ASID Elects 2016 Board

July 1, 2015  by in Designer Weekly   

The board is chaired by Sandy Gordon, principal of Sandy Gordon Interiors, and Charrisse Johnston,  principal of Steinberg Architects will be chair-elect.

The board includes four new at-large board members—Sarah W. Colandro, director of interior design at Fawley Bryant; Melanie Murata, project designer at Gensler; Denise Rush, director of undergraduate interior architecture for Boston Architectural College; and Teresa Sowell, senior manager at Raytheon. Eddy Schmitt, senior vice president Americas for Steelcase will be the new industry partner representative.

The term for the 2016 ASID Board of Directors begins on October 1, 2015. The current board will continue to serve until that date.

The full, 11-member volunteer board is comprised of three officers (chair, chair-elect, and past chair), along with seven at-large directors and one industry partner representative. For the 2016 board, the current chair, Stephanie Clemons, will shift to past-chair. In addition, the 2016 board will include three at-large board members who will serve the second year of their two-year board terms: Susan Morgan, LEED AP; Jo Rabaut, ASID; and Becki Wiechman, ASID, LEED AP.

“Each of our Board members bring a broad and deep understanding of the design profession and industry,” said Randy Fiser, ASID CEO. “Their insights and strategic guidance will continue to propel ASID in to the future as the voice of the profession.”

More about the elected 2016 board of directors follows: 

Gordon is principal of Sandy Gordon Interiors based in Madison, Wisc. She brings nearly three decades ofaward-winning experience in retail, residential, and commercial design, and has taught design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to prior service on the ASID board, Gordon has served as chair of the ASID Student Advisory Council, as a member of the ASID Chapter Support Team, as faculty for the ASID REGREEN educational program, and as an NCIDQ Exam reviewer. She is the creator of “Impact of Sustainability in Designing the Retail Experience,” a video based on her design research.

Johnston is a principal and the interior design practice leader at Steinberg Architects, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Calif., and Shanghai. Johnston was previously senior associate and studio operations leader at Gensler where she managed and designed K‐12, higher education, and workplace projects. Before that, as vice president of corporate planning at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, she oversaw the company’s consolidated financial and strategic planning efforts. She is a past National ASID Board member, SAC member, EPAC member, and student chapter president.

Colandro is the director of interior design at the architecture and interior design firm Fawley Bryant in Sarasota, Fla., where she focuses on multiple practice areas. Colandro previously worked with Ellerbe Becket, The Hillier Group, and The ADP Group. She is a past Florida West Chapter president and a member of the ASID Legislative Advisory Council.

Sowell is a senior manager at a large aerospace and defense firm in Tucson, and is responsible for strategy and portfolio planning for 6 million square feet across six countries. Sowell leads key strategic initiatives across the enterprise related to workplace design and real estate utilization. Her team has proven that interior design workplace initiatives can result in a competitive business advantage. She is a past National Board member, Arizona South chapter president, CST member, and Foundation Board of Trustees member.

Rush is the director of undergraduate interior architecture at Boston Architectural College. Rush has a multi‐focused practice which includes commercial and residential design, and has been an adjunct faculty member of Columbia College, Chicago; Harrington College of Design; and the Illinois Institute of Art. She has design practice leadership experience at Perkins + Will; SmithGroup; and the University of Illinois. She has been active with the ASID Illinois and New England Chapters.

Murata is currently a project designer at Gensler in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, and her culturally-rich background enables her to provide a worldly and innovative approach to teams and projects. Murata is passionate about hospitality, retail, brand strategy, and design’s power to enhance communities and impact people’s lives. She is a LEED Green Associate, and is currently pursuing NCIDQ certification and LEED AP BD+C accreditation.

Schmitt is the senior vice president, Americas for Steelcase. In this role, Schmitt is responsible for yearly sales of $2.2 billion, accounting for more than 70 percent of the company’s global business. Prior to taking the Americas helm, Schmitt served Steelcase for five years as directeur général, France, and for three years as vice president of International Product Design, Engineering and Marketing. He is based in Grand Rapids, Mich.