With over 30 years’ experience in the Design Industry beginning her career path at Fanshawe College in Interior Design to evolving to the supply side of the industry. The years of experience have evolved by working closely with Procurement, Property Owners, Designers and Architects to meet the client and project specifications in product, price and service. Tucker enjoys the relationships that have been established throughout these years by providing excellent service in a market that is constantly changing how we approach business.

Chris is committed to the continual growth of NEWH in Canada and all other international markets. NEWH, The Hospitality Network, provides excellent opportunities with insight on our industry trends and information through networking with the Industry Leaders in the USA, UK and Canada. Chris has been a part of the NEWH International Board of Directors since 2005. Currently she is the President of NEWH Canada Inc., and Vice President of International Relations on the NEWH Inc., International Board of Directors.

Cuban-born interior designer Fernando Diaz specializes in residential, commercial and retail projects.

Mr. Diaz graduated from Ottawa University in 1973 and, later in 1982 from UCLA Extension. In 1993 Mr. Diaz became a Certified Interior Designer in the State of California.

Fernando Diaz was facilities manager and corporate designer for one of the nation’s largest furniture leasing companies for 19 years, his responsibilities included overseeing the design of 50+ showrooms and offices, creating a corporate image among others.

In 1996 Mr. Diaz opened the successful Furniture Gallery at Pacific Design Center (PDC)
selling designer furniture floor samples from PDC showrooms at huge savings. After a year long hiatus from the furniture showroom, Fernando re-opened Furniture Gallery in February 2004 at the exciting and energetic LA Mart Design Center.

Fernando Diaz and Associates strives for the best possible expression and solution to clients’ lifestyles and needs; projects range from small homes and offices to grand scale residences and office suites. Completed projects are located throughout the United States, Mexico and Spain.

Mr. Diaz has received numerous awards from his peers and served on the board of directors of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Homeless Youth
Foundation and is a past member of the board of trustees for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA/LA). In 1998 – 1999 Mr. Diaz was the President of the American Society of Interior Designers/Los Angeles Chapter. In 2006 Mr. Diaz received the Medalist Award, the highest award given in ASID on the Chapter level, in 2007 he also received the “Recognition for Excellence” award from NEWH, The Hospitality Network. His worked has graced the pages of Metropolitan Home Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Home & Décor several times as well as other publications. Television appearances include several HGTV programs.

Jennifer Wellman started in the hospitality industry in 2000. With a Bachelor of Fine Art in Sculpture from Georgia State University she naturally wanted to pursue a career in art and accepted a job with Deljou Art Group. Since her first job in art, Jennifer has gone on to work with Soho Myriad starting as an art consultant and leaving as the Director of Sales. She then accepted a position at Lexmark Carpet Mills and remained there as VP of Architecture and Design Sales until the acquisition by Tarkett. Jennifer Stayed with Tarkett as the Director of Global Accounts until she accepted a position with Remington Lighting as the Director of National Sales.
Jennifer has worked on several large hospitality projects including the Fort Worth Omni, Trinidad Grand Hyatt, and the Arizona Biltmore.

More than 25 years as a design professional with residential, kitchen & bath, senior living, and (finally) hospitality areas of focus. Growing up with parents both in hospitality management, I was destined to land in this incredible industry made up of amazing people. New generations of hospitality professionals are an inspiration and I aspire to share knowledge as well as learn from them along our journey of fellowship and fun!

Monica Meade is a certified interior designer who brings over 15 years of experience in hospitality design to Architectural Ceramics. Monica worked at Marriott International on the International Design team and as a Sr. Project Mgr. with Leo A. Daly. Architectural Ceramics is committed to working with our client’s to maintain the integrity of their design vision. Monica now is the National Accounts Manager – Hospitality for Architectural Ceramics where she has worked to build the commercial design team over the last 3 years. Monica now works exclusively with designers, contractors and owners on Hospitality projects across the country.

Helen Reed is an award-winning Interior Designer, Consultant and Artist living in Richmond and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Her experience has ranged from a Project Interior Designer for a Top 100 Architectural and Interior Design Firm to working as a manufacturer’s representative where she took time to learn about the manufacturing process of interior materials and furniture.

Her firm, Helen Reed Design, provides full service Interior Design, branding, procurement and consulting for Restaurants, Hotels, Spas, Healthcare and Retail projects throughout the United States. Her team brings a creative approach to each project, developing into a unique final product for every Client.

Helen is an Artist and Photographer providing commissioned art for clients as well as creating art pieces for several of her own projects. She is in the process of converting several of her designs into wall-coverings and custom carpets.

In addition to Interior Design and Art, in 2020 Helen launched Cr8you.com, a spiritual and life coaching consulting firm that helps people define their soul’s calling encouraging them to live their life with greater purpose and passion not only personally but also in their career, whether it is in their current job, a side hustle or launching a new business. She is also in the process of launching Be-cr8tive.com a platform providing workshops, retreats, and virtual gatherings to inspire people who want to express their creative calling through art, design, photography, speaking, writing or any other creative process.

