Meet the new officers for 2023-2024. The Ballot was sent to voting members on November 1, 2022. These candidates have been chosen by voting members to represent IDEC in the following positions.

OFFICIAL SLATE OF CANDIDATES:

PRESIDENT-ELECT

The President-Elect serves as the Chief Executive Assistant of IDEC, and in the absence or disability of the President, performs the duties and exercises the power of the President.

Election & Term of Service 
Election: Elected by the membership
Term: 1 year (1 year as President-Elect, followed by 1 year as President, followed by 1 year as Past President)

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Serves on the Board of Directors and carries out Board responsibilities
  • Serves as delegate of the President at the request of the President
  • Performs duties and exercises power of the office of the President in the absence or disability of the President
  • With the assistance of IDEC Staff, maintains the bylaws and submits proposed bylaw revisions to the Board and subsequently to the membership. Prepare goals and objectives for the term as President of IDEC
  • Serves as a representative to the Issues Forum
  • Serves as IDEC Board Liaison to the Communication Committee
  • Performs duties associated with other tasks and initiatives as identified by the President and/or the IDEC Board.

CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT:

Steven Webber
Florida State University

Steven Webber is an Associate Professor at FSU in the IA&D Department. He holds an M.Arch and B.S. Interior Architecture from Lawrence Technological University. With 12 years in practice, his areas of instruction include design studios, construction systems, and construction documents at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Research areas include emotional intelligence, empathy, systemizing, design process and pedagogy, and trends in practice.  His book, Interior Design Fundamentals, is published by Fairchild.  He also serves on the IDEC board of directors as the director of teaching.

 

 

 

SECRETARY/TREASURER

The Secretary/Treasurer oversees the areas of correspondence and finance.

Election & Term of Service 
Election: Elected by the membership; occurring in even numbered years
Term: 2 years (May serve for two consecutive terms for a total of 4 years)

Responsibilities and Duties

  •  Serves on the Board of Directors and carries out Board responsibilities.
  • Chairs the Finance Committee
  • Oversees the recording of minutes and notes of all convened Board meetings and the
    Annual Meeting ensuring minutes are submitted in a timely manner for the Board’s
    approval and amendments as noted.
  • Oversees the development of the annual calendar for dissemination on the Website and
    in the Policies and Procedures Manual.
  • Prepares the annual budget in concert with the Finance Committee (Past-President,
    President-Elect, and the Executive Director) for presentation to the Board.
  • Presents a Financial Report at the Annual Conference business meeting
  • Presents the Annual Financial Report in the IDEC Annual Report
  • Serves as overseer of IDEC accounts and arranges for audit of the IDEC records and
    transactions by a CPA at three to five-year intervals or as deemed appropriate.
  • Maintains and updates the Policy and Procedures Manual to conform to Board approved
    policies and procedures and submits revisions to IDEC Headquarters for publication on
    the website in a timely manner.

CANDIDATE FOR SECRETARY/TREASURER:

Sandra Reicis
Villa Maria College

Sandra Reicis began working at Villa Maria College in 2002 where she was successfully promoted to professor in 2016. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from SUNY at Buffalo, and a Bachelor of Arts from York University in Canada. She has been actively engaged in IDEC serving as East Regional Chair, abstract reviewer and most recently 2019 East Regional Conference Host. Sandra also volunteers as a board member to New York Eleven Plus.

 

 

 

DIRECTOR OF SERVICE

The Director of the Service Collaborative serves as the visioning entity on matters of IDEC
service and works with the Service Collaborative Coordinators and the Service Collaborative to
direct those visions.

The Director-At-Large for Service also liaises on behalf of the IDEC Board with the Network
Chairs and the Awards Chair on all matters related to service.

Election & Term of Service 
Election: Elected by the membership; occurring in even numbered years
Term: 2 years (May serve for two consecutive terms for a total of 4 years)

Responsibilities and Duties

  •  Serves on the Board of Directors and carries out Board responsibilities.
  • Grassroots/collaborative groups submit proposals to the Board through Director of the
    Service Collaborative
  • Director of the Service Collaborative attends collaborative meetings whenever possible
  • Director of the Service Collaborative is generally knowledgeable about the activities and
    proposals of groups in his/her area of responsibility for IDEC Board reference
  • Director represents the Service Collaborative during IDEC Board visioning

CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR OF SERVICE:

Laura Cole
Colorado State University

Laura Cole, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture & Design at Colorado State University where she teaches undergraduate interior design studios focused on human factors and sustainable design. Before conducting graduate studies, Laura worked as a professional designer for the world class architectural firm Perkins+Will in the Chicago office. There, she worked on numerous LEED for commercial interiors projects and began her journey toward a deeper understanding of green buildings. Her current research focuses on the social dimensions of green buildings, with a focus on how sustainable design can be environmentally educational for the public.

