by HIGH POINT — The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation has named Patrick Chapin as chief executive officer, a role previously held by Karen McNeill, who was promoted to chief vision officer in March after leading the organization for 16 years.
McNeill has also been elected to the board of directors and will become president in January.
Chapin was most recently president and CEO of Business High Point – Chamber of Commerce and also has led the development of Congdon Yards in downtown High Point, shepherding a $50 million philanthropic investment from David Congdon and the Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation. He also directly raised an additional $17 million from public and private donations.
The project resulted in the renovation of 225,000 square feet of former furniture showroom space that previously was the Adams-Millis hosiery mill at 410 English Road.
“The Hall of Fame experienced extraordinary growth, including expansion of our programs, the purchase of a building, the launch of the Leadership Initiative and the development of a world-class executive education program during Karen’s leadership,” said Caroline Hipple, president of the foundation board of directors and president of Norwalk Furniture. “Patrick is perfectly positioned to expand on our core strengths and take the Hall of Fame to the next level as we continue to chronicle our history, celebrate our leaders and unite the industry across all roles.”
While with Business High Point, Chapin also forged a partnership with Italian manufacturing company SCM to create The Generator, located at Congdon Yards. This space is said to be the first industrial-grade production and prototype facility in the United States supporting entrepreneurs, designers and furniture makers.
He also created the Congdon Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership and helped found Thrive High Point, a program for minority- and women-owned businesses.
Before joining Business High Point, he was president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce in Central Florida, executive director of the Sarasota YMCA and served in multiple management roles with The Walt Disney Co.
He has been recognized as “Top C-Suite Executive in the Triad” and “Power Player” by the Triad Business Journal, “Top 10 Men to Watch in Central Florida” by the Orlando Business Journal, “Citizen of the Year,” District 5 – Orange County, Florida, and “Rotarian of the Year” in Orlando, Florida. In 2016, Chapin became a living kidney donor, and he continues to do donor advocacy and awareness work.
