NEW YORK, New York — F. Schumacher & Co. appointed Gerald W. Puschel as Chairman of the Board of the company, effective immediately. Puschel had previously served as president and CEO and has held held a variety of other top management positions at the firm including president of the Waverly Division, executive vice president, corporate secretary and COO.

Puschel had been named by Home Furnishings News as one of the 100 most influential people in the industry. Prior to joining F. Schumacher & Co., he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1964 -1967.  Prior to joining the Navy, however, he received a BA in English Literature from St. Lawrence University in 1964, and in 1972 he earned an MBA from Rutgers University and then a BS in Textile Science from the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences in 1973. Puschel is a descendant -- great, great nephew -- of Frederic Schumacher, the founder of the company.