In 2013, Helen Co-Founded Uplined.com, a technology company that provides cloud storage for both residential and commercial properties. The platform establishes maintenance reminders so that the building’s owner can take better care of their building while keeping connected to that building’s service teams.

Helen served on the Executive Committee of NEWH, Inc. from 2006-2017. She served as President from 2010-2011. Currently she has joined the Executive Committee of NEWH again as VP of Communications.

In 2021, Helen became Chair of Modern Richmond. Modern Richmond’s mission is to promote, educate and celebrate modernism in Richmond, Virginia with the Vision that Richmond becomes recognized as a center of modernism. The organization provides tours, lectures, and virtual events featuring mid-century modern to current modern properties throughout the city. In 2019, Helen led the Modern Richmond Book Committee with the design and publication of their first Book celebrating their 10-year anniversary and featuring over 50 properties that had been toured during that time.

Lanée has been a very active member of the hospitality industry since 1998 when she became a project manager for one of the leading purchasing organizations in the country. Lanée became a sales representative in 2003.
As an independent sales consultant, Lanée’s firsthand purchasing experience gives her a unique sensitivity to timeline and budget demands. “Sales success in a service industry like hospitality means having the highest standards. Whether it’s a 700-room hotel or a 30-room hotel, customer service is paramount to creating satisfied customers.”

As a graduate from Sonoma State University with a BA in African-American Studies. She is passionate about being a mentor and a role model within the hospitality industry and her community.

Family is very important to Lanée. She loves spending time with her adult daugther and having Sunday, dinner with her mom and grandmother. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she continues to work to make a difference in her community. Lanée is a Breast Cancer survivor. Her favorite poem is Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

Tara joined the Toronto Chapter of NEWH shortly after graduating from Western University with a cross-disciplinary degree in business and psychology. Her first furniture company, Vandervitt Inc., amalgamated into her family’s stainless steel business, Tarrison Products Ltd., in 2018. It continues to run as a successful division of Tarrison, and Tara serves as the Operating Partner for the overall corporation. She is also the Chief Marketing Officer of AbleDocs Inc. AbleDocs was founded in 2019 and is the worldwide leader in document accessibility products and services.

Jonathan is a professional sales leader with over 35 years of experience in the hospitality FF&E industry. He has been involved in sales, sales and marketing management, and senior director level positions at manufacturers providing product for the hotel and leisure sectors. His experience has been primarily with floorcovering and carpet, most recently as Managing Director of Axminster Carpets. He has now launched his own company, Jonathan Young Associates, providing consultancy and product sourcing to the hospitality interior furnishings sector. Jonathan’s leadership and management skills will help establish a clearly defined strategy for business and understand how it needs to be implemented for success. His contacts across the US and Europe can help navigate the sales and marketing process for companies looking to expand into new markets.

As Chairman of the BCFA from 2011 until 2014, leading the Board of the trade association that supports the British Contract Furnishings Association, and currently as Vice President of International Relations of NEWH Inc and Past President of the UK chapter of the NEWH, he has a good understanding of business within the hospitality and commercial markets.

His experiences have taken him across continents, working and living in the US and UK, and developing and executing growth strategies for businesses across international markets.

He is a creative thinker and believes in the importance of communication particularly when working with people from diverse cultures, and across all levels of a business. Jonathan is passionate about the hospitality market and a big believer in connecting education and business through networking.

Guthrie & Associates is a creative & collaborative playground for designers, architects, developers, procurement specialists, corporate brands, and construction professionals. We proudly represent the finest manufacturers in our industry.

We keep things simple. The best way to work together is to create enthusiasm, provide impeccable service and keep the flow rolling throughout the whole process. Driven by the thought that collaborative & collective work gets the best results we believe in partnership with our clients. Every great project needs strong ideas and clients need inspiring people who can advise them about innovative products and applications for their creative world.

The foundation for our work is a very simple idea……providing our relevant products and combining our client’s vision to achieve great projects and experiences. “If you like what you do you excel at what you create.” anonymous

Trisha Poole has over twenty-two years of experience in design and management in the hospitality field. Her personal passion for design and her dedicated loyalty to the client mission has consistently delivered creative results to her clientele over the years. As the leader and president of Design Poole, Trisha has trained all of her design professionals to approach every project with an entrepreneurial spirit as it relates to project success.
Trisha gained most of her experience with large design companies in Orlando, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois, and has had the great fortune to work with leaders such as Disney, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Sun International, Marriott, Hilton, and Starwood. Her previous experience was working with and/or managing architects on most of the projects, which gave her a greater understanding of projects that require extensive technical detail and architectural coordination.
Trisha’s role on every project is to assure client satisfaction. Her strength is interpreting the client’s vision and delivering it with a goal of exceeding expectations. With strong business ethics and a drive for design excellence, Trisha makes Design Poole a viable and integral component of any project team. Trisha earned her Bachelor of Design from The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Gwendoline Theodet is director of business development for Campbell House. Theodet is responsible for establishing new client relationships while securing project opportunities for the studio. Theodet has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the fashion and interior design industries. Most recently, she was the regional director of business development for Wilson Associates.

