FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 7, 2018

IIDA ANNOUNCES GRIFFIN AS RECIPIENT OF STAR AWARD AND FELDMAN AS TITAN AWARD HONOREE

CHICAGO — IIDA announces the winners of two of its most esteemed awards: the Star Award and the Titan Award. This year’s Star Award recipient is Dina Griffin, IIDA, FAIA, NOMA, an architect and designer who is president of the Chicago-based firm Interactive Design Architects (IDEA). The 2018 Titan Award honoree is Janice Feldman, chief executive officer of furniture manufacturer JANUS et Cie.

The IIDA Star Award was created in 1995 to recognize and celebrate the contributions of a design practitioner or firm that have significantly impacted the interior design profession.

“Dina’s leadership and collaborative skills have enhanced the way IDEA delivers against client expectations,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP. “Dina’s experiences with educational, municipal, and corporate projects have proved invaluable for her firm. Her efforts set an incredible example for the interior design industry as a whole. We are truly honored to celebrate her as this year’s Star Award recipient.”

Griffin, who became president of IDEA in 1999, has been instrumental in bolstering the firm’s commitment to collaboration which has afforded them multiple opportunities to create, learn, and interact with other thought leaders in the profession. Her firm has had key collaborative roles with Renzo Piano Building Workshop in the design of The Modern Wing at The Art Institute of Chicago and with Tod Williams | Billie Tsien Architects on the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center.

A past president of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Minority Architects and a former board member of the Illinois chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Griffin became a Fellow of AIA in 2018. Griffin is currently a Committee Chair on the Illinois Architect Licensing Board, and is a member of the Advisory Board for Contract magazine, the Chicago Central Area Committee, and Leadership Advisory Committee for The Art Institute of Chicago.

The IIDA Titan Award, also created in 1995, recognizes outstanding service to the Interior Design profession by a product designer, manufacturer, or other industry- related professional.

“We are honored to name Janice Feldman as recipient of this year’s Titan Award,” said Durst. “Janice embodies what it means to be a business maverick, champion of great design, and visionary in the field of sustainability. As a trained artist and interior designer schooled in graphic arts and industrial design, Janice's expertise provided a foundation she used to build her company to be what it is today: one of the international leaders in outdoor furnishings and fabric.”

Feldman is lauded as a true pioneer in the design industry for her impressive contributions to material innovation and superior craftsmanship. A visionary and renowned business leader, Feldman, as founder and CEO, has transformed JANUS et Cie from a single showroom in the Los Angeles Pacific Design Center to a comprehensive global lifestyle brand now embarking on its 40th year.

With a prolific, ever-expanding international reach, the company operates independently within Haworth’s Lifestyle Design division alongside the esteemed brands Cassina, Cappellini, and Poltrona Frau. JANUS et Cie’s footprint has grown to nineteen flagship showrooms throughout North America, Singapore, Sydney, and now Milan, in addition to field offices and select dealers throughout the world.

Her devotion to environmental responsibility has driven her to pioneer the use of environmentally friendly materials to extend product life cycle. This dedication has been recognized throughout the industry. In addition, Feldman was recently named 2017 NEWH ICON of Industry, a prestigious accolade honoring those who have uniquely impacted the hospitality industry through innovative work and dedication to the community. She has also received an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from her alma mater, the ArtCenter College of Design.

The 2018 Star Award and Titan Award will be presented at the IIDA Annual Meeting on June 10, 2018, at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

For more information, visit www.iida.org.

# # #

About the International Interior Design Association
IIDA is the commercial interior design association with global reach. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms, and their clients through our network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries. We advocate for advancement in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day. www.iida.org