Principal | Discipline Leader at SmithGroup | IIDA IL Immediate Past President
Greater Chicago Area
Contact Info
1K followers
500+ connections
About
Deborah leads the Interior Design Discipline at SmithGroup in Chicago. An award winning Interior Designer, Deborah has a passion for creating successful designs that are aesthetically pleasing, strategic and purposeful. Deborah has diverse experience working with workplace, higher education and health care organizations. She has demonstrated expertise in strategy, programming, space planning, design, documentation, construction administration, FF&E selection and specification and change management. Deborah's expertise provides her clients with solutions to realize their vision and meet their unique strategic business goals.
Deborah is committed to the advancement of the Interior Design profession and currently serves as the President for the Illinois Chapter of The Commercial Interior Design Association (IIDA).
Activity
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❗️CATCH ME MODERATING A FEATURED PRESENTATION AT NEOCON ❗️ Join me on Tuesday, June 11 at 2:30PM as I moderate the panel discussion, Fits Like a…
❗️CATCH ME MODERATING A FEATURED PRESENTATION AT NEOCON ❗️ Join me on Tuesday, June 11 at 2:30PM as I moderate the panel discussion, Fits Like a…
Liked by Deborah Nemeth, IIDA, RID
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❗️CATCH ME MODERATING A FEATURED PRESENTATION AT NEOCON ❗️ Join me on Tuesday, June 11 at 2:30PM as I moderate the panel discussion, Fits Like a…
❗️CATCH ME MODERATING A FEATURED PRESENTATION AT NEOCON ❗️ Join me on Tuesday, June 11 at 2:30PM as I moderate the panel discussion, Fits Like a…
Shared by Deborah Nemeth, IIDA, RID
Experience
Education
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Purdue University
Bachelor of Art Interior Design Dean's List all semesters
Activities and Societies: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Purdue Chapter, Treasurer, Committee Head | Introduction to Interior Design - Teaching Assistant | Internship Strategies- Teaching Assistant | Student Ambassador-Interior Design
CIDA Accredited
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Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Team Leader - Women Build
Habitat for Humanity Chicago
The life-changing benefits of affordable homeownership are immense: it can improve school performance, decrease crime, improve financial outcomes, and enhance the health and well-being of children and adults – just to name a few. But due to gendered systemic barriers, like the pay gap and its impact on credit access and uneven childcare responsibilities that limit time and financial resources, it is far more difficult for women to become homeowners.
Alongside 550 determined women, we…The life-changing benefits of affordable homeownership are immense: it can improve school performance, decrease crime, improve financial outcomes, and enhance the health and well-being of children and adults – just to name a few. But due to gendered systemic barriers, like the pay gap and its impact on credit access and uneven childcare responsibilities that limit time and financial resources, it is far more difficult for women to become homeowners.
Alongside 550 determined women, we will raise $475,000 to help build Habitat for Humanity homes that will be purchased by women with affordable mortgages! Then, we're hitting the Habitat construction sites to help build the homes. -
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Development Council
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
- 2 years
The Development Council is charged with securing philanthropic support for the medical center, serving as a trustee of community philanthropy, and being an ambassador for Advocate Illinois Masonic in the communities we serve. The working group of volunteers and donors are responsible for the overall management of Advocate Illinois Masonic’s philanthropic growth of annual programmatic projects. In 2020, those efforts will be focused predominately on raising funds to support four areas:…
The Development Council is charged with securing philanthropic support for the medical center, serving as a trustee of community philanthropy, and being an ambassador for Advocate Illinois Masonic in the communities we serve. The working group of volunteers and donors are responsible for the overall management of Advocate Illinois Masonic’s philanthropic growth of annual programmatic projects. In 2020, those efforts will be focused predominately on raising funds to support four areas: President’s Priority Fund, Dentistry, Outpatient Behavioral Health, and the Pediatric Developmental Center.
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Associate Council
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
- 4 years
Jan 2016 - Dec 2017 (2 Years) - Fundraising and Event Committee Co-Chair | Jan 2018 - Dec 2019 (2 Years) - Co-Chair
The Associate Council is a group of dedicated young professionals who volunteer their time and talent to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (AIMMC). They raise awareness of and funds for AIMMC philanthropic programs. -
Publications
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Authentically Gen Z: The Values, Aspirations & Drivers That Will Re-Define The Future Of Work
Work Design Magazine
Exploration of the personal and professional goals that drive Gen Z and how this will impact the future of work.
Other authorsSee publication -
Office Building Repositioning: Designing For The Post-Pandemic Workplace
Work Design Magazine
Four key factors to consider when thinking about a post-pandemic building repositioning strategy.