Passionate with creating new connections and bringing people together, Theodet is a founding board member of NEWH Paris Chapter and currently serves as President of the Chapter.

Theodet has a Master’s in Business Marketing from EDC Paris Business School.

Enrico G. Cleva is an Italian architect, interior designer and international business development consultant in the design and exhibition businesses. A graduate of Politecnico di Milano University, Enrico founded his practice in 2005 with his wife architect Sara Viarengo Cleva, focused mainly on interiors for corporate offices and high end residential projects. Enrico is official representative of Fiera Milano in Canada, working on the business development of global shows like Host Milano, Tuttofood and HOMI. He is a strategic consultant for the Interior Designers of Canada association, a regular speaker on interior design trends and writes for design magazines such as Canadian Interiors.

Educated at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Bellin School of Nursing, and Harrington College of Design in Chicago, Lohmiller has 30+ years experience in the hospitality field. She became the first sales-woman for Falcon Products and was named West Coast Regional Manager in 1983, making her the first woman to be named manager for the company. Shelia founded an independent furniture representation business, the Lohmiller Group in 1984 in Los Angeles. Lohmiller cofounded the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality in 1984 with Dorrit St. John and Susan Spalding in Los Angeles. Having served as Founding President from 1984-1986, and Secretary of the NEWH, Inc. Board of Directors, Shelia was honored as the first recipient of NEWH’s Recognition of Excellence in 1992 for exemplary service to the organization. Shelia has served as the NEWH, Inc. Executive Director since 1993.

Jena is the COO for NEWH, Inc. She is your contact for Regional Tradeshows, corporate partnership, chapter board trainings, and the NEWH Leadership Conference. Jena attained a BS in Marketing at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and since has held positions in management, sales, and service. Jena provides strong organizational, customer service, and leadership experience to NEWH.

Susan brings with her over 20+ years’ financial experience. Susan earned her Associates Degree in Accounting from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and her Bachelor’s in Accounting through Lakeland University in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She resides in her hometown of Shawano with her husband Jeff, three children; Grace, Ava, Max, and German shepherd dogs – Winston and Lucy, and Willow the cat. When not at work, Susan enjoys traveling and exploring with her family as well as improving on her photography hobby.

TWC Consulting LLC provides customized and interactive learning and development experiences in leadership areas of focus such as Strategic Planning, Goal Setting, Evaluating Performance, Career Discussions, Development of Associates, Performance Management, Presentation Skills, Communication Skills, Leadership and Management Skills, etc. TWC Consulting is owned and operated by Trudy Craven, recently retired from a 40-year career with Milliken and Company, a large privately-owned manufacturing company headquartered in Spartanburg SC, where she served in a variety of roles, with the last 10+ years as their Senior Learning and Development Manager.

The Strategic Planning Workshop follows a strategic thinking framework, beginning with an assessment of “Where We Are” and “Where We are Going”, looking at internal and external factors, including a SWOT and an understanding of customers, competitors, products and services, and the operating environment. Prioritizing key areas follows, and if time permits, it moves into drafting goals to address the final point of “How are We Going to Get There”. The strength of the workshop lies in the interaction of the participants working together in breakout groups with key lessons from the facilitator interspersed throughout.

Brittany is a recent transplant to Denver, CO after living in San Francisco, CA for the last fourteen years. She’s been in the design industry for almost 15 years, and has been working remotely off and on for almost two years here in Denver. She is a self-proclaimed nerd whose recent passions include playing board games, starting a history club in her neighborhood, and becoming a transit and walkability advocate.

Professionally, Brittany’s unique approach to design is filled with passion, diligence, curiosity and the continuous love of learning. This love of learning guides her in teaching younger staff based on her experience in a large variety of projects, clients, and locations. Her personal motto is that every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to grow. In a team setting, Brittany is a hands-on team player that feels that leadership also means to stand side by side with each other to help with project workload and deadlines.

Dallas Bentley has worked in either hospitality and higher education since 2003.

For six years, he held positions in career development and marketing at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, the Students’ Society of McGill University, and Kennesaw State University. He is passionate about communications, management, marketing, product development, and education. Since 2013, he has been a mentor to an underprivileged child as Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta program.

For this organization, he has participated in events, videos, marketing campaigns, and interviews for local television spots to encourage mentor sign ups and donations.

He is part-owner and Director of Hospitality Sales for Marietta Drapery & Window CoveringsCompany, a 4th generation family business that directly manufactures and installs window and bed coverings for the hospitality, multi-family, and commercial markets.

