DLI's Board is made up of eight drycleaners, representing each of DLI's Districts in the U.S. In addition, the President and Chairman of the Board have usually finished their 4-year term as a Director, bringing the number to 10. An Allied Trades Representative also holds a Director's position, which usually brings the total number of Board members to 11.

In the furtherance of the desire of DLI's Board of Directors to increase diversity on the Board and to broaden the scope of representation, the positions of District Committee Member (DCM) and District Committee Member at Large have been added. The regional and state associations in each of DLI's eight Districts are strongly encouraged to provide a DCM from their District.

Meet DLI's Executive Committee

	David Silliman - Chairman of the Board
	Uptowne Drycleaning, Inc.
	Phoenix, Arizona

“Dry Clean Dave” Silliman volunteers his services to the industry that has supported his family for 88 years. “It is my pleasure and my obligation to volunteer to serve the membership, to help educate and increase the membership, and contribute in any way I can to improve and raise the level of the status quo,” he said.

Silliman has experience serving as a volunteer. He served as District 7 DCM, and Director, and has served two terms on the Western States Drycleaners & Launderers Association’s Board of Directors, as well as two terms on WSDLA’s Executive Committee as Corporate Secretary.

In addition to volunteering in a formal setting, Silliman spends a great deal of time helping cleaners from all corners of the globe on an individual basis. Through his website, www.drycleandave.com, he has assisted hundreds (likey thousands) of cleaners free of charge.

Beyond attending meetings, events, and performing the basic functions of an DLI Director, Silliman brings his experience with helping cleaners to the table. Silliman also brings his perspective as a working drycleaner to the Board. “I am in my plant cleaning, inspecting, and spotting 50–60 hours a week, every week. I’m side by side with my employees, and I’m accessible to my customers. I open up and start the boiler, and I blow down the boiler when we’re finished.”

	Rick Kasperbauer - President
	Kasperbauer Cleaners
	Carroll, Iowa

Rick Kasperbauer, owner of Kasperbauer Cleaners in Carroll, Iowa, has been elected DLI President-Elect.  Kasperbauer spent his high school years “avoiding my dad’s plant for the most part,” he said.  After that he received an offer he couldn’t refuse and jumped into drycleaning with both feet.  “My older brother was selling his plant and he gave me a really good offer on it,” Kasperbauer said. “That was in 1980.”

He rented the facility for 10 years before building a new home for his plant in 1990.  A decade of experience on the Board of the Iowa-Nebraska Drycleaners & Laundry Association, a two-year term as DLI’s District 5 DCM, and a term as Director of District 5 qualify him for his new post.  He also served a two-year term as president of INDLA from 2003-2005.

"Though there are some big cities, my district covers a large rural area,” DLI’s new President –Elect said.  “I feel that my role on the Board will be to represent the rural cleaners who may be underrepresented in favor of the more urban cleaners.  There are a lot of very large operators in the rural areas, but we cover a longer distance.”  Kasperbauer also admitted the challenge will be to represent both urban and rural cleaners equally.

	Charles Smith - Treasurer
	Village Square Cleaners
	Reston, Virginia

Charlie Smith will serve as Treasurer for 2009-2010. Smith joined the NID field team in 1965 and opened Village Square Cleaners in Reston, Virginia, in1974. He served as a DLI District Committee Member and is a past president of the Mid Atlantic Cleaners Association.

	Jan Barlow - Treasurer-Elect
	Jan's Professional Dry Cleaners
	Clio, Michigan

Jan Barlow, CGCP® started Jan's Professional Dry Cleaners in Clio, Michigan, in 1982. She volunteered as a DLI DCM in 2007 to help further the goals of the Institute through increased cooperation with her state association, the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning (MILD). In 2008, she became DLI's District 4 Director representing drycleaning business owners in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

"DLI has done incredible things in the areas of research and politics," Barlow said. "DLI inspired me to get involved in the political arena in the early to mid 1990s." That was when she began working with the MILD Board of Directors, serving as President of that association in 1999-2000.

Drycleaners that aren't affiliated with the Institute are missing an edge that DLI professionals have: access, she said.

lf you get what you give, and if you give a little bit to your association, it will pay you back tenfold," Barlow said. If you take the time to get to know people and find out what they do in their business, you can get an awful lot of ideas. Building alliances is what associations like DLI and MILD are all about."

	William Fisher - CEO/Corporate Secretary
	Drycleaning & Laundry Institute
	Laurel, MD

William E. Fisher is Chief Executive Officer of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute. He is responsible for directing all of the Institute's operations, which include DLI's work on legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry, basic and applied research, marketing, membership, communications, education and textile analysis activities. Fisher also serves as Secretary on DLI's Board of Directors.

Fisher, a long time industry veteran, first joined the Research Department of DLI's predecessor, the National Institute of Drycleaning in 1965, and became Director of Silver Spring operations in 1976-overseeing Research, Garment Analysis, and Textile Testing. In 1980, he was named Special Assistant to the General Manager, serving as liaison to Federal agencies involved with various aspects of hazardous waste, air and water pollution, and care labeling. In 1986, Fisher became Assistant General Manager and Vice President of DLI, sharing responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Institute was well as continuing his work in the legislative and regulatory areas.

Prior to becoming CEO, he serviced DLI as Senior Vice President, Government Relations before his appointment to CEO on August 9, 1995.

Fisher has won many regulatory battles both in Washington and on local levels. His intense lobbying efforts on behalf of drycleaners have repeatedly helped them avoid unfair legislation that would have cost tens of thousands of dollars each year.

Jump to top of page - DLI Leadership