Adria Salvatore

Assistant Executive Director/Education

Los Angeles

Adria Salvatore is the Assistant Executive Director, focusing on Education & Public Policy, for the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®), a national trade association for the wood products manufacturing industry. She is responsible for the College of Woodworking Knowledge (CWWK) educational conference program at the biennial AWFS®Fair. She oversees projects that support industry-education and career and technical education (CTE) such as the "Meet the New Face of Manufacturing" industry advocacy campaign; the WoodIndustryEd.org searchable database website; and AWFS' representation on the Wood Industry Resource Collaborative (WIRC), an industry coalition dedicated to workforce development. Adria also manages AWFS’ Public Policy efforts, including the annual DC fly-in, which is focused on support of workforce development, Perkins funding, and CTE programs.

Adria is the recipient of the 2018 SkillsUSA California "Friend of the Year" and the 2018 LA California Industrial and Technology Education Association "Industry Person of the Year" awards. Adria currently serves as a Board member for the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD); SkillsUSA California; and the California Industrial and Technology Education Association (CITEA). She is also a member of the Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) Education Committee, the ACTE Workforce Development through CTE Coalition, and the California Department of Education Industry Sector Advisory Councils.

Adria has been with AWFS® since 2007; in her previous roles she was also responsible for SkillsUSA California woodworking contest management, the Fresh Wood student woodworking competition and publication of the Fresh Wood book series. Prior to working at AWFS, Adria worked in commercial lending at a major bank and as an inventory manager for a housewares manufacturer. She has a BS in Finance (2004) and a MBA in Marketing (2006), both from California State University, Long Beach.