Brittany is a certified interior designer with over a decade of experience working on a variety of leisure and entertainment projects at Cuningham Group. Brittany believes a successful and holistic design is the result of collaboration between clients, team members and consultants. She works closely with clients throughout the design process to help create innovative environments that offer a fresh perspective and provide sensitivity to the functional, social and environmental impacts of each space. She has enjoyed working on high visibility projects as well as the smaller bespoke projects, things that bring out the creative energy and collaboration. Brittany has expanded her skill set beyond designing to work with clients and teams as a project manager, giving her a unique combination of experiences to bring well rounded thinking to design projects. NEWH has been part of Brittany’s passion over the past 5+ years, growing within the organization and loving her NEWH network all over the globe. She is a mother to two goofy kids and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Valerie is an interior designer working for Marriott International. Though design is her professional focus, she brings a varied background to include a prior career in human resources, and event planning. Mentoring up-and-coming professionals in our industry is a passion for her, as is taking advantage of teaching opportunities, for which she’s taught introduction to interior design, design principles, and commercial interiors courses as an adjunct professor. Outside of work, Valerie is active in her sorority providing service to her local community, active in her church, and continues serving NEWH, for whom she was a scholarship recipient in 2005. Hobbies include anything music and dance (she wanted to be a professional dancer!), travel to places with blue waters and white sands, and being a dog mom to her newly adopted fur baby, Blackjack.

Director of Social Media on the 2022 NEWH International Board of Directors
Vice President of Administration on the 2022 NEWH Atlanta Chapter Executive Board

Emily has had a successful career in the plumbing industry for over two decades. She landed a role as a National Sales Manager in the Hospitality segment in 2016, and she quickly fell in love with the Hospitality side of the business and all the joys and challenges that come along! With a focus on building relationships and solving problems, Emily currently leads the Hospitality Team at Delta Faucet Company and brings passion, integrity, and humility to what she does every day.

As National Division Manager of Hospitality, Emily is responsible for the overall Hospitality strategy for Delta Faucet Company, driving specifications and developing relationships with key segment influencers. This network ranges from the major hotel brands, designers, owners and developers and wholesale partnerships in this fast-paced commercial vertical. Her experience over the past 2 decades includes working on both the wholesaler and commercial side of the business, as well as in the showroom and with builders alike. This varied background has given her an excellent understanding of distribution channels and the industry as a whole.

Emily is a graduate of Texas A&M University and enjoys her free time boating and waterskiing on the lake with her family and friends. She was born, raised and still resides in her hometown of San Antonion, TX with her husband and son.

Interesting Fact: Competed on the Waterski Team in college in the Jump event and qualified for the All Stars Team 2 years in a row.

Stacy Shoemaker Rauen is the senior vice president of the Design Group at Emerald, a leading events and media company. There she oversees multiple brands in the healthcare, hospitality, commercial, and residential design spheres, including Hospitality Design magazine and HD Expo; ICFF; and Boutique Design magazine and BDNY.

Shoemaker Rauen is a well-respected and talented editor and writer, and also is the editor in chief of Hospitality Design magazine, the leading publication for the industry.

Shoemaker Rauen—who has been with the company for almost 20 years—is a noted speaker at industry events, and as an avid tracker of trends, places, projects, and people, and has been quoted in various respected media outlets including CNBC and the Washington Post. She holds two degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, including a master’s in magazine journalism.

Tara Chung is the Director of Interior Design for Marriott International, Global Designs Americas. In the past couple of years, her focus has been on supporting the growth of the Delta Hotels Brand in the US and Canadian markets. Previous to her work on Delta Hotels, she spent 10 years influencing and guiding the implementation of multiple new design initiatives for the Marriott Hotels and JW Marriott Hotels brands. Tara is passionate about the hospitality design industry and believes that good design and beautiful spaces keep us inspired.

Kavitha Iyer joined IHG Hotels & Resorts in 2021 as Head of Design for the Americas. An Architect and Designer with over 20 years of experience in Hospitality, Kavitha is responsible for leading architecture and design strategy for IHG’s 13 global brands.

Kavitha and her team of talented architect and designers at IHG Design collaborate closely with Brand, Development and Operations to imagine and bring to life distinctive design experiences which align closely to each Brand personality. Placing an emphasis on guest centric emotional engagement, Kavitha and her team lead various design strategies across the portfolio which range from bringing to life new brands like Atwell Suites, voco and Vignette Collection as well as creating new visions for lifestyle, upscale and luxury brands like Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental Hotels.

Prior to joining IHG ® Hotels & Resorts, Kavitha was the Director of Design at Marriott International where she led several high-profile initiatives which focused on transformative next generation design experiences for upscale brands.

Kavitha’s love of art and travel fuels her continued passion to spend her free time creating a new canvas, exploring, discovering new places, people and being inspired by the everyday.

Regional VP and Lifestyle Studio Head for Hyatt Design Services where I oversee the design development of Hyatt Lifestyle portfolio across full service brands in the Americas region. Hyatt Lifestyle Studio specializes in creating innovating projects and one-of-a-kind experiences working in partnership with Hyatt’s global branding, lifestyle operations and development teams, supporting the evaluation, programing, conceptualization, design and implementation of ongoing and potential lifestyle and Independent projects across the Region.

