Cotton Inc. names assoc. director, retail mktg.

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 1/20/2003 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Andrea Samber has joined Cotton Incorporated as associate director of retail marketing, a newly created position intended to initiate and enhance retail relationships and programs, in the process building exposure of The Seal of cotton trademark on merchant private labels.

She'll report to Paula Rosario, senior executive, retail and fashion marketing.

"This is key to our strategy of service and partnership with the retail community," Rosario explained.

Samber most recently was promotions manager for Seventeen magazine and earlier had been senior marketing manager for the relaunch of Teen magazine. Samber was also tourism marketing manager for The Galleria at Ft. Lauderdale, a super-regional shopping mall in Florida.

In other executive news, Cotton Inc. has promoted Michael Watson to vp, fiber quality research. He was previously senior director of the same department.

He will now oversee the department's research projects, analyze crop data and manage budgets and staff. He will also be responsible for identifying improvement opportunities for measurement of fiber quality and implementation of technological innovations related to these measurements.

Watson began his career at Burlington Industries and joined Cotton Inc. in 1982. In 1988, he was promoted to manager, fiber quality research, becoming senior director of the department in 1995.