Passing the torch

When Dark Horse Woodworks owner Chris Dehmer joined the Cabinet Makers Association back in 2012, he had no idea just how involved he would become.

Dark Horse began by submitting projects to the CMA’s peer-judged Wood Diamond Awards competition (and won quite a few). But Dehmer soon realized that getting more engaged on a personal level was the key to getting the value out of his membership

He started going to events and joining the conversations on the CMA’s online forums. A few years in, Dehmer decided he’d like to get more involved and threw his name in the hat for a board position.

Dehmer was elected to the CMA Board of Directors in 2016, serving as vice-president at one point before being elected president of the board in 2019. He served two terms as president, leading the board during the period of upheaval that COVID-19 brought to the industry. He continued as a board member after his second term as president ended last summer, and with 2022’s board elections in June, his time on the board ended (members can serve on the board for a maximum of six consecutive years at a time; they are free to run and serve again later).

Dehmer credits the CMA with giving him a chance to do things he would never have imagined, including speaking at national industry conferences and CMA events about his experiences as a business owner, craftsman and entrepreneur.

He points to a quote from a blog post a few years to sum up his appreciation for the organization.

“My involvement with the CMA is the single best professional development opportunity I’ve ever encountered, and being on this board has changed me and my business forever,” he said then. “It’s definitely rewarding to have started out as a novice and to have reached a point where I have knowledge to share with others who are just starting out or who may be changing gears. I credit my CMA friends for helping me get to that point by sharing their expertise with me over the years, and I intend to keep paying it forward whenever I can.”

Now that his term is up, Dehmer plans to return to being an enthusiastic booster of the CMA community, something CMA Executive Director Amanda Conger welcomes.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Chris during his service on the CMA board,” says Conger. “Over the past six years, he has become not only a trusted advisor but also a close friend. I’m glad that past presidents are still involved in the leadership of the organization, because otherwise I would miss his perspective. Chris has always been supportive of my role and empowered me to do my job in the best way possible.”