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IIDA Emeritus

Awards

The IIDA Emeritus status is an esteemed member type awarded to retired IIDA Professional members. An IIDA Member Emeritus member has greatly contributed their life and career to the interior design and/or architectural industry. This honor recognizes and respects an individual’s lifelong commitment to IIDA, and whose contributions and accomplishments are consistent with IIDA's mission and vision.

Please note that since an IIDA Member Emeritus is retired, they will not have the right to vote in IIDA chapter or IIDA international elections.

Award Winners

  • Cindy Bach HS

    Cindy G. Bach, Emeritus IIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Cindy Bach is an interior designer and fiber artist, pursing many accredations over her career including LEED-AP, Evidence Based Design, and NCIDQ, and became one of the first certified interior designers in the state of Minnesota in 1987. She joined IBD, and served in leadership roles before and after its evolution into IIDA. She began her career at the infancy of contract design, and has focused on healthcare environment both as a designer and project manager, working for several years as a certified healthcare designer for Herman Miller. Her long commitment to the commercial design field coupled with transitioning to new roles and becoming trained by adding new licenses has been a driving interest of hers.
  • Anita Barnett Headshot

    Anita Barnett, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Anita Barnett has been committed to the stewardship of the interior design profession throughout her career in her own design practice as well as in leadership in associations supporting the profession. She joined IBD, and served in several leadership roles including the board of directors for what would become the IIDA Indiana Chapter. She was named to the IIDA College of Fellows in 1999, served on the International Board of Directors, awarded the IIDA Distinguished Merit Award in 2000 and the Minnesota Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Barnett served as a partner at CSO, HGA, Gensler, and Perkins + Will. She has also served as an advisor to universities, a juror for IIDA and AIA design competitions, and has been a site visitor for CIDA since 2012.
  • Marla Bommarito Crouch HS

    Marla Bommarito-Crouch, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Marla Bommarito-Crouch has been CEO and owner of the award-winning Bommarito Group for over 35 years. She has been an award winning interior designer in Central Texas for over 30 years, and has been recognized for her professional achievements by IIDA, ASID, AIA and more. She is a member of the IIDA College of Fellows, and was among the first to be inducted into the Design Hall of Fame at the University of Texas at Austin, where she has served as an instructor and guest lecturer. She actively seeks ways to improve the design process for the firm to keep Bommarito Group at the top of their game. Bommarito-Crouch strives for excellence always and is committed to elevating good design into great design.
  • Mari Lou Diamond HS

    Mari Lou Diamond, Emeritus IIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Mari Lou Diamond has been a professional interior designer for over 40 years and as a student and graduate of the University of Oregon school of Architecture, where she was instrumental in starting a student chapter of IBD. She was also a founding member of the Oregon Professional Chapter of IBD, which is now the IIDA Oregon Chapter, and served in many leadership roles over her tenure beginning as the Vice President of the Oregon Chapter of IBD, and continued on serving as board member, vice president again, fundraising work, and being awarded the IBD Certificate of Appreciation for Chapter Service.
  • Aleta 110

    Aleta Greenspan, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Aleta Greenspan, retired in 2014, had a 26-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and 25 years with the USACE Professional Development Program. Over the course of her career, Greenspan developed guidance for interior design submission standards for military and civil works construction projects, and served as an instructor for the U.S. Army’s AR-405-70 Space Utilization Regulation training. As an IIDA-Alabama chapter member, she was named to the IIDA College of Fellows in 1995, and has received awards for her Civil Service and been honored for her work throughout her career. Greenspan has also been an IDCEC Course Reviewer since 2000.
  • Jean Hansen Headshot 2023

    Jean Marie Hansen, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Jean Marie Hansen’s career spanned 44 years, and is an IIDA charter member, Northern California chapter. She has served as chapter president, board member, and chaired many committees, and was presented with the chapter Leadership Award of Excellence in 2004 for her involvement in advancement, education, and leadership in sustainability, and named to the IIDA College of Fellows in 2008. She worked at firms like Ratcliff Architects, Anshen + Allen, Chong Partners, and most recently HDR, specializing in healthcare planning and sustainable design. Hansen has advised on, spoked about, and authored articles on her expertise in sustainable design, and continues to mentor young designers into her retirement.
  • Jo Heinz 5x7 photo

    Jo Staffelbach Heinz, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Jo Staffelbach Heinz founded INTERIOR SPACES, Interior Space Planners Design Consultants, Inc. in Topeka, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri in 1979. She served as founder and president, merging with Andre´ Staffelbach Designs and Associates Inc. in 1985, she thenserved as COO and named president in 1993. Heinz served as principal and workplace leader for Staffelbach Inc. until her departure in 2021 founding J|a Kreativ LLC where she remains parther. She is a member of the IIDA College of Fellows, and has served as president of the Dallas Architecture Forum and president of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).
  • Photo Pam Light

