Genn Howley initially went to college with plans of focusing on a career in advertising. Her father, Stan, however, had other plans. He asked her to give the family business a chance and serve her internship at GNH Lumber; she never looked back.

Howley received an associate degree in journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1996 and a Bachelor of Arts in communications, with a minor in advertising and marketing, from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1998.

“My father was a longtime member of the Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Association (ENYLDA) and served on their board,” Howley said. “I remember my sister, Megan, and I attending board meetings and events when we were little girls. My dad loved this industry and instilled in my siblings and me a willingness to serve.” 

Based in Greenville, N.Y., GNH was founded by Howley’s great-grandfather, Stanley L. Ingalls, in 1937, although the company’s roots go back to her great-great-grandfather, Truman Ingalls, who milled lumber and delivered and erected barns in Greene County starting in 1916. Today the company operates three locations, including a yard in Windham, N.Y., and a showroom in Latham, N.Y.

In 2004, Howley met the late Scott Vasquezi from Boston Cedar, who convinced her to attend an NYLE meeting. “If you ever met Scott, you would understand when I say that he was passionate about this industry, and it was contagious,” she explains. “I joined ENYLDA as a trustee for NYLE and worked my way through the chairs. With Scott’s initial conversation and his guidance, I can now credit that to countless relationships and friendships I’ve made that to this day I hold near and dear to my heart.”

Since taking an interest in helping to serve the industry, Howley has served as NYLE 2nd vice president (2007), 1st vice president (2008), and president (2009). She has also served as an ENYLDA NYLE trustee, ENYLDA vice president (2007-2009), and ENYLDA president (2009-2011). Howley serves on the NRLA board of directors and the NRLA executive committee, serves on the education committee, is a member of the investment committee, and ex-officio of the LBMDF board.

“My fondest memories are of growing up next to a working lumberyard in Norton Hill, N.Y.,” Howley says. “I grew up being an active part of the yard—always wanting to ride along on deliveries, saying ‘hi’ to the countless employees that I felt were a part of my family.” 


Genn Howley will be installed as NRLA Chair on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. during the NRLA Annual Business Meeting being held at LBM Expo at the Earth Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. There will also be a Installation Celebration to follow. For more information on LBM Expo, how you can attend this event, and to register, click here.

The company has evolved over the years, and Howley has evolved with it, working the front-end retail, contractor sales, inventory, and currently in kitchen & bath sales.

Howley’s family includes her husband, Tom; her daughters, Ellen and Olivia; stepdaughters Rita, Devon, and Meghan; and two grandchildren, Zenani and Phillip. When Howley is not at GNH, you’re likely to find her at home or in search of an adventure with Tom and their group of friends. “I’m at my happiest at home with Tom, spending time with my family, or enjoying sleepovers with our grandchildren.” 

When she wants to get away from it all, she heads to her camp on the Stillwater Reservoir in the Adirondacks. With no cell service, it allows her to unplug. “I look forward to my time there; it allows me to be fully at peace,” Howley says. 

For others in the industry, Howley advises her colleagues “to get involved in being an ambassador to the industry. The landscape is changing; the challenges that exist now didn’t exist when I entered the business. I have such a love for it, and I don’t have a hard time sharing my enthusiasm and encouraging people to join the trades; for me, it’s been a rewarding career.”