
DLI’s Board of Directors posed for a group photo at the entrance to The Institute’s offices and School of Drycleaning Technology, April 1, 2022, 50 years to the day after the formation of IFI when AIL and NID merged in 1972.
FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Ray Kroner, Rhonda Eysel, Kathy Benzinger (Treasurer), Jeff Schwegmann II, CGCP® (President-Elect), Bobby Patel (President), Kyle Nesbit (Treasurer-Elect), Hilary Taylor, Don Holececk, Ed Longanecker.
BACK ROW (L-R): Toran Brown, Norman Way, Allan Cripe, Mark Pollack CPD®, Tom Ustanik, John Mertes, Sassan Rahimzadeh. NOT PICTURED: Joe Blaha, Dru Carlisle, Jess Culpepper (Chair), Larry Fish.
DLI’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET IN-PERSON AT DLI’S SCHOOL OF DRYCLEANING TECHNOLOGY IN LAUREL, MARYLAND, APRIL 1, 2022, 50 YEARS TO THE DAY OF THE INSTITUTE’S FOUNDING ON APRIL 1, 1972, WHEN TWO INDUSTRY GIANTS MERGED. The National Institute of Drycleaning (NID, founded 1907) and the American Institute of Launderers (AIL, founded 1883) merged to form the International Fabricare Institute (IFI) on April 1, 1972. IFI rebranded to DLI in 2007 marking NID’s 100th anniversary.