The Black Interior Designers Inc. (BID Inc) has announced the rebranding of the organization formerly known as The Black Interior Designers Network and appointment of new executive team members.
Longtime organization administrator and interior designer June Reese will assume the role of BID Inc vice president. Christopher Charles Evans, who has been an active designer member since its inception with late founder Kimberly Ward, will assume the role of treasurer. Both members’ roles are effective immediately.
As vice president, Reese will work directly with BID Inc President NeKeia McSwain to develop and implement the organization’s mission and vision expansion. Reese’s role entails identifying the organization’s needs to cultivate scalable solutions for its members and the design industry as a whole. Reese is also responsible for overseeing the organization’s operations and managing the internal team to ensure BID Inc objectives are successfully met.
“My role has evolved over the past seven years since meeting Kimberly Ward in 2016 and getting involved with the organization,” said Reese. “In this new position, I will expand my leadership and operations responsibilities by collaborating closely with Keia, our board of directors and our internal team to continue creating sustainable initiatives in the design industry. A passion and primary focus for me as VP is to create an expansion strategy that will focus on programs that provide access, education and awareness of the copious career paths within the industry for primary to post-secondary education levels in underserved communities.”
Evans’ background as both an interior designer and an accountant makes his new role within BID Inc an ideal fit. The role tasks Evans with monitoring the organization’s financial policies, reporting, and growing sponsorships and partnerships. He is also leading the charge in conducting organization research to best understand the state of members’ businesses and how BID Inc can support its members in scaling their businesses, creating beneficial industry partnerships and increasing industry exposure.
“Kimberly Ward’s influence changed the trajectory of my design career and ultimately my life, therefore being a part of this organization’s leadership team is a small way I can express my thankfulness to both her and the organization,” said Evans. “In this role, I plan to increase the current membership and amplify the financial impact and benefits of membership for the designers. We will foster new, mutually beneficial partnerships and create stronger synergies with our existing partnerships.”
When work began to rebrand the network in late 2021 — work that continues to progress behind the scenes into 2023 — McSwain arrived at the decision through thoughtful consideration, survey and much advice to determine how to start working at providing what the future of the organization and its members require. She and the team dropped all forms of member dues and began to work towards an international vision–it has developed into a mission and duty to serve members not only stateside but around the world. BID Inc will serve as a link and a liaison between talented designers, industry brands and the consumer population, all who embrace interior design.
The responsibility is now on the leadership team to work with BID Inc partners to secure sustainability of BID Inc programs and offerings. The sustainability barrier to entry is eliminated, and membership applications are simply focused on practicing designers and a business resale license. By welcoming designers at all experience levels, the organization must now shift intention towards mentorship and education, as well as expanding access to opportunities.