LAS VEGAS — The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has named Gary Yacoubian, president/COO of MyerEmco, its first chairman who is a retailer.

Gary Shapiro, CEA's president/CEO, announced the news about Yacoubian at the CEA Industry Forum. Yacoubian had previously been vice chairman of CEA.

He replaces Pat Lavelle, president/CEO of Audiovox and the current CEA chairman, who completes his two-year term at the end of the year.

Replacing Yacoubian as vice chairman at the beginning of the new year is Henry Chiarelli, president of DBL Distributing.

Shapiro said this was “historic” because for much of its life CEA was a manufacturers-only group, but now its chairman and vice chairman “will be a retailer and distributor.”