New York, NY (October 2016) The 2016-2017 ASID NY Metro Chapter Board was sworn in on Wednesday, October 5th in front of a crowd of almost two hundred attendees. Held at the new Jonathan Adler Showroom on Lexington and 58th, the Annual Meeting represents the passing of the baton from one board to the next. Like the ASID NY Metro community, the Chapter Officers are a rich mix of Designers, Industry Professionals, Emerging Professionals and Students. Each brings a wealth of industry knowledge to their respective position. Led by renowned and award winning interior designer Glenn Gissler, the board shares a common goal to increase the visibility of the chapter and its members.
Glenn Gissler, ASID
President
Glenn Gissler started Glenn Gissler Design just four years after obtaining degrees in Architecture and Fine Art at the Rhode Island School of Design. His very first “real” client was a young fashion designer named Michael Kors. He has subsequently developed a reputation for finely crafted homes with custom upholstery, vintage and antique furnishings and decorative arts from a wide range of time periods and locales and, with his extensive network of galleries and artists, he often assists his clients with acquiring high quality fine art. His design work has been widely published in magazines, books and online and he maintains a very active presence on social media.
Bjorn Bjornsson, Allied ASID
President-Elect
Born and raised in Iceland, Bjorn was educated in Denmark where he received his Masters degree in Architecture/Interior Design at Copenhagen’s Fredriks-berg Technical School of Interior Architects. With more than 30 years experience, Bjornsson has designed luxurious hotels and residences around the world. He has distinguished himself as an elegant and sophisticated designer who responds to his client’s needs to create a home in which the client can call his own. He enjoys working in a range of styles including contemporary, traditional, modern and/or transitional. Bjornsson has worked in multiple charitable show houses, including Kips Bay and Holiday House.
Virginia Guillian, ASID Industry Partner
Financial Director
Virginia Guillian was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She is of American and Japanese descent and is bilingual/bicultural. Always interested in art and business, she graduated from the University of San Francisco where she obtained a BFA in Advertising. Since graduating, she has been working in the field of advertising and marketing—both on the agency and client sides—and has amassed over 10 years of kitchen and bath experience. Currently, she is the Marketing Manager at Lefroy Brooks, manufacturer of luxury bath products, and is based out of their New York/Chelsea location.
Jewells Blackwell, ASID Industry Partner
Membership Director
Jewells Blackwell is the Regional Sales Manager at To Market Flooring in New York. She was formerly a Regional Sales Manager for Interiors & Sources and the Executive Assistant to the President at IF Management, Inc. A Florida native, she graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S., majoring in Pre-Med and minoring in French and Theater. She brings a passion for the arts, and a love for connecting with people to her board position.
Asler Valero, Allied ASID
Professional Development Director
Asler Valero is a Venezuelan-born New York-based interior designer, whose work includes projects in the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. Valero worked with the renowned firm Sills Huniford on both residential and commercial projects around the word on assignments that involved working with the most talented professionals in the industry. Recognized as a color expert by paint companies around the country to which he serves as consultant, Valero also has been associated with Housing Works, participating in the annual Design on a Dime charity event.
Danielle McWilliams, ASID Industry Partner
Communications Director
Danielle McWilliams is a Senior Vice President at Novita Communications and the Editorial Director of Design-Calendar. There, she has gained over twelve years of experience in public relations and integrated marketing working with leading manufacturers, lifestyle brands and industry trade shows in the design world and beyond. From effective pitches to clever social media content, she enjoys crafting and delivering the right message for the target audience. She draws inspiration from her family and colleagues; and determination from her years of playing sports.
Vanessa Deleon, Allied ASID
Director at Large
Inspired by her Cuban roots, Vanessa Deleon is as influential as her Art Deco styling rooted in her cultural composition. Deleon's innovative sensibility combined with a keen eye for detail resulted in her signature design style, “GLAMILISTIC,” where she combines streamlined design with minimalism resulting in a rich, glamorous style. Recent ventures include the branding and licensing of Vanessa Deleon. Her impressive resume includes her most recent competition on NBC’s American Dream Builders, as well as her role as a featured designer on Restaurant Impossible-The Food Network, HGTV's Generation Renovation, Designer Challenge, Bang for your Buck, and Design Star, to name a few. She also is the featured Design Editor for several publications.
Bonnie Hoeker, Student ASID
Student Representative
Bonnie Hoeker is a passionate and determined up-and-coming residential interior designer. She is currently enrolled in her last year of the BFA program at The New York School of Interior Design. Together with the 2016/2017 ASID President Glenn Gissler, Hoeker created and continues to organize the Emerging Designer Events Series for her New York Metro Interior Design peers and recent graduates. In addition to her studies and ASID endeavors, she interns at Peter Pennoyer Architects in their Interiors department.
Catarine Wright, Allied ASID
Emerging Professionals Chair
Catarine Wright graduated with an Associate & Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts in Interior Design from The New York School of Interior Design. She also was selected to receive the Alumni Award for exceptional services to the University and for her creation and participation as the President of the ASID NYSID Student Chapter. After graduation, she was invited to be the Principal Designer at James Rixner Inc. Wright is the owner of Cat Wright Interior Design and specializes in residential design, staging projects and commercial design. She also is a co-founder of the non-profit organization The Sunrise Project rising NYC—a program that aims to improve the lives of children in New York City through design.
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Media Contact: Danielle McWilliams,
ASID New York Metro Communications Director
[email protected]
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About ASID
The American Society of Interior Designers believes that design transforms lives. ASID serves the full range of the interior design profession and practice through the Society’s programs, networks, and advocacy. We thrive on the strength of cross-functional and interdisciplinary relationships among designers of all specialties, including workplace, healthcare, retail and hospitality, education, institutional, and residential. We lead interior designers in shared conversations around topics that matter: from evidence-based and humancentric design to social responsibility, well-being, and sustainability. We showcase the impact of design on the human experience and the value interior designers provide.
ASID was founded over 40 years ago when two organizations became one, but its legacy dates back to the early 1930s. As we celebrate nearly 85 years of industry leadership, we are leading the future of interior design, continuing to integrate the advantages of local connections with national reach, of small firms with big, and of the places we live with the places we work, play, and heal. The ASID New York Metro Chapter represents approximately 1800 members including 900 Designers, 600 Industry Partners and 300 Student members. It offers a rich program of engaging educational and social events in collaboration with the extensive resources of the New York design community. Learn more at asidnymetro.org.
