NCIDQ Panel
Thank You To Our NCIDQ Panel
Production Manager at Living Stone Design + Build
Sarah Caldwell is the Immediate Past President of ASID Carolinas. She passed the NCIDQ exams in April of 2021. Sarah received an Interior Design degree from the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 1996. She started her design career at a commercial firm working on luxury hospitality projects. She worked for her father, a custom home builder, designing every aspect of timber frame and stick built homes.
Midway through her career, she returned to school and earned a degree in Sustainable Technologies so she could understand and incorporate renewable energy sources and green building techniques into client's homes. She worked as the interior designer at a small custom architecture practice. She is currently the Production Manager at Living Stone Design + Build in Asheville, North Carolina. She leads the Project Management team in building luxury custom homes, and boutique commercial projects mostly on steep lots in the mountains. Sarah is married and the mother of five adult children, and 8 grandchildren.
Design Director, Healthcare Interior Design – Haskell Inc.
AnnMarie has over thirty years of experience in commercial & institutional design with a primary focus on healthcare for the past twenty-five years. She earned her NCIDQ certificate in 1993 and is currently a registered Interior Designer in North Carolina. In 2011 she obtained the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Design Certification. AAHID members are considered experts in the field of healthcare interior design.
She has experience in all phases of interior architecture with practical knowledge of a broad project range, type and size. Through her national experience working on hospital masterplans, renovations, medical office buildings, freestanding clinics, total replacement facilities, psychiatric and senior living environments, AnnMarie has developed a unique ability to convey design concepts and inspire project teams to develop innovative and functional healthcare environments. Her proactive approach solidifies the impact and key role of Interior designers. She participates in research, continuing education & sharing knowledge with recognized national design leaders. AnnMarie embraces the principles of a healing environment and the concepts of evidence-based design. In January of 2014 she obtained The Center for Health Design Evidence Based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC).
AnnMarie is passionate about the industry and an advocate for the profession. Throughout the years she has been an active member of (5) ASID chapters serving at the state and national board levels. She is committed to sharing knowledge about the industry with ID students, immerging professionals and practitioners throughout the country presenting at various state or regional conferences including NEOCON, Metrocon, HFI and Sparc Interiors. She was an active member of the ASID STEP program who led workshops and provided CAD services that enhanced ASID’s deliverables. Her enthusiasm and “can do” attitude
Benham Design, LLC./Haskell
I have been at this for almost 30 years. It has been the most challenging and rewarding job I could have ever had. They say to find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life. I would not have picked any other profession. I started in ASID as a student member at Middle Tennessee State University. While at MTSU, I served as a student officer and helped grow our student membership.
My experience at MTSU allowed me to be the first student representative on the Tennessee ASID board. This started my love for serving and protecting my profession. I had the pleasure of serving on the boards of Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Having to move for work, ASID has always kept me connected to peers and growth in my profession. ASID has taught me several skills that I count on in my daily work life. Just as I had wonderful and knowledgeable ASID members pour into me and mentor me. That prompted me to invest in students as an emerging professional. I started stretching my leadership skills when I was asked to head up the Knoxville city center.
I plan local meetings, work at state conferences, and am invited to national conferences. When going to graduate school at Auburn for building science and construction management, I had the great opportunity to educate the engineering community and strengthen how Architects see Interior Designers as team members. I started my career in a small firm in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I was the only designer in an office of architects. It taught me so much about construction documents and codes as they apply to a building. I have worked in the dealership in the Interior Design profession. Working for two different dealerships taught me a tremendous amount about the business end of design. This was my first introduction to working on Federal government projects. I fell in love with the government work
Design Community Director
Practicing Interior Designer with my own firm as well as managing projects for large firms from the inception to completion for 25 years. French from the South of France I have traveled around the world. In the US, I lived and worked on the East and West Coast. As an educator for over 20 years, in California and now North Carolina, I found a calling and truly enjoy it. I have been involved with ASID from the time she was a student, volunteering and as a board member, both in Connecticut, San Diego and now Carolinas. I guided ASID student chapters as a faculty advisor for several years both in San Diego and now Raleigh. My interest in the environment and sustainability led me to pursue a LEED accreditation. I became an NCIDQ ambassador, speaking to many emerging professionals and students alike to help demystifying the exam and showing that it was achievable.