 

 

 

 

REGIONAL CHAIRS

There is one Regional Chair for each region of IDEC who guides and directs the business of the region and reports activities of the region to the Board of Directors. Regional Chairs are elected biannually from the professional members of the region. The Regional Chairs serve staggered two-year terms with the election of the East, Midwest, and Southwest Chairs occurring in even-numbered years and the election of the South and Pacific West Regional Chairs occurring in odd-numbered years. Regional Chairs who move out of their region during their term of office are replaced. The President, with approval of the Board, appoints a new Regional Chair for the remainder of the term.

Election and Terms of Service
Election: Elected by the members of the Region
Term: 2 years; May be re-elected for 2 terms for a total of 4 years.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Regional Chairs

Communication

  • Maintain communications with regional members. This is accomplished through the, “membership” section of the IDEC website, Newsletter, eNews, the regional listserv, etc.
  • Each Regional Chair must submit a report of activities to the Newsletter.
  • Contact regional colleagues who did not renew their IDEC membership.
  • Communicate with the Board of Directors by means of a written report, IDEC website, and through the Director of Regions.
  • Keep channels of communication open with practitioner organizations in the region – IIDA, ASID, AIA, etc. This may be accomplished by attending meetings, sending copies of regional newsletters, and inviting practitioner organizations to regional meetings.
  • Communicate with other Regional Chairs.
  • Regional Chairs should meet at least once as a group during the Annual Conference to facilitate shared responsibilities and determine membership issues.
  • Forward issues at the regional level to Director of Regions.
  • Appoint a representative from the region to the membership committee
  • Appoint a representative from the region to the nominating committee

CANDIDATE FOR REGIONAL CHAIR, MIDWEST:

Dana Vaux
University of Nebraska Kearney

Dana E. Vaux, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Interior Design at the University of Nebraska Kearney where she teaches design studios, building codes, lighting and systems, and design research methods. Her interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on the connections between cultural-historical meanings and place and design pedagogy. She co-authored the text Research Methods for Interior Design, and a forthcoming book, Practical Ethics in Architecture and Interior Design Practice. She has published in the Journal of Interior Design on the topic of community design and historical place meaning as well as in the International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction and the International Journal of Technology in Education.  

 

 

CANDIDATE FOR REGIONAL CHAIR, SOUTHWEST:

Sarah E. Wilhoit, PhD, M.S., B.A., ASID, IDEC, NCIDQ® No. 022374 
Harding University

Dr. Wilhoit is a professional member of IDEC and continues to serve as the Southwest Regional Council Grants and Awards Committee Regional Rep. She has also served on the Creative Scholarship and Abstract Review Committee, as a student competition reviewer, and has received an IDEC Award of Excellence and Service award as a reviewer. Additionally, she has engaged in the IDEC National Conference as a presenter and panel member and served as a coordinator and host of the Southwest Regional conference. Sarah has also served the American Society of Interior Designers as the Professional Development Director, President-Elect and President; as well as the South Central Chapter Harding University Student Chapter advisor and a judge for the San Antonio ASID Pinnacle of Design awards.  She currently serves as a CIDA site visitor and reviewer. 

 

Sarah received a B.A. in Interior Design from Freed-Hardeman University and from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Science in Interior Design-Historic Preservation emphasis and a Ph. D. in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism with an emphasis on Store Environments.  

With over 20 years of interior design practice, her work experience consists of residential design, educational/commercial facilities and custom motor homes.  Her teaching experience in interior design includes:  The University of Tennessee-Graduate Teaching Assistant; Carson-Newman College-Assistant Professor and Interior Design Program Coordinator; East Tennessee State University, Instructor and Interior Design Program Coordinator; and currently, Harding University-Associate Professor and Director of Interior Architecture and Design.  Dr. Wilhoit teaches Architectural Drawing, Visualization and Rendering, Interior Design studios, Interior Components, Internship and History of Architecture and Interior Design. 

 

 

CANDIDATE FOR REGIONAL CHAIR, EAST:

Cotter Christian
Parsons School of Design

Cotter Christian is currently serving as the Associate Dean for the School of Constructed Environments and is an Assistant Professor of Interior Design at Parsons School of Design. He was previously the Director of the BFA Interior Design program at Parsons. Cotter holds an MFA in Studio Art from Georgia State University, an MA in Interior Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a Bachelor’s in Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC. Before entering academia, he worked at the Atlanta office of Perkins+Will as an interior project designer on corporate, academic, and institutional projects. As a member of the Interior Design Educators Council, he has served on the East regional conference planning committee, the 2022 annual conference planning committee, and the Board Nominating Committee. His current research is situated within the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, exploring relationships among contemplative practices, mindfulness, and design education. In particular, examining how contemplative pedagogy can encourage the creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration necessary to address critical social and environmental justice issues.