Jewelers of America Elects Three New Board Directors

Amanda Coleman-Phelps, Lawrence Bock and Caryl Capeci join the trade association's board after its annual general meeting.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Jewelry

Jewelers of America Elects Three New Board Directors

Jewelers of America elected Amanda Coleman-Phelps, Lawrence Bock and Caryl Capeci to its board of directors at its annual general meeting on Oct. 26. The new directors were introduced at the board meeting the following day.

Why it matters

The appointments fill seats vacated by Robert Marks, who rotated off the board, and Julie Keeney, who left following her retirement from Fred Meyer earlier this year. The board's makeup shapes the direction of the national trade association serving the U.S. jewelry industry.

Bock is president and third-generation owner of Bachendorf's, which operates four boutiques in Dallas and Fort Worth, and has led Harry Bock Co. since 2000. Coleman-Phelps is president and CEO of Nelson Coleman Jewelers in Towson, Md., while Capeci is senior vice president of fine jewelry, watches and global marketing at Starboard.

The players

Jewelers of America

Jewelers of America is a national trade association for the U.S. jewelry industry, founded in 1906.

Lawrence Bock

Lawrence Bock is president and third-generation owner of Bachendorf's, a Dallas-based jewelry chain with four boutiques in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Caryl Capeci

Caryl Capeci is a jewelry executive who previously led Hearts On Fire and served as North American CEO of Chow Tai Fook.

Amanda Coleman-Phelps

Amanda Coleman-Phelps is president and CEO of Nelson Coleman Jewelers in Towson, Md., and oversees its Chris Coleman Community Commitment charitable program.

The details

The three directors were elected at JA's annual general meeting on Oct. 26 and introduced at the board meeting the following day. Bock joined Harry Bock Co. in 1982 and was inducted into the National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame in 2011, while Capeci previously served as president of Hearts On Fire and North American CEO of Chow Tai Fook.

Julie Keeney retired from Fred Meyer earlier in 2026, leaving the board.
Oct. 26, 2026: JA's annual general meeting elected three new directors.
Oct. 27, 2026: The new directors were introduced at the board meeting.

Industry Leadership

The appointments continue a pattern of JA drawing board members from both family-owned independent retailers and large fine-jewelry suppliers, as seen in the mix of Bock's and Capeci's backgrounds. The board's composition therefore spans the retail and wholesale sides of the U.S. jewelry trade.

For shoppers, board changes at a trade association have little direct effect on purchasing or pricing. The practical impact falls mainly on the independent jewelers and suppliers who participate in JA's programs and industry standards.

The takeaway

Trade association leadership shapes the standards and programs that independent jewelers rely on, so changes to its board are worth tracking for anyone in the industry. Readers can follow JA's board announcements for updates on its direction.