IIDA Member of the Year
AwardsThe IIDA Member of the Year Award recognizes and honors an IIDA Member who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service through commitment, passion, professionalism, and dedication assisting IIDA as it advances the interior design profession and advocates for interior design excellence.
Award Winners
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2025 Member of the YearCourtnei Maxwell, IIDA
- Courtnei Maxwell, IIDA, is the Director of Interiors at CHASM Architecture in Atlanta. Maxwell received a Bachelor of Architecture from Hampton University. She has been actively involved in the IIDA Georgia chapter since 2012. Maxwell is the current President-Elect and has served as the Vice President of Sponsorship since 2022. She has also led the Best of the Best and Leaders Breakfast Committee since 2012. Her dedication earned her the chapter’s Annual Presidents award this past year. In her professional work she has contributed to complex, large-scale projects, including the 1.25 million-square-foot Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport project. Her expertise spans higher education, K-12, corporate, civic, healthcare, multi-family, and aviation design. Beyond her professional work she has dedicated her time to organizations that support the success of African American youth, including 100 Black Men, the Black Achievers Program, and Jack and Jill.
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2024 Member of the YearSara Ables, IIDA
- Sara Ables, IIDA, is a Senior Furniture Specialist in the Interiors Studio at Corgan in Dallas, Texas. Sara received a BFA in Interior Design from the University of North Texas. Since 2015, she has served in various volunteer roles with IIDA in the Dallas City Center and Texas Oklahoma Chapter. Sara is Past Director for the IIDA Dallas City Center and President-Elect for the IIDA Texas/Oklahoma Chapter Board through June 2024. She has focused on student and educator initiatives to bring awareness, access, and opportunities to the architecture and interior design industry through her service leadership within Corgan and IIDA and volunteering with organizations like The Hip Hop Architecture Camp and the ACE Mentor Program. She served on IIDA’s inaugural Equity Council in 2021 and is a 2022 ASID Ones to Watch Scholar.
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2023 Member of the YearDani Sheley, IIDA
- Dani Sheley, IIDA is an associate and interior designer with CannonDesign in St. Louis. With over 10 years of experience, her attention to detail provides a foundation for meaningful client relationships and creative solutions. Sheley is a registered interior designer providing innovative and functional spaces that meet clients’ business goals and project objectives. She works closely with project teams to create functional, welcoming, and collaborative interior spaces. Sheley is IIDA Gateway Chapter Immediate Past President through June 2023 and since 2019 has served on the chapter board of directors mentoring students and the next generation of interior designers. Her passion goes beyond creating meaningful spaces to encouraging others to reach their full potential. When not creating spaces and attending A&D events, Dani enjoys attending musicals, hiking, playing board games, and spending time with family, friends, and her Goldendoodle Magnolia.
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2022 Member of the YearAlexandra Bonner, IIDA
- Alexandra Bonner, IIDA, is an associate and healthcare interior designer with FCA in Philadelphia. She received her B.F.A in Interior Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her M.S. in Interior Architecture from Jefferson University. She serves as an Adjunct Professor and Thesis Advisor at Drexel University and volunteers in a variety of capacities with A&D industry related organizations throughout the greater Philadelphia region. When not focusing on improving human experience through the built environment, Bonner works to cultivate space for equitable inhabitation through a dedicated yoga practice where she is also a Certified Yoga Instructor.
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2021Marivel Ansera, IIDA
- Marivel has worked on a wide range of design projects spanning the realms of workplace, higher education, cultural and performing arts, and healthcare. She is actively involved in IIDA and has served in a variety of leadership positions including as past president and VP of government and regulatory affairs of the IIDA Northland Chapter Board. In her role at HGA, she leads interior projects for workplace, education, cultural and healthcare markets. Her empathetic approach to the design process involves listening first then diving deeper to understand each client’s strengths. She provides space for the most marginalized to voice their perspectives and believes interior design is about designing beautiful and functional spaces—and bringing human dignity and equity to our built environments.
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2020Abby Scott, IIDA, 2020 Member of the Year
- The 2020 Member of the Year is Abby Scott, IIDA, senior interior designer and architectural studio leader at HDR. With almost 20 years of experience, Scott has worked on a broad range of projects and has been involved in all aspects of the design process such as programming, design development, finish selection, space planning, and project management. She is actively involved in IIDA and her local design community, serving in a variety of leadership and volunteer positions including as a past president of the IIDA Great Plains Chapter Board, an IIDA chapter advisor, and a member of the local interior design coalition of Nebraska. In her role with HDR, she functions as a lead on design projects and a primary contact for clients, helping them create unique and inspiring environments. Scott has an interior design degree from Iowa State University and is NCIDQ and LEED-certified.
Important Dates
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Applications Open
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Applications Close
Contact
For more information, contact Cody Czmyr, Director of Member Services, at cczmyr@iida.org
Eligibility
IIDA members in good standing that have held membership for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years are encouraged to apply. International Board members and IIDA Student members are not eligible to apply.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to be available to travel at no cost to them, to accept the award at the IIDA Annual Meeting and Chicago Design Week in June 2026.
Winners
The IIDA Member of the Year will receive:
- $8,500 cash award and a complimentary IIDA membership
- Complimentary one year IIDA membership
- Award presentation during the 2026 IIDA Annual Meeting
- Round-trip coach airfare and a one-night hotel stay in Chicago to attend the award presentation during the IIDA Annual Meeting
- A feature on IIDA.org and Design Matters, IIDA's newsletter
- Official digital assets, including logos for self-promotion,
- Coverage and mention in IIDA social media accounts, and in an official press release distributed to leading industry outlets and media partners