LYN TOBMAN
Board Chair

Lyn Tobman is currently the Department Chair of the Visual Communications and Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing Departments at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. In this capacity, Lyn oversees the development of the curriculum, the recruitment of instructors and the growth of business partnerships within the industry here and on the East Coast. Her varied and successful career in Merchandising & Marketing at both retail and manufacturing levels provide the strong leadership, background and decisive management style required in this position.

Lyn began her career as Product Development Manager for jewelry, accessories and junior sportswear. Responsibilities included sourcing and interpreting items and trends for target markets, costing, quality control and production with both domestic and international resources. She later became Buyer, Fashion Jewelry with an annual budget that exceeded $7 million dollars. As Senior Merchandise Manager and owner of her own marketing communications business, Lyn has extensive experience in fashion direction, merchandise promotion and marketing events and has provided services to retailers including Robinson’s May and Federated Department Stores. Her responsibilities to implement and produce the event included styling, set design, staging, music, advertising and sales promotion.

Lyn has also worked with shopping centers, costume designers and stylists to promote merchandise in a variety of special marketing events including photo shoots, trend shows and production information. Lyn is a member of the Fashion Group International of Los Angeles, the Costume Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and has been a board member of Beauty Industry West. She received her Business Merchandising degree from FIDM and has continued her education in marketing/business at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. She has been a guest lecturer on fashion merchandising and special events at California State University, Northridge and Mount St. Mary’s College.