ASID NY METRO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE to the BOARD
Originally from Utah, Addison recently relocated to the city to complete her BFA at The New York School of Interior Design. After getting her Associates in Interior Design from a school in Utah, she took a break to work as a Commercial Junior Designer and Account Manager for Steelcase Dealerships in both Salt Lake City, UT and Boston, MA -- which she loved! After a few years, she decided to go back to school to pursue more creative endeavors and now lives in the city finishing her education, working as a Design Assistant for Jeremiah Brent Design, and dedicating herself to getting students more involved with ASID!
Job Titles:
- Member of Communications Committee
- Territory Manager for Group a. Allen
Allen Warren is the New York Metro Territory Manager for Group A. Allen has worked in the industry for 8 years and is passionate about design and developing relationship with his clients and vendors. Allen resides with his wife and their 2 terribly behaved, lovable rescue dogs.
Job Titles:
- Interior Designer
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of Communications Committee
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Bianca has worked at Novità since 2019 with a particular focus on sustainability, business, architecture, and the workplace. Working across a range of clients in the design space, she is a motivated and inspired worker able to attack any problem through a strategic and analytical lens. A great communicator and writer, she loves telling client stories. A fluent German and Spanish speaker, Bianca graduated from Lafayette College with a BA in International Relations, Spanish, and English. She also studied abroad in Madrid with art history, marketing, and business coursework. A major foodie and lover of all things architecture & design, you can find Bianca restaurant hopping, walking New York City, and walking dogs on weekends. She is also an avid & passionate member of ASID NY Metro and is heavily involved in the Communications Committee and the Health Wellness & Sustainability Committee. She also holds a position on the Novità DEI task force and coordinates a cross-agency DEI Pledge Group.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Membership Director
- Member of Committee
- Professional Development Director
Brian recently moved to Manhattan where he assumed the position of Ferguson Plumbing Territory Sales Manager in the New York Region. An ASID member since 2007 and a board member in the Arizone Chapter of ASID since his recent move to New York, he brings a wealth of experience and excellent ideas to his current position as ASID NY Metro Professional Development Director. He is known for producing innovative and engaging industry events that build enduring relationships between brands and designers and develop brand recognition within the construction and design community.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Membership Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Membership Committee
- Member of Communications Committee
Whether staging model apartments for developers or providing e-design services for residential clients, Diana brings a unique point of view and eclectic resources because of her background as a design editor. A graduate of the New York School of Interior Design, Diana served on the ASID NY Metro Board from 2017-2019. She's also a member of IIDA, IFDA and NAWBO.
Job Titles:
- PRESIDENT
- PRESIDENT of the Board of Directors
After graduating from Amherst College with a B.A. in Psychology, Elissa spent 10 years in the fields of education and business, earning three master's degrees along the way. It took the joining of two individual apartments into one family-friendly space to convince her to turn her passion for interior design into a business. She was then asked to oversee another major renovation project on the Upper West Side, and thus her career began. To further her education she has also studied at the prestigious New York School of Interior Design, and Parsons School of Interior Design.
Launched in 2001, Elissa Grayer created her namesake design firm and quickly become the go-to talent for young families transitioning from New York City to the idyllic suburbs of Westchester County. Since then, the firm has also become known for its mastery in the planning, design, and project management of grand estates, luxury apartments, and vacation retreats across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Florida. She strives to create beautiful and functional spaces that reflect each client's personality in an elegant and comfortable way; Classic luxury design for modern living.
Job Titles:
- Communications Chair - Digital Media Specialist
- Founder of Ninety Five Media
- Member of Communications Committee
Emma Tessler is the founder of Ninety Five Media, a Digital Marketing Agency which works with scaling brands to monetize their online presence. She is a former Interior Designer who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and continues to infuse creativity & design into her work with her Agency clients.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of Communications Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Membership Committee
- Emerging Professionals Committee Chair
- Principal Designer at Byrnes Design Studio NY
Isabel Byrnes is the principal designer at Byrnes Design Studio NY. She earned her interior design degree at The Fashion Institute of Technology where she graduated cum laude. After finishing her studies, she went on to work for an interior design firm in New York City where she worked on a variety of projects ranging from residential, hospitality and design installations such as the Holiday House NYC, Holiday House Hampton, and NY Now. Today, her boutique design studio focuses on creating functional and beautiful spaces for her clients in New York City, The Hamptons and Florida.
Job Titles:
- Communications Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of Communications Committee
A Wisconsin native, having over 15 years' experience in the home and interior design industry Jana specializes in communications, promotions and strategic partnerships. She is detailed-oriented and a creative thinker that is passionate about the design industry. Throughout her career she has worked on national trade shows, showhouses, charity events and coordinated product launches for international fabric and furniture brands, Donghia, Designtex, Robert Allen and most recently Cortina Leathers.
Job Titles:
- Humanscale 's CSO on Making a Positive Social Impact in Manufacturing October 2021
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Membership Committee
- Membership Director
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Commercial Interior Designer
- Member of Communications Committee
Lisbeth Jimenez is a commercial Interior designer who produces exceptional and transformational design concepts-creating beneficial spaces that positively impact her clients and their environments. Lisbeth participates in interior design pro-bono projects, and has designed spaces for a number of non-profit organizations while also being an education advocate and teacher.
