Earlier this summer, the New England Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA NE) held their Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition event. As part of the celebration, SMMA Associate and Interior Designer Aimee Schefano was recognized for her work within IIDA NE and honored with the 2020 Distinguished Merit Award.
Aimee has been involved with the IIDA for more than five years, volunteering and leading a variety of advocacy-based initiatives. From 2015 to 2019, she served as the Vice President of Advocacy, and remains involved with the Committee. During her tenure as VP, she worked to restructure the Chapter’s advocacy groups and legislative efforts in Massachusetts and New England at large. Additionally, she has been committed to helping interior designers in Massachusetts achieve professional licensure. She stated:
“In the state of Massachusetts, and many states nationwide, interior designers are not considered licensed professionals. As such, we are not able to stamp our own drawings, sign contracts, or hold a majority ownership at a firm that competes for public work, thus making it difficult to progress professionally.”
Most recently, Schefano has worked in collaboration with IIDA National and other groups on the development of Amendments #102 and #103 of a bill to advance the interior design profession by creating an optional registration process for interior designers in MA, and expand of the membership of the Designer Selection Board to include interior designers.
Amendment #102 would specifically allow the use of the title "Registered Interior Designer" (R.I.D.) and allow Registered Interior Designers the ability to space plan, prepare, and submit nonstructural interior renovation drawings for permit under their own independent registration. The amendment would generate small business growth and entice recent graduates to remain in the Commonwealth to utilize their skills and put their degree to use.
