ISFD Announces Presenters & Sponsors for Pinnacle Awards

October 6, 2025  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Secure your tickets for the Pinnacle Awards Gala held Oct. 27, in the IHFC 11^th Floor Ballroom. The student meet & greet begins at 5:30 pm, followed by a cocktail reception at 6 pm, and the awards presentation at 7 pm. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the ISFD Foundation Scholarship Fund, which supports gifted student designers from schools nationwide. Tickets are available for this exclusive event by visiting the Pinnacle Awards Gala website.

“As they say, it takes a village to host an event, and I would like to thank our village of supporters, starting with our Presenting Sponsor ANDMORE,” stated David Blair, executive director of ISFD. “I would also like to thank the ISFD board for enthusiastically supporting the Pinnacle Awards each year. Then there are the designers who created and submitted their outstanding pieces. I wish everyone could receive an award because they all deserve one. We also deeply appreciate the work of our judges, who spend countless hours reviewing and scoring the submissions to determine the finalists and winners.”

“For the actual gala night, I would like to thank our keynote speaker, TV personality Natalie Papier, along with John Conrad, who is returning as our MC. Thanks also go out to our award presenters for the evening.” 

- Steve Allegrezza, Executive Director of IHFRA

- Nicole Baxter, Interior Designer, Life Coach, Founder of The Emotional Home

- Dawn Brinson, Founder and CEO, A New Day Creative Communications & Marketing

- Tammy Covington, President & CEO, High Point Market Authority

- Carrie Dillon, Managing Director, International Textile Alliance (ITA)

- Cheryl Dobbins Hege, Strategic Marketing Leader and Brand Storyteller

- Corey Harris, President, Global Home USA

- Cynthia Heathcoe, Co-founder, Retail RescYou, 2025 President, IHFRA

- Jerri Hobdy, Furniture and Lighting Designer, Meno Home Studios

- Cindy Hodnett, BridgeTower Media Executive Editor

- Angie Kenny, Program Director, Sustainable Furnishings Council

- Michael Manes, Co-executive Director, Cohab Space

- Jaye Anna Mize, Vice President, Home + Lifestyle, Future Snoops

- Liz Moore, Furniture Designer, Otto and Moore, Inc.

- Mike Peterson, Founder, Science in Design

- Pepe Pinedo, President, Wiseliving, Inc

- Melissa Shaw Vader, Executive Vice President of Sales & Merchandising, Woodhaven Enterprises

- Steve Wilcox, Founder, Furnishings Design, Inc., and President, ISFD

- Norman Wyatt, Founder, Norman Wyatt Home

“And a big round of applause extends to the sponsors including this year’s Pinnacle Awards presenting sponsor ANDMORE; Bronze level sponsors:  Furniture Design Studios,  High Point Market Authority, and Lockdowel; Designer-Maker category sponsor: Appalachian Hardwood; Biophilic Design in Wood sponsor: Real American Hardwood;  Student Competition sponsor: Richard Frinier Design Studio; Corporate Partner: Canadian Wood; and Industry partners: Designers Today, Elements Studios, Furniture Today, International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) and The Media Matters. We would also like to thank the International Textile Alliance (ITA) and the Sustainable Furnishings Council for their continued support.