Volunteering with CIDQ

CIDQ could not develop or enhance the NCIDQ exams without the support and expertise of countless volunteers. View the various Committees and Task Forces for which we recruit volunteers on an annual basis, along with a list of expectations and time commitments. Individuals are appointed to a committee for a two year term, which may be terminated by either CIDQ or the individual at any time for any reason. On the other hand, Task Force appointments are typically less than one year in length. If you are interested in serving on one of our Exam Development Committees, please complete a Volunteer Interest Form for service in 2025.

CIDQ values the work of our volunteers tremendously and appreciates the support and service they provide to CIDQ. Our volunteers provide the industry insights, diverse experience and new perspectives CIDQ needs to stay up to date and in touch with the latest developments in the field. CIDQ has volunteer opportunities working on either long-term standing committees or on time-limited task forces that address specific topics.

If you have a passion for maintaining the standards of the profession, a desire to evolve and elevate the stature of interior design, and the commitment and skill to work diligently with a group of dedicated colleagues – CIDQ wants you!

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CIDQ COMMITTEES:

CIDQ places great importance on reserving positions every year for new volunteers to serve on each committee. That said, sometimes there are more volunteers available than there are slots. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not immediately appointed to serve in a volunteer role. Positions arise throughout the year, and new positions are available annually. Even if you do not get called to participate immediately, CIDQ will keep your contact information so CIDQ can call on you as opportunities arise.

Ambassadors Program

If you don’t have enough time to serve as an appointed member on a committee or task force but you still want to give back to CIDQ, consider becoming an NCIDQ Ambassador. Ambassadors are NCIDQ Certified designers, practitioners and educators, who are committed to informing students, emerging professionals and colleagues about the importance and value of the NCIDQ Exam and Certification. For more details, visit the Ambassadors web page.

Award Winning Volunteers

The Louis S. Tregre Award was created in 1991, to honor the memory of Louis S. Tregre, the founding director of the Council for Interior Design Qualification. The Tregre Award salutes volunteers who have worked diligently and consistently to further the goals of the NCIDQ Certification.

Louis S. Tregre Award

Louis S. Tregre

Beginning in the late 1960s, Louis worked tirelessly to form an independent, autonomous organization with a mission to develop standards and guidelines for determining competency in the practice of interior design. When CIDQ (then NCIDQ) was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1974, Louis served as its first president, a role he held until the mid-1980s. CIDQ would not exist today without Louis’ vision, commitment and dedication. His volunteer efforts and spirit – which he shared with the organization for more than 30 years -- are reminders of the critical role of volunteers in the organization’s success.

The Tregre Award recognizes outstanding volunteer service to CIDQ at the grassroots level and honors those volunteers who have worked diligently and consistently for a minimum of 10 years collective service to further the goals of CIDQ, the NCIDQ Examination, and to advance the profession of interior design. Candidates for this award may be nominated by another person or be self-nominated.

All candidates for the Tregre Award must have demonstrated the following criteria over a minimum of 10 years:

Grassroots level volunteer work that exceeds typical service to CIDQ and includes work that representscontributions in more than one area of service and;
An extensive background working towards the betterment of the interior design profession.

Examples of efforts that could meet these criteria include, but are not limited to:

Working on any committee or Board within CIDQ;
Speaking to students to educate them about the NCIDQ Exam;
Serving as an NCIDQ Exam Ambassador;
Being an advocate for or working on any type of board/coalition/committee that promotes licensure or regulation for the interior design profession;
Working with educational, practitioner, or allied professional groups to promote the interior design profession; or
Working to educate the public about the role and responsibilities of the profession of interior designand/or educating K-12 students about interior design as a future profession.

Submission of Nomination
To nominate a candidate for the Tregre Award, please complete the application below.

The award recipient will be recognized at CIDQ’s Annual Meeting, held the second weekend of November each year. All travel expenses and registration will be covered by the CIDQ.

Only individuals who meet at least one of the following criteria may nominate a candidate for this award:

Active NCIDQ Certificate Holder
Current CIDQ Director
CIDQ Member Board Member or Administrator
CIDQ Staff Member

All applications must be submitted to Kayla Karpp by Sunday, May 11, 2025. The nominees will be reviewed by a committee of peers led by a CIDQ Past President.

DOWNLOAD TREGRE AWARD APPLICATION HERE

Tregre Award Recipients

2024 Vincent Carter
2023 Kim Ciesynski
2022 Dr. Abimbola Asojo
2021 Kari Frontera
2020 David Hanson
2019 Michael Wirtz
2018 Katherine Setser
2017 Lisa Whited
2016 David Stone

2015 J. Derrell Parker
2014 Emory Johnson
2013 Paula Lutz
2012 Caren Martin
2011 Janice Roberts Young
2010 David Butler
2009 Laura McDonald Stewart
2008 Shirley Hammond
2007 Robin Wagner

2006 Donna Vining
2005 Sherry Bilenduke
2004 Leszek Muniak
2003 Denise Guerin
2002 Sooz Klinkhamer
2001 Sandy Friend
2000 Victoria Horobin
1999 Barbara Pallat

1998 Lucille Taylor
1997 Jan Bast
1996 Jan Parker
1995 Arlene Dougall
1994 Glenda Wilcox
1993 E. Camille Puckett
1992 Irving Schwartz
1991 Will Ching