DALLAS – April 4, 2016 – Dallas Market Center and ART have announced that Connie Lineberry will receive the first-ever Legendary Leadership Award during the 28th annual ARTS Awards in January 2017. Lineberry is Executive Vice President of Brand Creative Services for Progressive Business Media.
The Legendary Leadership Award honors an individual who has not only achieved esteemed recognition from industry peers, but who has also led the home industry with passion, and whose dedication has helped hundreds of companies succeed.
“It is a privilege to bestow the Legendary Leadership Award to Connie,” Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center, said. “We have created a special award this year to honor a special woman. Her business leadership has added substantial value to the home industry, and her support of companies and people has added substantial value to our lives.”
“Connie is a creative, thoughtful, passionate leader who deserves special recognition this year,” Sharon Davis, executive director of ART, said. “The Legendary Leadership Award is a way for us to recognize a true trailblazer in the home industry, and Connie personifies the best qualities of our business.”
Connie Lineberry’s career in publishing began with Knight Ridder newspapers, followed by stints with Landmark Newspapers and Gannett. Lineberry was hired by Steve Pond, founding publisher of Furniture/Today, in 1981 to launch a marketing services department.
Over the years Lineberry has worked as a marketing executive in partnership with countless furniture and home accent companies to help develop advertising and marketing content for a range of industry publications as the family of trade publications continued to expand. She has served as the publisher of Home Accents Today on two separate occasions, as vice president of marketing, and since 2013 as executive vice president of creative brand services.
For almost 20 years Lineberry has worked alongside and reported to Kevin Castellani, president and group publisher of Progressive Business Media.
“I have had the opportunity to work with a world class team for 35 years, from the editors to the sales people and the support staff,” Connie Lineberry, executive vice president of brand creative services for Progressive Business Media, said. “As a result, we have remained the leading publications in every industry we serve. To say that I am proud of the people and the work we have done to help our industry would be an understatement. I am accepting this honor on behalf of the many, many people who have helped me continue to serve and provide value to amazing companies.”
The ARTS Awards, developed by the non-profit ART and produced by Dallas Market Center, is the premier international awards program for the home industry — honoring designers, manufacturers, retailers and sales representatives — and is held each January during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market. The ARTS Awards black-tie gala is attended by nearly 700 industry leaders who are among the tens of thousands of Market attendees.