Reflections from the Past President
I have enjoyed being a member of our DCWC community. DCWC is an integral part of my business, a window into the diamond world that provides a vision into the future, blurry as it may be. I have been involved with the DCWC board over a long period of time, and in several roles. I would like to share with you some of my thoughts.
I used to work for a diamond company from New York when I joined DCWC at its inception. I wanted to be more involved in our community, and got myself elected on the DCWC Board. When I started my own business, I retained my DCWC membership, and continued on the Board. Since that time, I have served as a Vice President and the President of the DCWC. I was privileged to work alongside exceptional individuals who have devoted a great deal of time and effort to make DCWC vibrant and relevant to our members.
Only a few years ago, we were struggling to bring in new members. We were frequently asked “Why should I join DCWC? What will it do for me?” Strangely, when the times were good, it was hard to convince potential members that DCWC was an important organization that would add value to their business. As the market changed to where change was the new normal, interest in DCWC membership soared.
DCWC Board expanded Club activities to help members understand and compete in the changing marketplace, thus adding significant value to our members. It became clear that we were now competing for local business with global suppliers, and working alongside our neighbors was advantageous. Our membership is growing at a rapid pace. There are times when our Membership Committee is overwhelmed by applicants who want to join DCWC ASAP, so that they can start benefiting from our activities.
DCWC is vibrant and alive, thanks to the tireless and selfless dedication of our Board members and Officers. They bring to the table creative ideas, debate and formulate new strategies and volunteer to bring them to fruition. The single important consideration is how to add value to the DCWC membership. We are all fortunate to have them as our representatives and leaders.
The vision and hard work of the DCWC Board has made us the envy of other Clubs around the world. Not only are we adding members, but we are also adding benefits that manifest from “out-of-the-box” thinking by our Board. Many of these Clubs are exploring to add DCWC activities such as guest speaker lunches, trading in second-hand diamonds and “Delinquent List” to name a few.
To serve with these outstanding individuals has been a real privilege. Their passion is contagious. I have worked in multinational companies where it was possible for me to benefit from networking with my colleagues and guidance from my mentors. In my business today, I do not have that opportunity in-house. Interacting with the Board members however, has been of similar value. I urge you all to get involved, I know that you will take away more than you will give, I have. Above all, support our Board and let them know that you appreciate their dedication to DCWC.
DCWC is a member of World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), an apex organization of diamond bourses from around the world. Together, it is estimated that over 80% of diamond trade is controlled by WFDB members. WFDB is guided by the Executive Committee (ExCo); and the DCWC has the honor of having a seat at the ExCo for over fifteen years, an indication of respect from the international diamond community. ExCo members represent all facets of our business, from large manufacturers to mega traders to smaller diamond dealers, such as a majority of our members. Often such a diverse group have divergent interests. Our representation in the ExCo allows us to propose and defend policies that specifically help our members. This alone makes it very important for us to be a member of the WFDB and be a member of the ExCo.
-Nikhil Jhaveri
