​DIMINISHING SPARKS
Kimberly Benoit
Leadership Coach and Author

IGNITING SPARKS
Dr. Kate Steiner
LIFT Wellness Consulting

​​Kimberly J Benoit is a leadership coach & workplace toxicity expert, with more than 20 years of leadership experience, coaches, consults, and speaks for organizations needing fresh strategies to keep great leaders, unite teams, and combat dysfunction.

​As the bestselling author of the book, “We’ve All Done It,” and host of the podcast of the same name, Kimberly’s on a compassionate, sometimes humorous mission to help us get real about the role we each play in creating toxic workplaces, so we can become more confident leaders, teams, and organizations in the process. Based in Vienna, VA, Kimberly partners with clients globally.
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Dr. Kate Steiner is a Burnout Recovery strategist, consultant, speaker, and CEO of LIFT Wellness Consulting. She supports professionals in overcoming burnout through a proven reflection and developmental process.

Holding A Master’s of Counseling and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and
Supervision, her practice is grounded in the research-based Steiner Self-Reflective Sustainability and Wellness (SSRSW) model, published in the Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice. As a lifetime researcher in wellness and burnout, Dr. Steiner is the author of "Feeling Crispy? A Guide to Burnout Recovery" and host of the Feeling Crispy? From Burnout to Recovery Podcast. Her mission is to end the burnout cycle for professionals so they are living happier, healthier lives.
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SPARK KNOWLEDGE

Erin Valencich
ERINN V. Design Group

​​Erinn Valencich is an entrepreneur, who started her entrepreneurial career at an early age. Graduating from high school early, she skipped college and went straight to work. At the age of 24 she founded her eponymous design firm, ERINN V. Design Group, later a furniture brand, ERINN V., and most recently turned software visionary, building a platform to help designers communicate, present and design, StyleRow.

She has seven licensed collections including: Hollywood Hills with Baldwin Hardware, furniture with Universal Furniture and Ambella Home, window coverings with Hartmann & Forbes, Fine Art Handmade Lighting, rugs with Creative Touch and Mehraban. Her work has been featured on many magazine covers and in Elle Décor, Veranda, Traditional Home, Town & Country, House Beautiful, Robb Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, among others.

​She has taken her award-winning design style and turned it into a master-class for anyone looking to upgrade or remodel their home, available at erinnvdesign.com. She has four horses and resides in Santa Rosa Valley with her husband.

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ADVOCACY SPARK

Amanda Burcham, ASID
​Modus Studio

Amanda Burcham grew up in Northwest Arkansas, where she was inspired by the growth and change of the built environment while living in such a dynamic community. She knew she wanted to be involved in the design process to help create optimal interior environments for all project stakeholders. She graduated with a Bachelor of Interior Design from the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design in 2014.

​There’s an old saying, “Whatever you are, be a good one”. Amanda’s passion for how individuals experience the interior built environment has become a top priority in her professional development. She is a Fitwel Ambassador and a WELL Accredited Professional. She also holds a Master of Design Studies with a concentration in Health and Wellness Design from the University of Arkansas. She is committed to investigating design principles that will create healthy interior environments with curated experiences for optimal project outcomes

Cassandra Aalgaard, ASID
McNew Architects

Cassandra is the Vice President for the Louisiana Coalition for Interior Design (LCID), an advocacy alliance that promotes the professional and legislative aspects of Interior Design in Louisiana. LCID’s mission is to create a unified voice, advance the practice of interior design, and promote the profession’s best practices and HSW public protections.

​Prior to LCID, Cassandra has fulfilled numerous ASID leadership positions, including serving as Chapter President and President-Elect on the South Central Chapter Board of Directors. Her volunteer experiences with ASID ‘sparked’ her interest and engagement with local and state advocacy activities. Collaborating with ASID, IIDA, and the Louisiana State Licensing Board (LSBID), Cassandra looks to ignite a passion for advocacy in others for the present and future of interior design.

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LEADERSHIP SPARK

Laura Hendrix, ASID
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects

An Associate Principal with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, Laura is responsible for overseeing interior design for multiple projects across the firm, as well as managing the interior design department, coordinating staffing and project workloads. Laura also mentors younger staff, both interior designers and architects. Her passion for developing trusted relationships has earned her a strong reputation in the industry, with many repeat clients and referrals.

