2023 IIDA/IDC Leaders Breakfast Vancouver

Every year a chosen city hosts a breakfast that features a renowned keynote speaker and recognizes one city-selected honoree who has made significant contributions to the design industry. Don’t miss Vancouver’s IDC/IIDA Leaders Breakfast, which will be hosted at the beautiful ocean-view Pan Pacific Vancouver hotel.

Leaders Breakfast is made possible by International Benefactor MillerKnoll and Media Partner Interior Design.

Venue: Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, 300-999 Canada Place

Keynote Speaker: Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA Executive Vice President and CEO IIDA An exceptional communicator, innovator, and visionary leader, Durst has spurred progress, driven change, and encouraged the expansion of the interior design industry. As the Executive Vice President and CEO of the International Interior Design Association, she is committed to achieving broad recognition for the value of design and its significant role in society. With 15,000 members across 58 countries, Durst oversees the strategic direction of IIDA, heading its International Board and setting an agenda that leads the industry in creating community, advancing advocacy, and continuing decades of work toward equity. She is a member of the International WELL Building Institute Governance Council; as well as a Trustee for Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and the NYSID. She has been referred to by Interior Design magazine as “an ambassador for innovation and expansion, and a visionary strategist.” Durst was inducted into the prestigious Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2016 as the recipient of its first-ever Leadership Award. She is the first African American woman to be inducted into the industry’s Hall of Fame. A lifelong knowledge enthusiast and voracious reader who has considered librarian, astronaut and journalist as potential careers, Durst never walks away from meeting someone without gleaning a bit of their story — a talent she currently employs on her monthly podcast, "The Skill Set," which focuses on the intangible skills that make us good at what we do.

Honoree: Carol Jones, Emeritus FIIDA, FIDC, FIDIBC Consulting Principal to Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning Ltd. Before retiring from practice, Jones was a Principal and Vice-President, Interior Design, at Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd, and her professional experience has included practice in several Canadian cities as well as teaching appointments at two universities. Jones’ focus on design for the high-performance workplace for both the private and public sector has earned her the title of expert on workplace programming and planning. She speaks and writes on professional development topics both nationally and internationally, and projects under her leadership have been widely published and have received numerous awards.

In addition to her more than 40 years of experience in interior design, Jones has had a parallel career as a volunteer on professional boards. These include President of IDC in 1991 and 2020 and Chair of the IDC Foundation, President of IIDA in 1999 and Chair of the IIDA Foundation, and service on the boards of CIDA and CIDQ. In 2010, Carol was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Kwantlen Polytechnic University for her contributions to the design profession.

Before retiring from practice, Jones was a Principal and Vice-President, Interior Design, at Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. With more than 40 years of experience in planning and design, Jones is an expert on workplace programming and planning with a parallel career as a volunteer on professional boards. These include President of IDC in 1991 and 2020 and Chair of the IDC Foundation, President of IIDA in 1999 and Chair of the IIDA Foundation, and service on the boards of CIDA and CIDQ.