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Submissions

2026 Member of the Year

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Otyweb 2023 web 1584 x 400
Recognizes an IIDA Member that demonstrates outstanding volunteer service through commitment, passion, professionalism, and dedication to advancing IIDA.

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.

Competition Guidelines

Important Dates

Applications for the IIDA Member of the Year award open annually.
Submission Open October 1, 2025
Submission Closed December 15, 2025

Pricing

There is no cost to apply to the IIDA Member of the Year Award.

Competition Guidelines

Application Requirements

All applications must be completed electronically. No hard copy applications will be accepted. If any of the following items are missing, your application will not be reviewed. Any additional materials will be removed and not considered. To apply you need to prepare and submit the following:

Written Component

  • Candidate Statement: 300-word maximum statement documenting the candidate's superior achievements and volunteer contributions to IIDA.

  • Resume, including volunteer activities

250-word maximum responses to the following prompts:

  • How many years have you been in the interior design profession

  • What is your design practice specialty?
  • What motivates you as a volunteer?
  • Other than IIDA, for what other organizations have you served as a volunteer?
  • Do you have a particular philosophy that you follow?

Visual Component

  • One (1) 2-3 minute video describing the candidate's involvement and support of interior design advancement initiatives
  • Headshot in JPG or JPEG format with a minimum size of 1000px by 1000px

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must submit three (3) letters of recommendation:

  • Two (2) letters from IIDA members in good standing who know the candidate well and can support the candidate's qualifications and achievements.
  • One (1) recommendation letter form an IIDA Chapter leader from the past three years.

Prize

The IIDA Member of the Year will receive:

  • $8,500 cash award

  • 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

For more information, contact Cody Czmyr, Director of Member Services, at cczmyr@iida.org