IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 22

Why become the
international president
of IIDA?

CHERYL DURST: Why do you do it? You have enough on your plates. You have full
time jobs, you're leading firms. It's not the easiest-I can't even say job, because it's
a volunteer position. Why did you choose a leadership role in IIDA?
JIM WILLIAMSON: Cheryl, I think we've joked about this. I was born into IIDA. I actually

got my first job at a student career day at the University of Maryland. It was through
IBD members which eventually of course became IIDA, as part of Unified Voice.
So I felt an obligation to pay back the Association, the organization as well as the
industry. It was always one of my top priorities and top goals to eventually serve the
organization in the most appropriate way I could. So as Chapter President and then
eventually as International President I was finally able to do that.
CHERYL DURST: So you very much had a career path as an International President.

JIM WILLIAMSON: Absolutely. I actually worked for an International President before,

and so from day one I was in. And I think that's really what brings designers into
IIDA: the mentorship and the connections and the professional connections that
you make. Once you're in, you're in, and you have a career ahead of you.

LEWIS GOETZ: I took it on because I wanted to give back to the profession, as Jim said.
I've gotten so much out of Interior Design as part of my practice and working with
clients and working with people in the industry. It was a chance for me to give
something back. And in the end I still got more out of it. It was just an amazing
experience, being a President, as I'm sure all of you probably have recognized.
CAROL JONES: I always tell students and young designers that they should become
involved in their professional Association because you do get much more back than
you put in, no matter how much energy it is. For me, I had been President of Interior
Designers of Canada so I had a sense of what that was like. I enjoyed it, but the thing
I value most I think from being involved with IIDA is the huge network I now have
of people all over the world who are still my friends.
VIVECA BISSONETTE: One of things that, again, talking to students and something that
I've learned over my career is never not take an opportunity. Always take advantage
of every opportunity that you've been given, even if you're not sure where it's going
to take you, if you're not sure you can handle it. The opportunity to be President of
IIDA-although giving back to the organization is something I feel very strongly
about-what I got from it I never saw it as giving back. I saw it as an incredible
opportunity to expand my own horizons. I never thought of it as work. It's given
back so much.
LEWIS GOETZ: I think the relationships that you have established and created out
of it have just been amazing.
CARY JOHNSON: I'm not sure I made a conscious decision, as it was Neil Frankel who
called me up and said "Would you be on my team?" and he did a marvelous job of
assembling industry specialists and leaders to create his board of directors. I said
"Absolutely!" So I kind of fell into it, and once I was in it, really felt good about it.
I totally enjoyed it and I have to say I learned so much from it. It has been so
valuable in my personal career.
CHERYL DURST: Richard, you headed your own very hot firm in San Francisco during
a pretty busy time in the San Francisco marketplace. So you're dealing with IIDA,
you're dealing with your firm, you're dealing with employees... why'd you take it on?
RICHARD POLLACK: It's something that's always been part of my professional career.
Even before IIDA, I was involved in IBD and also involved in the AIA, and my attitude
had always been: How do we make the professions better? How can this get better?
Because it's not going to happen from the academy alone, it's got to happen from
the profession. So it was saying, look, there aren't any real secrets that I have from
my practice or you from yours ... How can we share that best practices information
with people? Just recently Carol and I gave a seminar at NeoCon on making an
amazing proposal... I want the whole profession to rise. The rising waters lift all.
That's where my head was, and continues to be. I want to continue to give back.

22



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014

Contents
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - Cover1
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 1
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 2
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 6
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 8
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 10
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 12
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 14
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 15
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 16
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 16A
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 16B
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 18
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 24
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 28
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IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 30
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IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - 55
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IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2014 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2017fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2017springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2016fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2016springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2015fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2015springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011springsummer
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com