    Pamela Light, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Pamela Light started her journey in Interior design in 1973. She worked in the field for over 46 years in dealer and design sales in Houston, to HOK architect in San Francisco. She started the IA office in Los Angeles in 1987, worked with LPA Design Studios and Whistler Patria before returning to HOK in Los Angeles, where she worked for 25 years until her retirement in 2020. Light is passionate about what design can do for not only her clients but the world. She spearheaded a document through HOK and United Way on Trauma Informed Design and is currently working on three homeless projects in LA.
  • Eva Maddox

    Eva Maddox, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Eva Maddox, IIDA, started her design career in Chicago in 1971 with RMM Designs, one of the first commercial interior design firms, and experienced the boom of architectural interior design and space planning. In 1975 she started her own firm called Eva Maddox Associates where she built a terrific team and had the opportunity to mentor many young IIDA designers and help them build their careers. In 2001, her firm was acquired by Perkins&Will where she had the opportunity to expand her design background into building branded environments which helped her expand her vision for the future of the interior design practice.
  • Deberra O Brien Emeritus IIDA

    Deberra O'Brien, Emeritus IIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Deberra O'Brien joined IBD in 1974, is Legacy Member of IIDA. She served as VP and Board Member of the San Francisco Chapter, Board-Member-at-Large, SoCal, LA, and founding member of San Diego and Honolulu City Centers/Chapters. An early advocate for interior design licensure, she became NCIDQ and CCIDC certified in 1992. O'Brien lectured to architectural and interior design professionals on techniques and business of interior design. As Principal of O’Brien Associates Interior Planning & Design, Inc., she planned and designed several million-square-feet of award-winning and "themed" environments for corporate, civil, and healthcare facilities in California, Hawaii, and Japan during a 48-year career. She served as Director of Interior Design for KMD Architects in San Francisco and Austin/Hansen/O’Brien, Inc. in San Diego, and Facilities Designer for The St. Francis Medical Center in Honolulu.
  • Mariann P HS

    Mariann P. Padgett, Emeritus IIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Mariann Padgett has been a member of IIDA from its inception. She was part of the Council of Federal Interior Designers as IIDA was developing. She received her professional membership in October of 2000. For 36 years, she has practiced interior design for the federal government until her retirement in December of 2022. She served as President of the IIDA Rocky Mountain Chapter, City Center Co-Director, and Government Forum Advisor on the International Board of Directors for IIDA. Padgett has dedicated her career to developing design standards for many facility types and growing the interior design community in Colorado Springs.
  • Rayne Sherman With Hat 24921 resized

    Rayne Sherman, Emeritus FIIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Rayne Sherman has been a member of IBD/IIDA for five decades, first elected to membership of IBD in 1974, becoming a fellow in 1993, and a founder and charter member of IIDA since 1995. He is a nationally recognized authority in design, space planning and construction for commercial, industrial, financial, and healthcare projects. With 40 years of experience, Sherman has provided facilities planning, interior and graphic design services to a wide variety of clients. He taught commercial interior design, as an adjunct professor, at California State University Long Beach and has been an advisor to several California interior design education programs over the years. Rayne works with project managers and staff to set strategic goals for each project and is responsible for overall project direction and delivery.
  • Joyce Strait HS

    Joyce Strait, Emeritus IIDA

    2024 IIDA Emeritus
    • Joyce Strait has been a professional member of IIDA for 40 years. Her career as an educator and interior designer spans 30 years, and she is a strong advocate for the interior design industry. Working on her thesis at The Ohio State University, she explored the role of internships in undergraduate curricula through the insights and experiences of interior designers. Serving as an International Board Member, and in leadership roles for the IIDA Ohio Kentucky Chapter, the Columbus City Center, and the IBD Ohio Chapter, as well as served the profession in roles of competition jury member, speaking panels, and conference chairs Strait has also been presented with awards and certificates of appreciation from the chapters.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Member Services, Cody Czmyr, at cczmyr@iida.org.

Eligibility

Applications open November 1, 2024

Candidates must be a retired IIDA Professional Member at the time of the application and qualify under one of the three pathways listed below:

1. Have been an IIDA Fellow for more than 15 years and are currently retired.

2. Have been an IIDA Professional Member for 25 consecutive years, have retired from the profession, and have either served at least one year on the IIDA International Board of Directors OR have served at least three years on an IIDA chapter board.

3. You've served at least one term as the IIDA International Board President and have retired from the profession.

Review Process

All applications will be reviewed by an IIDA staff member, and those that meet the required criteria will be submitted to the IIDA International Board of Directors for final review and approval. Once approved, the candidate will receive a 76% reduction in their membership dues for the following, and all subsequent, years as a benefit of being an IIDA Emeritus Member.