With an extensive background leading design and interior architectural teams in several countries and continuously searching for new ways of redefining hospitality experiences, I have been leading Hyatt Design Lifestyle Studio since its creation. Prior joining Hyatt in 2016, I was design director at SEE, one of the most renowned Interior Design firms in South America, directing and overseeing Hotels and Restaurant design across Latin America, including one of the first Hyatt Centric. Previously, I was a project designer at TonyChi and Associates in NYC, where I worked in several high-end hospitality projects all over the world and learned about hospitality design and hotel operations from one of the most well-known hospitality designers.

Seattle-based designer My Nguyen holds degrees in Interior Design and Fine Arts and currently works as Director of Interior Design & Operations for Holland America Line (HAL) and Seabourn (SBN). Throughout her career, My has earned accolades for award-winning and nationally recognized projects in marine, high-end residential, and hospitality design. She joined Holland America Group in a newly created leadership role to form an in-house design team that oversees the interior refurbishments and maintenance of the HAL and SBN fleet. My is also the head designer of staterooms on Holland America Line newbuild vessels. My is passionate about influencing the industry to be the leaders in sustainability, forward thinking, and collaboration.

As design director in Luxury and Lifestyle, I am responsible for guiding the design of all North American Canopy and Motto projects toward the vision of the brand. I work with owners, developers, architects and independent interior design consultants on new construction, adaptive reuse and renovation projects, ensuring adherence to the Design and Construction Standards, Brand Narrative and ethos of Canopy and Motto. Responsibilities also include working to update brand publications as they apply to Canopy and presentation of projects to senior leadership for review and comment. Collaborator on behalf of Global Design Services in the development of future lifestyle brands.

Stephanie Deshaies is an established professional who has dedicated her career to elevating the profession of Interior Design. She is an NCIDQ certified interior designer who practiced commercial interior design for 10 years before transitioning to Sales and Marketing for Architex in 2005.

Stephanie works hard to become an expert in the subject in which she is working. For Architex, Stephanie has studied textile performance and application and educates interior designers on a daily basis on the durability, cleanability, resistance to cleaners and appropriate application of textiles in contract spaces for all vertical markets.

She is a past Board Member of IIDA both in the Northern Pacific Chapter based in Seattle and New England Chapter based in Boston. She was a site visitor for CIDA; The Council for Interior Design Accreditation for over 10 years. She was president of the Interior Design Coalition of Washington and most recently was the President of the Northwest Chapter of NEWH; The Network of Executive Women in Hospitality. Stephanie Deshaies is a courageous advocate for the profession of interior design.

As an interior designer, Natalie Sheedy has seen the power of design to profoundly impact our daily lives firsthand. A beautiful space can enhance the ways we think and act. This insight drives Natalie’s passion for great design and it’s her goal for every project she takes on.

Whether designing large-scale hotel interiors or residential projects, the essence of Natalie’s design process remains the same. She engages clients and contractors in hands-on collaboration, seeking insights, expertise and perspective at every phase from kickoff to conclusion. This ensures that decisions are strategic and deliberate and that every aspect of the finished design aligns with realistic business goals. It’s a process that’s proven to delight her clients time and again, creating one-of-a-kind spaces with sophisticated palettes, refined style and design functionality that can stand the test of time.

Before owning her own studio, Natalie spent 10 very rewarding years managing and designing multi-million-dollar hospitality projects as Studio Director at world-renown interior design firm The Gettys Group. Prior to her professional experience, she earned her B.A. with a minor in business at Harrington Institute of Interior Design in Chicago, where she had participated in a prestigious exchange program with the Academie van Kunst in Rotterdam, Holland. The sum of these experiences has given Natalie best-in-class training on how to make sure her clients experience the best possible return on their investment in design.

When she’s not in the thick of a project you can find Natalie sharing her passion for design as a member of NEWH, The Hospitality Industry Network, for which she sits on both the International Board and the Chicago Chapter board. She’s also proud a proud winner of a Gold Key award and was recognized as one the hospitality industry’s up- and-coming interior design leaders in Boutique Design’s “Boutique 18 for 2018”.

Stacy Elliston’s involvement in Hospitality Design has spanned over 27 years, most recently as Principal and Co-Founder of the successful global Interior Design firm, Studio 11 Design.

With a very diverse background in leading projects from Luxury, Gaming, Lifestyle, Multi-Family, Private Clubs to Custom Limited Service properties, Stacy brings a wide array of experience to any team. Having worked with some of the most notable hotel brands in the industry such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, MGM Mirage, Boyd Gaming, along with a multitude of independent hotels, she is quite understanding of the goals and missions of the Owner, Client and Brand to provide a successful project.

