FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IIDA COLLEGE OF FELLOWS ANNOUNCES 2018 INDUCTEES

CHICAGO – The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has announced that four IIDA members will be inducted into the prestigious IIDA College of Fellows in 2018. The honorees Nila Leiserowitz, FIIDA, FAIA; Clive Wilkinson, FIIDA, FAIA, RIBA; Sascha Wagner, FIIDA, AIA, LEED AP; and Frederick Schmidt, FIIDA, LEED AP will be celebrated in a ceremony at the IIDA Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 10, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

“Induction into the College of Fellows represents the most prestigious honor IIDA can bestow upon the talented professionals who make up our industry,” said College of Fellows Chair Jim Williamson, FIIDA, LEED AP ID+C. “This year’s inductees have consistently demonstrated leadership throughout their careers and in the interior design industry in general. From serving as mentors to aspiring designers to helping to implement relevant educational programs, these individuals have truly done it all. We’re pleased to welcome them into the IIDA College of Fellows.”

Admission to the College of Fellows is the highest honor paid by IIDA to its Professional Members, recognizing those whose activities and efforts have benefited and enhanced IIDA, and whose design work has influenced and enhanced the Interior Design profession. For more information about the IIDA College of Fellows, visit iida.org.

Nila Leiserowitz, FIIDA, FASID
Nila Leiserowitz is a design leader and managing principal of Gensler’s North Central Region, overseeing the business development for four offices. Leiserowitz participates in initiatives tied to strategic programming, planning and design, such as Gensler’s groundbreaking Workplace Survey. She serves on the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s (CAF) Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of Chicago’s International Women’s Forum (IWF), the Marwen Foundation and the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, and is a member of The Chicago Network and the Economic Club of Chicago. She’s been recognized by the industry for more than 40 years, including with the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) 2013 Leadership Award of Excellence and the American Society of Interior Designer’s (ASID) 2007 Designer of Distinction Award.

Frederick Schmidt, FIIDA, LEED AP
Frederick Schmidt serves as the Interior Design Global Leader at Perkins + Will, leading projects and project teams to success within established qualitative and quantitative parameters. A skillful communicator, Schmidt is known for his skills in the pre-design phases and for his strong client advocacy through the design process. In his work he combines his interests in business and design with a passion for building connections with people. Schmidt, an IIDA member, as served on advisory boards at a variety of universities and was appointed the 2000 Executive-in-Residence at the University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences and the 2005 Hyde Chair of Excellence at the University of Nebraska College of Architecture. A frequent speaker to industry and academic groups, he has long focused on the role of the designer and the designed environment within a business context.

Sascha Wagner, FIIDA, AIA, LEED AP
Sascha Wagner is president and CEO of Huntsman Architectural Group, an Interior Design Giant with offices in New York and San Francisco. In addition to this role, he is also part of the firm’s board of directors. For more than 10 years, Wagner has proven himself as a key player of the firm’s various strategic projects and largest accounts including Pixar, Google, Dolby Laboratories, and Lucas Film. Before joining Huntsman, Wagner served as the president of the IIDA Northern California chapter with many years of experience as an interior designer and project manager. In addition, he’s an active member of the USGBC and the Interior Design Coalition of California and his projects have earned him several national and regional awards.

Clive Wilkinson, FIIDA, FAIA, RIBA
Clive Wilkinson is an architect, designer, writer and strategist with expertise in the application of urban design thinking to interior design. As a global leader in educational and workplace design, Wilkinson serves as a keynote speaker at media and design conferences. He’s created unique spaces for Google, Nokia, Macquarie Group, and Disney. Wilkinson was inducted into the Interior Design ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2005, named a ‘Master of Design’ by Fast Company magazine in 2006 and ‘Pioneer of Design’ by IIDA in 2011. His firm’s portfolio of work has been selected as a finalist for in the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum National Design Awards twice. In 2012, the firm was honored as the winner for excellence in the category of Interior Design. Wilkinson is a former Board Director of AIA LA and a member of the GSA National Peer Registry.

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About 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. IIDA advocates for advancements 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