​With almost 20 years of experience, Laura is responsible for a wide range of award-winning projects, including corporate, educational institutions, healthcare, hospitality, civic, and religious institutions, both new construction and renovation. Laura has worked on some of the most notable projects within the firm, including Robinson Center Renovation & Expansion, Alice L Walton School of Medicine, and Bank OZK Headquarters.

Cynthia Hawkins, ASID
Cromwell Architects Engineers

Cynthia has practiced commercial interior design since 1990, joining the Cromwell team in 1993 before being elevated to the role of Director of Interior Design in 1998. The breadth of her work is global and consists of offices, education at all levels, medical facilities, federal, industrial, and hospitality. 

Awarded Chapter Medalist in 2010, Cynthia is a Past President of the South Central Chapter. As an appointee to the State Board of Registered Interior Designers, she led the charge in 2009 to reinstate the Arkansas appropriation prior to the formation of the Arkansas State Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers.  

A Principal and the Secretary of the Board of Directors at Cromwell, Cynthia is involved in efforts that develop and support the future vision of Cromwell as a company. These endeavors include writing for Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award applications, serving as the current Strategic Planning Steering Committee Co-chair, Liaison to the Board of Directors for two internal leadership focused committees, as well as leading equity and inclusion efforts via the company’s Diversity Council. 

Landon Shockey, ASID
HBG Design

Christine Walck, AIA
C.F. Walck, PLLC

Landon Shockey, ASID, is a Senior Interior Designer in the Memphis, Tennessee, office of HBG Design, a Top 5 national hospitality and entertainment design firm. An industry-recognized resort, spa, and F&B interior design professional with 23 years of experience, Landon offers a concept-driven design perspective and a passion for creating beautifully layered amenity spaces that leave lasting impressions.

​He is a champion for HBG’s integrated design approach, a collaboration between interior design and architecture to bring more thoughtful, visually cohesive design solutions to every guest-focused project. His stylish, functional, and well-researched interior concepts are grounded in story and place, resulting in a harmonious design language that runs consistently through each space he creates within an overall resort design.  He found his “spark” moving into the hospitality sector in 2017.  Landon’s design creativity is ignited creating spaces that bring escape, relaxation, and joy in an ever-hectic world.  A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Landon lives in the Arkansas Delta. ​

Christine Walck, AIA, NCIDQ is a versatile architect and interior designer, with a Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University, complemented by immersive experiences at the Rural Studio and the University of Arkansas in Rome, Italy. She is a Registered Architect in Mississippi and Alabama, with NCIDQ Certification and Registered Interior Designer status in Mississippi. She has experience across various sectors, including religion, multifamily residences, corporate interiors, financial institutions, education, and residential design. 

Active in professional associations, Christine was the Gulf States Regional Associate Director (2016) for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is a member of ASID, IDCEC, and an Ambassador for the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. 

Christine is the owner of C.F. Walck, PLLC, an architecture and interior design studio in Ocean Springs, MS. The studio offers a variety of services for commercial and residential projects alike with expertise in architectural interiors. She also serves as the Campus Facilities Specialist for the University of Southern Mississippi's Hattiesburg campus.

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COMMUNITY SPARK

Lauren Dickey, ASID
WER Architects

As the Director of Interiors for WER, Lauren’s experience ranges from residence halls and office renovations to healthcare design and retail spaces. Lauren has a passion for creating functional spaces for clients that are unique to their needs and aesthetics, making the design process both fun and effective for any type of project. She has a keen eye for detail and loves the problem-solving aspect of figuring out furniture solutions for her clients. There are always an abundant amount of opportunities in a space! Lauren has been a member of the design team on 16 ASID award-winning projects.

Ana Clark, ASID
WER Architects

Ana received her B. A. in Interior Architecture and Design from Harding University in 2020 and began her career managing and designing commercial projects ranging from healthcare to education design. As a full-time interior designer at WER, her favorite aspect of design is the way that it has the opportunity to change and improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and play there. In her free time, she enjoys reading, thrifting and crafting home goods and spending time with friends and family.