Stacy’s leadership style takes a very hands-on approach as she enjoys getting her “hands dirty” right alongside her teammates. From sourcing, operations, budgeting, scheduling, designing, problem solving and mentoring she appreciates that every day brings its own challenges and needs.

Stacy has been a member of NEWH since 1995 having served on the Dallas Chapter Board of Directors for 14 years in a myriad of positions including Chapter President.

Helen Reed is an award-winning Interior Designer, Consultant and Artist living in Richmond and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Her experience has ranged from a Project Interior Designer for a Top 100 Architectural and Interior Design Firm to working as a manufacturer’s representative where she took time to learn about the manufacturing process of interior materials and furniture.

Her firm, Helen Reed Design, provides full service Interior Design, branding, procurement and consulting for Restaurants, Hotels, Spas, Healthcare and Retail projects throughout the United States. Her team brings a creative approach to each project, developing into a unique final product for every Client.

Helen is an Artist and Photographer providing commissioned art for clients as well as creating art pieces for several of her own projects. She is in the process of converting several of her designs into wall-coverings and custom carpets.

In addition to Interior Design and Art, in 2020 Helen launched Cr8you.com, a spiritual and life coaching consulting firm that helps people define their soul’s calling encouraging them to live their life with greater purpose and passion not only personally but also in their career, whether it is in their current job, a side hustle or launching a new business. She is also in the process of launching Be-cr8tive.com a platform providing workshops, retreats, and virtual gatherings to inspire people who want to express their creative calling through art, design, photography, speaking, writing or any other creative process.

In 2013, Helen Co-Founded Uplined.com, a technology company that provides cloud storage for both residential and commercial properties. The platform establishes maintenance reminders so that the building’s owner can take better care of their building while keeping connected to that building’s service teams.

Helen served on the Executive Committee of NEWH, Inc. from 2006-2017. She served as President from 2010-2011. Currently she has joined the Executive Committee of NEWH again as VP of Communications.

In 2021, Helen became Chair of Modern Richmond. Modern Richmond’s mission is to promote, educate and celebrate modernism in Richmond, Virginia with the Vision that Richmond becomes recognized as a center of modernism. The organization provides tours, lectures, and virtual events featuring mid-century modern to current modern properties throughout the city. In 2019, Helen led the Modern Richmond Book Committee with the design and publication of their first Book celebrating their 10-year anniversary and featuring over 50 properties that had been toured during that time.

Jillian Van Dresser, president of The Van Dresser Company, an Atlanta, Georgia based full service interior design firm providing interior design services for distinctive design projects throughout the United States, Italy and the Caribbean,brings 26 years of design and management experience to new construction as well as renovation and rehabilitation of hotels, resorts, conference centers, timeshare, condominiums, restaurants, and adult living facilities.

A strong proponent of social and educational service within the hospitality industry, Jillian has served on numerable professional boards as well as serving as Founding President of the Atlanta Chapter and President of the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality, Inc. Board of Directors, the international governing board of the organization. She currently serves as Advisor to the NEWH, Inc. Sustainable Hospitality. Van Dresser Company is a Certified WBENC Women’s Business Enterprise

Enrico G. Cleva is an Italian architect, interior designer and international business development consultant in the design and exhibition businesses. A graduate of Politecnico di Milano University, Enrico founded his practice in 2005 with his wife architect Sara Viarengo Cleva, focused mainly on interiors for corporate offices and high end residential projects. Enrico is official representative of Fiera Milano in Canada, working on the business development of global shows like Host Milano, Tuttofood and HOMI. He is a strategic consultant for the Interior Designers of Canada association, a regular speaker on interior design trends and writes for design magazines such as Canadian Interiors.

Mark, is a native New Yorker and the principal of Cunningham Design + Associates, their mission is to enhance and facilitate the needs of the hospitality and procurement community. Our expertise and focus is hotels, country clubs, commercial buildings, assisted living, museums, restaurants, spas and other select public places.

Mark has been in the design services industry for the last 10+ years, following a decades long career in the financial services community. With a 30+ year passion for buying and researching high end residential furniture, Mark decided to follow his passion and deliver his own unique service. Mark is married to an NYC marketing executive, lives outside of Manhattan and enjoys spending time with their son Owen. Mark is also an avid traveler, collector and sports enthusiast who enjoys training for marathons and triathlons.

Eric, born and raised in Miami has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality and contract furniture industry. He is a territory manager for C2C Designs. He brings a plethora of design, manufacturing, and sales experience to the NEWH board. He loves traveling as his job, as well as building relationships with his clients. in his personal life he loves to do any type of outdoor activities including tennis, riding bike, and going to the beach. Eric is also a proud veteran of the US Army.

Megan May is a former interior designer and executive sales representative for Ulster Carpets providing custom axminster to the Hospitality Industry and sits on the Board of NEWH Atlanta as the Programming Chair.

