects and consumers, VSI launched the America Sides with vinyl marketing campaign.
Huntley also led charitable efforts, including the donation of more than $2.5 million of siding, accessories and training to non-profit housing organizations.
In her “next phase of life,” Huntley will be a consultant for trade association managers and help train executives for industry, government and non-profit clients.
VSI has retained the executive search firm of Vetted Solutions in Washington to handle the search process for a new president.