KCAD Interior Design program taps into alumni expertise, industry leadership for new advisory board to better prepare student

The Interior Design program at Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design in 2025 will further enhance its focus on career preparedness and industry connections through the formation of a professional advisory board.  

The new advisory board unites seven prominent leaders in the interior design industry—including six program alumni—to serve as a guiding force to ensure curriculum and professional development continue to evolve in step with industry needs, trends, and expectations. This will help faculty better prepare students for the skills, knowledge, and technologies that are in demand, as well as keep them up to date on industry fees and salaries. 

A KCAD Interior Design student presents her work in front of visiting professionals during a critique session

Maintaining strong relationships with alumni, design businesses, and professional organizations is a priority for the program.  

“Thanks to KCAD’s location in the heart of the contract furniture industry and our network of accomplished alumni, we’ve always worked closely with practitioners in West Michigan and have many people to tap for advice,” said associate professor and Interior Design program chair Mary Ellen Fritz. “The advisory board will take this to the next level by setting up a formal structure to strengthen our program goals and curriculum through outside perspectives, verifying our students are prepared for a wide range of career opportunities.” 

That’s especially important for continuing to meet the rigorous standards set by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, which has accredited the KCAD program since 1974. It’s also key to preparing students to earn the industry’s benchmark certification from the Council for Interior Design Qualification.   

To earn this certification, designers must pass a three-part examination which covers building systems, codes, construction standards, contract administration, design application, professional practice, and project coordination. KCAD’s curriculum enables students to take the first part of the exam while they’re still in school, so they’re well positioned to hit the ground running when they graduate.  

Interior Design students collaborating on a project 

"NCIDQ certification makes a difference,” Fritz said. “It’s key to maintaining our consistently high professional placement record for graduates—averaging 82 percent at the time of graduation since 2013—since passing the exam is required for licensure in most of the U.S. and Canada.” 

It also sets up graduates for higher earnings. According to a 2019 report from the American Society of Interior Designers, the median salary of certified designers is $16,000 higher than those who did not hold any type of certification or credential. 

As KCAD Interior Design students prepare to join these ranks, many of the new advisory board members see an opportunity to pay their own education forward and open doors for future designers.  

Board member Jody Poole, a 2010 graduate who serves as vice president of design at Grand Rapids-based design firm Custer, Inc., began her own journey into the field with a student internship at the company. Poole helped found Custer’s Renegade customs division in 2017 and led it for five years as creative director before it was acquired by a New York design firm. Now, she leads an even larger collaborative team with a passion for mentoring the next generation of design talent.  

Jody Poole
 
“To be able to assist in shaping the dialogue surrounding our next generation's curriculum is a privilege,” Poole said. “To be able to help in lifting up young designers is the icing on the cake.” 

Likewise, board member Heather Harrington, a 2015 graduate and director of interior experience at Grand Rapids-based Pure Architects, was happy to reciprocate what the college had done for her. Harrington’s time at KCAD set the stage for her wide-ranging career in the industry, from flooring retail, contract furniture planning and specification, to full-scope contract interior design.  

Heather Harrington

"I'm thrilled to participate,” she said. “It allows me to give back to a community that has been pivotal to my own success, while also allowing me to make an impact in the trajectory of emerging professionals in our industry." 

To help students envision different paths for their careers, the program purposely chose board members who work in different aspects of the interior design industry.  

Board member Melissa Malburg, a 2004 graduate and principal/director of strategy and discovery at Grand Rapids-based design and architecture firm Progressive Companies, has evolved over a 20-year career to focus on the broader strategic value of interior design as a creative problem-solving tool for businesses of all kinds.  

Melissa Malburg

“I'm looking forward to working with the diverse group of advisors to bring our unique perspectives to the ongoing benefit of the program and future designers,” Malburg said.  

Members can also serve as role models for the students, personifying the motto “If you can see it, you can be it.” Board member and 2007 graduate Tiffany Thornton is the founder of Grand Rapids-based Tiffany Eden Design, a Black-owned boutique firm specializing in commercial and residential design.  

Tiffany Thornton

“Diversity in spaces like this is extremely important—I am a part of a very small ‘club’ of Black commercial interior designers,” Thornton said. “I want to share my experiences working with small businesses and projects that center around the urban community and how diversity in design is crucial to creating spaces that are more relevant and inclusive to different cultures.”  

Board member and 2006 graduate Laurie Placinski, vice president of Real Estate, Design and Partnerships at Grand Rapids-based BAMF Health, recently drew on her two decades of healthcare design, strategic planning, and leadership to oversee the design ideation, planning and construction of BAMF’s flagship state-of-the-art facility focused on advanced treatments for cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart conditions. 

Laurie Placinski

Placinski is now eager to give the next generation of designers a running start on the skills they will need to succeed.  

“Design thinking has become a foundational driver that spurs innovation and enhances strategic growth within all areas of business,” she said. “I look forward to bringing experience-based applications to the table to support KCAD's curriculum." 

Meanwhile, board member and 2007 graduate Todd Emeott, principal at Chicago-based architecture firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative, also recognizes the need to keep students aligned with what’s happening on the ground. His experience has equipped him with a broad perspective of the industry, having worked in corporate, law and financial services, healthcare, education, and hospitality markets for over 17 years. 

Todd Emeott

“I have seen the market and client demands shift multiple times. Each time there is a shift, it takes a process of re-invention to stay relevant,” Emeott said. “KCAD gave me the foundation of thinking critically and being flexible to change. I want to keep that sense of relevance alive in the way KCAD students are learning about their career.” 

Beyond the formal duties of the board, members will also continue KCAD’s tradition of connecting with students as mentors or guest critics.  

Board member and former adjunct instructor Megan Murray, principal interior designer at Grand Rapids-based Megan Murray Interiors, takes an active role in the industry as vice president of membership for the International Interior Design Association Michigan Chapter and a board member of local non-profit Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.  

Megan Murray

“In my time as an adjunct, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I learned from the students in return,” Murray said. “Having a thriving two-way communication channel helps us to better understand what to expect in terms of new talent entering the workforce, how to work with one another, and how to mentor young designers.” 

The KCAD Interior Design advisory board’s work will begin in January of 2025, and each member will serve a two-year term.