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IIDA Staff
Mary Tokar | Continuing Education Manager
Lisa Taylor | Senior Director of Finance
Michelle Merry | Sr. Manager of Corporate Membership Sales and IIDA Foundation
About The Foundation
The IIDA Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit philanthropic organization with a mission to drive innovation and advancements in the commercial interior design field. The foundation seeks to make a meaningful impact through supporting grants and funding opportunities, and continued support of education, research, and outreach opportunities.
Through the support of donors like you, the IIDA Foundation is able to sustain, administer, grow, and launch programming serving the greater design community, and the interior design industry at large. Your donation ensures that both emerging and established designers are able to pursue their passions, continue their education, and be recognized for their professional achievements.
The IIDA Foundation Board of Trustees work in collaboration with IIDA to administer and manage the work of the foundation, and to support the strategic plan set forth by IIDA. The Board of Trustees is composed of IIDA members that have served in leadership roles, are dedicated to the commercial interior design field, and are focused on fostering an innovative and inclusive design community.
Photo by Elaine Miller
2023-2024 IIDA Foundation Trustees
IIDA Foundation Chair
Gilbert Broco, IIDA, 2023-2024 Foundation Chair
CI Group (Corporate Interiors)
Florida Central
Trustees
Jon Otis, IIDA, 2023-2024 Trustee
Pratt Institute, O|A Object Agency
New York
Tara Headley, IIDA, 2022-2023 Foundation Chair
IA Interior Architects
Georgia
George Bandy Jr., Ind. IIDA | 2023-2024 Trustee
Andersen Corp
Carolinas
Michelle Boolton, Ind. IIDA, 2023-2024 Trustee
Kimball International
Georgia
Krystal Lucero, IIDA | 2023-2024 Trustee
Edwards + Mulhausen Interior Design
Texas/Oklahoma
Angie Lee, FIIDA, AIA | 2023-2024 Trustee
Pembroke
New York
IIDA Staff
News
2023 IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship Recipients
First Place
Bella Oliver, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Second Place
Sidnia Garcia, Student IIDA, Thomas Jefferson University
IA Interior Architects and IIDA are proud to announce the 2022 Diversity in Design Scholarship Awardees. Our winners represent diverse voices and perspectives in interior design, and we are pleased to enrich diversity of thought in the industry by supporting these students in their educational pursuits with one $5,000 scholarship, one $3,000 scholarship, and four $500 scholarships.
Our student winners are recognized for their essays that address how to further support achieving equity and diversity in the industry. They want to create diversity in the industry and invite others to do the same. This scholarship helps our students be the change they want to see, and to offer their insights on how to actionably affect change on an institutional and industry-wide level.
2022 John J. Nelson Award Winners
The 2022 IIDA John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship awardees are Kambria Lauderdale, Student IIDA, of California State University, Sacramento; and Brianna Toussaint, Student IIDA, of School of Visual Arts, New York. Each student will receive $10,000 in scholarship funds on behalf of the John J. Nelson Sr. Fund, and will be provided a trip to NeoCon 2023 to be honored at the IIDA annual meeting.
2022 Educator Diversity Award Recipient
The 2022 Educator Diversity Awardee, presented by the IIDA Foundation, in partnership with Interior Design Educators Council Foundation (IDECF), is Tina Patel. As Assistant Professor of Interior Design in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, at Kent State University, Patel encourages students to consider realities and experiences divergent from their own, and teaches to center empathy in design methodologies.
2022 Anna Hernandez/Luna Textiles Visionary Award Recipient
Christie Porter
CEO and Design Principal, ONE NINE Architecture
After 16 years in the industry, Christie Porter founded ONE NINE Architecture in 2018 with a mission to enact courageous, bold change in the architecture and design fields. Based in Irvine, CA., ONE NINE Architecture services commercial tenant improvement, retail, multifamily, non-profits, education, and medical projects as well as residential new build, additions, and remodels.
ONE NINE for Humanity a the non-profit organization using their skills to help international communities in need by providing home building and housing facilities, structural and design improvements for facilities, as well as supplies and resources. The organization also connects disadvantaged youths with counseling and mentoring programs. ONE NINE Mercantile repurposes textiles and other materials donated by ONE NINE Architecture from their client projects to create new interior design products that are then sold or donated back to the non-profit to provide personal space makeovers for kids in low-income or disadvantaged households.
The Legacy of Anna Hernandez
The legacy of Anna Hernandez: Promoting entrepreneurship by women in the interior design industry. Learn more about the designer and the IIDA award celebrating her life and work.
Read more: Celebrating Anna Hernandez