Job Titles:
- Member of Communications Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Designer
- Founding Member
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President - Elect
- Principal
- Member of Committee
Maria Lomanto is an award-winning designer and founding principal of DesignGLXY LLC, the interior design firm she founded in 2019 dedicated to health, wellness and sustainability in the built environment. Maria came to interior design from a 24-year career in corporate theater as an executive producer and designer of large-scale immersive experiences and events. She's been involved in creating performative experiences her entire life. After graduating from Union College in 1990 with a degree in Fine Arts and Italian, where she was heavily involved in the theatre, she pursued an MA in Italian Studies at the University of Toronto, again, with a focus on theatre. She then pursued a PhD in Performance Studies from NYU, where she is ABD.
It was the gut renovation of her own home that inspired her to go back to school for a fourth degree and she graduated from New York School of Interior Design with honors. During her last year at NYSID she began exploring the idea of healing spaces and educating herself on health, wellness and sustainability. Maria is a Living Future Ambassador, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador and a Healthy Materials Advocate with a certificate from Parsons Healthy Materials Lab. She is a cofounder of the Alliance for Healthy Design and the Health, Wellness & Sustainability Committee of ASID NY Metro. She also serves on the national ASID Advocate by Design Council.
Maria, is Allied ASID, and is a member of the following organizations: USGBC, Female Design Council, Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, Passive House Alliance, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For all projects - commercial or residential - Maria incorporates biophilic and sensory design principals to create indoor experiences that are human-centric and deeply reflect a client's brand or lifestyle. With the belief that the places she designs must be high performing while complementing and supporting the people who occupy them, Maria's interiors use evidence-based design and seek balance: a specific balance for every client, a unique look and feel to every space, and always with a skillfully selected healthy materials palette.
Her work has been featured in Design, Time Out New York, BehindtheScenesNYC.com and she has been interviewed and quoted in articles for AD Pro, Design and The Robb Report.
Maria is an engaging speaker, educator, panelist and moderator - presenting about healthy materials, wellness and sustainability.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of Committee
- Professional Member
- Westchester Liaison
Meg Deshpande is a professional member of ASID. She has been a designer for both large commercial interiors as well as residential spaces for 30+ years, working in design and architectural firms throughout her early years in the industry. Now as lead designer at Pillar & Pen in Larchmont, NY, Meg and her partner run a design + construction business that includes renovations and new home design + construction. Meg also oversees the development of single-family residential homes in Westchester where she and her partner focus on the design + construction of high performance homes and emphasize sustainable practices. Mindful of how fortunate she is to enjoy her work, Meg gives her time and support to local academic scholarship funds and affordable housing projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director at - Large
- Member of Committee
Melissa Stowell has spent her career working with architects and designers. She has experience with luxury bathroom fittings, furniture, and commercial products. Having a passion for fashion, thoughtful design and exquisite craftsmanship, she is enthused to be joining Avenue Road as their newest Sales Executive. She enjoys connecting individuals in the design community and collaborating with architects and designers to make their dreams into reality.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Interior Designer
- Member of Committee
- Member of Communications Committee
Miriam Makram is an interior designer that focuses on commercial spaces, especially in the hospitality sector. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelors of Arts in Studio Art and continued her education at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, in Los Angeles, to obtain her Associates Degree in Interior Design.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Interior Designer for Hart Howerton New York
- Member of Committee
- Professional Development Director
- Resources
Phoebe is an interior designer for Hart Howerton New York, focusing mainly on hotel & restaurant design, design for spa and wellness, and private high-end residential projects. She received her MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments from NYSID and BFA in Interior Design from SCAD. She is currently a member of the ASID Advocate by Design Council and a practicing member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.
Job Titles:
- Member of Communications Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Membership Committee
- Resources
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Founder of House of Funk
Sandra Funk is the founder of House of Funk, one of the firms recognized by ASID New York Metro Chapter in 2017 for design excellence in living spaces. As a finance graduate, Sandra's love for travel led her on a trip of self-discovery when she became a business consultant for Accenture; encouraging her to pursue her interests in web usability and design. However, it wasn't until Funk started taking design classes at Parsons, as a way to learn about web usability, that she fell in love with the world of interior design. Nowadays, House of Funk merges all of Sandra's passions and skills: allowing her love for design to be available for her clients through luxury online interior design service and traditional interior design consultations. With offices in New York and New Jersey, House of Funk's work can be seen in projects throughout the country in states like Connecticut, Florida, and Michigan. Here we get to learn a bit more about the designer, her inspirations and secrets to success after 13 years at the head of her own firm.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Member of Communications Committee
Sarah P. Fletcher, principal in Sarah P. Fletcher (SPF) Communications, is a seasoned PR and marketing communications professional with an entrepreneurial spirit. A specialist many aspects of the industry, especially the design/furnishings sector, she enjoys a full roster of clients that bring new challenges and opportunities every day. After teaching at two New York City schools, she began her career in the design industry as research editor at House & Garden magazine.
Job Titles:
- Communications Chair - Print Media Specialist
- Member of Communications Committee
Susan K. Tully, NCIDQ, ASID, is an interior designer specializing in hospitality design. She currently practices residential design at SKT Interior Design in Rutherford, NJ. She has worked for ForrestPerkins, at the U.S. State Department's Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau, and as an adjunct professor of interior design at Marymount University.