The Educational Foundation of the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) announces its 2020 Board of Trustees, selected to oversee and administer more than $25,000 in annual design-related scholarships and grants.
Gail Belz, FIFDA, has been named IFDA-EF Chair for 2020. Belz has been in IFDA since the late 1980s and was on the Board within a few months. She started as vice president hospitality and through the years served in membership and events, as well as in the position of treasurer, president elect and president.
“In 2008, I served as president elect for the National Board then President for 2009, following Dave Gilbert,” said Belz. “I’ve made many good friends in IFDA and felt it was fitting for me to attend all board meetings to support my chapter and keep my social contacts through our events. I’m happy to say that as acting president of IFDA Northern California Chapter, we felt it appropriate to donate the remains of our treasury to the Educational Foundation, as we closed our chapter last year. I’ve always been a believer in the Educational Foundation arm of IFDA and am continuing to work for it as board chair for 2020.”
Karen Dzendolet of the New England Chapter has been named chair elect. Dzendolet believes in intuitive, client-focused design, collaborating with and valuing her clients’ lifestyles and goals. After a career in corporate IT, managing products and projects for operating system software, she decided on a career change and received her Master of Arts in Interior Design in 2006 from the New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University in Boston. Dzendolet started her firm KDZ Designs in 2009. She became an IFDA member with the New England Chapter in 2009. She served first on the New England Board starting in 2010 and was chapter president from 2014 to 2016. For the past two years, Dzendolet served as the director of scholarships and grants on the IFDA EF board.
Joyce Poynton, FIFDA, of Carolinas Chapter has been named director of scholarships and Grants. Poynton, a member of the Carolinas Chapter, has served on the EF Board for three years, including the position of chair. She has been a member of the Carolinas Chapter IFDA for 26 years and has served in various board positions, including president. After completing her degree in business management, Poynton received her design training in residential interior design. She managed her design firm for 16 years before retiring in 2007. Although specializing in residential interior design, she also completed some historic restoration/reproduction work on Mordecai House, a Civil War plantation home in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as several commercial projects.
Returning to the Foundation board in 2020 will be Merry Mabbett Dean, FIFDA, as past chair/advisor; Sarah Fletcher as director of communications; Donna Ralston-Latham, FIFDA, as director of resources; Shirley Ebert as financial manager; Earline Feldman as website manager and Ida McCausland, IFDA chapter president.
IFDA’s Educational Foundation has announced design student scholarship applications for 2020. Applications will be accepted between March 1 and March 31, 2020, for nine scholarships from the Educational Foundation (EF) of IFDA. Since the early years of this 73-year-old global design industry alliance, EF has awarded scholarships to high-achieving design students as well as grants to talented professionals internationally. This year there are nine scholarships available for a total of $18,000.
“These scholarships help us nurture and celebrate the talented individuals who are emerging in the design and furnishings industry,” said Belz. “We continue to be committed to improving our industry by supporting students and enhancing public awareness through educational and philanthropic programs.”
Applicants must be currently enrolled, and scholarships are paid to the school for the 2020 fall semester tuition. Winners will be notified by July 31, 2020, unless otherwise stated. The website has detailed information and applications: www.ifdaef.org.
The nine scholarships are as follows:
IFDA Leaders Commemorative Scholarship — $1,500. Open to undergraduate students.
Part-Time Student Scholarship — $1,500. Open to undergraduate students.
IFDA Student Member Scholarship — $2,000. Open to IFDA student member undergraduate students.
Verceille Voss IFDA Graduate Student Scholarship — $2,000. Open to graduate students.
Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship — $3,000. Open to undergraduate or graduate students.
Barbara Beckmann Textile Design Scholarship — $3,000. Scholarship established by the IFDA Northern California Chapter in honor of Barbara Beckmann, a textile designer and longtime California Chapter member and mentor to new members and students. Open to full or part-time undergraduates with course emphasis on textile design.
IFDA Philadelphia Scholarship — $2,500. Scholarship established by the IFDA Philadelphia Chapter to reflect the rich history of design in Philadelphia and beyond. Open to two-. three- or four-year undergraduates. Focus rotates annually among design in textile, graphic, furniture and interior design. This year’s focus is furniture design.
Tricia LeVangie Green/Sustainable Design Scholarship — $1,500. Open to undergraduate students.
Window Fashion Certified Professionals for Certified Professionals Fast Track Scholarship — $1,000 (one full registration for the webinar series). Open to undergraduates in a two- or three-year design school program.
Applications for all 2020 EF scholarships will only be accepted during the month of March, with winners promised notification in July. For details, please consult the Educational Foundation website www.ifdaef.org.