Erica Puccio is currently the Chief Brand Officer of Tilebar. She joins us with 20 years of experience in the industry as an Interior Designer and AD Business Developer. Before embarking in the world of product development that ranges in her expertise of natural stone to tile, she earned her BFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology for Interior Design. This experience allowed her the privilege to design for residential and commercial based companies from Victoria Hagan Interiors to Harrah’s Entertainment. She is extremely passionate about the design community and the endless connection it brings with an overall conviction to inspire, promote, service, and celebrate great design.

Gabe Rodriguez, NCIDQ Interior Designer, is multi-disciplined with experience in workplace, hospitality, health & wellness, and senior living. He bridges the design and technical roles of projects to deliver high quality, high design spaces for his clients. He has a Masters in Interior Architecture from Florida International University. Passionate about giving back and making a difference in our design community he is currently serving as President.

VP of Development 2022 for AZ chapter

Upon graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1995, Chris immediately became involved in the transportation and logistics industry beginning his career with US Express, a premier trucking and logistics management company in Orlando Florida. As the Domestic Operations Manager he was responsible for over $3 million in sales revenues.

After three years in the domestic transportation market, Chris was offered a position with PMG Worldwide as the Domestic Shipping and Operations Manager. He was soon also running the international logistics for the company and promptly named General Manager and Vice President of Global Operations. His responsibilities included expanding the client base with companies that included Campus Crusades, Walt Disney world, and Harris Corporation.
Over the next five years Chris honed his sales and operational skills in both the domestic and international markets with Adcom Worldwide, as Vice President of Operations and with Xpress Global Systems as a Regional Sales Manager.

As Co-founder of Installation Service Group (ISG), Chris has developed innovative ways to control the assets and streamline the supply chain for clients in hospitality, construction, design, procurement, and healthcare industries. The foundation of his belief is to better his client’s projects and the industry one lives within.

Gwendoline Theodet is director of business development for Campbell House. Theodet is responsible for establishing new client relationships while securing project opportunities for the studio. Theodet has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the fashion and interior design industries. Most recently, she was the regional director of business development for Wilson Associates.

Passionate with creating new connections and bringing people together, Theodet is a founding board member of NEWH Paris Chapter and currently serves as President of the Chapter.

Theodet has a Master’s in Business Marketing from EDC Paris Business School.

Stephanie has 6+ years experience working in commercial design primarily focusing on retail and restaurant design. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Interior Design. After graduation, she became an Interior Designer for Smart Associates in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2012 She was hired at Cuningham Group Inc. and now has the opportunity to work on Larger Hospitality projects mostly is focusing on Casino Venues. She has been a NEWH Member since 2005 and a NEWH North Central Board Member since 2007. She takes pride in taking on challenges and coming up with creative solutions to those challenges on each project. Also she enjoys meeting and getting to know each client and understanding their needs and the needs of the end user, for it is vital to the success of every project.

Megan Brennan has had a successful career in the Hospitality/Commercial Design Industry and is currently the Territory Account Manager for Shaw Contract Hospitality in New England. With over 15+ years of experience in the industry and as a former Interior Designer, her strong background in design along with account and project management, has allowed her to enhance and support the needs of the Hospitality community.

Prior to Shaw Contract, she worked at Kohler Co, where she held various positions and discovered her love of the Hospitality segment. She has been an active member of NEWH since 2017 attending multiple events throughout the US and in 2022 became a board member of the NEWH New England Chapter to help locally serve and grow the organization.

Outside of work, she is a certified Indoor Cycling Instructor and has taught for 5 years. For other activities, she also enjoys spending time traveling, cooking, golfing, and hiking. Home is on the seacoast of New Hampshire where she resides with her husband and their two fur babes, Duke and Saffron.

As of January 2020, Jessica Casiano moved to the DC Metro area after residing in Atlanta, GA. There she gained 11 years of industry experience and her hospitality knowledge ranges from interior design, business development, procurement, project management, and renovation/new build projects throughout North America.

Jessica is a graduate of The International Academy of Design and Technology, in Tampa, FL, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design. Currently, she is an Interior Design Manager at Marriott International on the Classic Select Brands Team, specializing in extended stay and dual branded properties. On top of daily responsibilities, she is also very involved in Marriott teams which include the Recommended Interior Designer Program, TownePlace Suite Brand Champion, and ID representation for select Ownership accounts.

Typically, you will catch Jessica always volunteering as she has a strong passion for planning events, student mentorship, and crafting something creative with her hands. Since 2011, she has been a very active member of NEWH and 2023 will be her first time taking a position on the Board of Directors.

In her personal life, Jessica enjoys spending time with family/friends, hiking, kickboxing, live music/comedy/theater, art, trying the newest restaurants and exploring the DMV area!

Linda Hinojosa graduated from California State University Fullerton with a BS in Human Services. She also completed coursework in Film, Television and Special Effects through the Multimedia Program at UCLA.

Her experience includes A&D specification work with shelving & furniture for public and university libraries, textiles for hospitality, resilient flooring for corporate, healthcare and higher education and is currently the A&D Specialist for Formica; covering healthcare, commercial, retail and hospitality projects.

Linda helps to grow our regions active members by reaching out to previous and new A&D, end users and vendors.

Linda resides in Orange County, CA with her husband Todd. They both share a passion for travel abroad, and have visited 23 countries.

Traci joined the hospitality industry 9 years ago. In early 2022 she brought her experience to Exxir Capital. Exxir Capital is a development group in Dallas, Texas that focuses primarily on mixed use development within the Bishop Arts District.

Traci’s passion for design began at an early age, creating her first furniture set at 11. While a collegiate basketball scholarship led to her first degree in Professional Studies, her love for design brought her back to school to obtain her second degree in Interior Design.

She married her husband two years ago and recently welcomed a baby girl in September of 2022. She enjoys traveling and loves spending time with her new family. In her down time, she prefers reading and completing jigsaw puzzles.

Alicia Sheber joined the NEWK UK board in 2019 and was previously a board member of NEWH’s Rocky Mountain chapter in 2003 and 2004. Through her company, Read Thread, Alicia is a ghostwriter helping creative, non-linear thinkers tell their stories and venture capitalists develop business proposals and white papers. A contributing editor for HOTELS magazine, and previously the international editor of Boutique Design magazine, she draws on “insider knowledge” gained through her interior design degree and creation of global destinations whilst employed by studios in Denver, Colorado, and London, UK.

After completing an MBA in International Marketing and Luxury Branding at ESLSCA in Paris, she worked with a London-based communications agency partnering with top interior designers, architects, and trade shows. Her subsequent ghostwriting certification from California State University, Long Beach, led to Alicia becoming a ghostwriter for the University of Cambridge’s Masters in Entrepreneurship programme, working with business leaders to transform their professional knowledge into teaching materials. She also sold wine for several years and developed a love of gastronomy: a solid foundation for writing the “Going Out” chapter in Explorer Publishing’s Complete Residents’ Guide to Paris.

Alicia’s degree in world religions ignited her lifelong passion to learn about the infinite paths for making sense of the world.

Ashley Skrabut started in the hospitality industry in 2016, transitioning to a position as architectural designer at HBG Design, where she worked on Hotel, Casino, and Event center project types. Prior to transitioning to HBG, Ashley worked for Smith Gee Studio in Nashville, TN where her architectural work focused on commercial, residential, and mixed-use spaces. She is a graduate of the University of Memphis, with a Master’s of Architecture. Ashley is now working for Hilton WorldWide, as a Sr. Project Manager on the PIP Team (Property Improvement Plan) in the Architecture, Design, and Construction department. She enjoys traveling across the country visiting Hilton properties, working with a wide range of hospitality industry specialists. You can find her wandering the city streets with her camera in her down time, or participating in local acrobatic performances. Ashley loves saying “Yes!” to an adventure on land, water, or in the air.

Principal + Owner of Laso Design LLC, Laura Naily Sosa is a Brownsville, Texas native who graduated from The Art Institute of Houston with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a major in Interior Design. She is also in the process of completing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Construction Management, from Dallas Baptist University. As a Houston based Interior Designer and active member IIDA, TAID, ASID, and NEWH, Laura has over a decade of experience designing spaces on a local, national, and international level. She has had the opportunity to travel and incorporate her design skills on projects primarily in the Middle East. Her passion for Design and Architecture, have driven Laura to challenge herself by taking on multi-million-dollar projects ranging in Healthcare, Commercial, Multi-Family, Senior Living, Residential, and Research Based Design.

Laso Design was established in 2021, as a design firm with a mission to create spaces that welcomes cultural diversity, embraces regional and religious design elements, while allowing the client’s style to be reflected, but also promote their well-being. Outside of design, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her dog.

Candice’s career in the hospitality industry spans over 18 years in interior design and sales. She practiced Interior Design in the hospitality industry from 2005 to 2010. In 2010 Candice transitioned to sales, servicing the Rocky Mountain Region. In 2021, Candice started her own multi-line agency Shift Design Studio focused on high-quality hospitality products and design collaboration. Candice is an NCIDQ accredited professional, and also served on the board of the NEWH Rocky Mountain Chapter from 2009 to 2018, holding the chapter president position in 2013 and 2014. Candice recently rejoined the NEWH Rocky Mountain Chapter board in 2021 as their EID (Equality, Inclusion, Diversity) director.

In her personal time, Candice enjoys to plan and host events, travel, and spending time with her family. She is a 90’s hip-hop fanatic, loves to bake, and can often be found supporting environmental causes and volunteering with nonprofits.

Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Lissette has been a member of NEWH for 7 years and counting.

She moved to the Northeast from Miami FL, where she originally fell in love with Hospitality. She now lives in Brooklyn with her 5 year old German Sheppard named Jameson, and spends her down time studying and growing indoor plants as a hobby.

Diane is the Membership/Events Director for NEWH, Inc.