Other authorsSee publication -
The Key to Successful Workplace Design? Change Management Plans
Work Design Magazine
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The Great Outdoors: Driving Organizational Success Through Meaningful Office Design
Work Design Magazine
How to create meaningful outdoor spaces that will have long lasting impacts on both the organization and the community.
Other authorsSee publication -
Data and Design: Finding the Strategic Needle in an Overwhelming Haystack
Work Design Magazine
When SmithGroup Chicago moved to a new office, they implemented new technology to evaluate the way space is used – a critical element to the success of an agile environment.
Other authorsSee publication -
Leadership in a Virtual World
IIDA Chapter Leadership Conference
This session gathered chapter and firm leaders to discuss what leadership looks like in a virtual world. Panelists shared their expertise on new leadership skills and strategies for 2021 and beyond.
Projects
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Levin & Perconti - Law Office Firm Relocation
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An office relocation gave Chicago law firm Levin & Perconti the opportunity to transform its work environment, now more welcoming to clients and more inclusive to all levels of staff. It eschews the traditional “corner office” hierarchy for a more collaborative, contemporary workplace that better reflects the firm’s culture.
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Indiana Toll Road Administration and Operations Building
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The ITR Concession Co. handles the maintenance, emergency dispatch, weather preparedness and toll payment services of the 156-mile segment of Interstate 80/90 that traverses Indiana. For decades, it operated out of a 1950s maintenance garage that had been converted into a disjointed over-sized office space. The client sought to consolidate its administrative functions in one building that would improve the efficiency of its operations and the work environment of its employees.
The new…The ITR Concession Co. handles the maintenance, emergency dispatch, weather preparedness and toll payment services of the 156-mile segment of Interstate 80/90 that traverses Indiana. For decades, it operated out of a 1950s maintenance garage that had been converted into a disjointed over-sized office space. The client sought to consolidate its administrative functions in one building that would improve the efficiency of its operations and the work environment of its employees.
The new building occupies a site adjacent to Toll Road exit 92 in Elkhart, improving on/off access for emergency and maintenance vehicles. The more visible location is also convenient for the public, who visit for payment services, and while about 60-80 employees work onsite, many more travel to the building for training, human resources, and other administrative needs.
Because the work can be stressful and intense, the building prioritizes employee well-being. The atrium brings natural light deep into interior spaces, and ample reflective materials create bright work areas free of glare. A mixture of open collaborative zones, lounge areas, closed meeting rooms, standing desks and bench seating provide myriad options for both interactive and individual work. A large central stair, with sculptural detailing and warm wood accents, provides another informal gathering area.
The atrium features a café and breakout spaces—which open to a seasonal outdoor patio—overlooking a soothing prairie setting. A gravel walking path encourages workers to take healthy breaks, wandering through the prairie grasses and past solar panels that generate more than 40 percent of the building’s energy needs. Employees also have access to an indoor workout room, as well as a second-story terrace that provides a secure spot for night-shift workers to enjoy fresh air.Other creatorsSee project -
SmithGroup Chicago Office
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The SmithGroup Chicago office transitioned to a free-address, un-assigned work environment in order to support business drivers: focusing on process to provide the best value for our clients, embracing ambiguity to capitalize on nimbleness, empower employee decision making, and support blurring the boundaries of our growing interdisciplinary, multi-generational and multi-market teams
The result is a flexible, free-address office which allows employees to select the space and typology…The SmithGroup Chicago office transitioned to a free-address, un-assigned work environment in order to support business drivers: focusing on process to provide the best value for our clients, embracing ambiguity to capitalize on nimbleness, empower employee decision making, and support blurring the boundaries of our growing interdisciplinary, multi-generational and multi-market teams
The result is a flexible, free-address office which allows employees to select the space and typology that best suits various individual tasks, teamwork and collaboration. Employees may choose from sit-to-stand desks, bench-style workstations with movable pin-up ideation boards, conference and huddle rooms and inviting nooks with great city views.
In a recent poll of SmithGroup employees in the office, 98% of respondents were in favor of the free address format, a testament to the agility of the system and the efficacy of engaging employees in the process. Based on this office’s success, similar workplace strategy, analysis and designs are being implemented in five other SmithGroup office locations.
Honors & Awards
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Global Services Firm
CoreNet Global - Chicago Chapter
2022 Real Awards | Small Project of the Year (under 60,000SF)
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Indiana Toll Road Administration & Operations Building
ASID Illinois Chapter Design Excellence Awards
First Place Contract Over 10,000SF
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Northwestern University - Ford Building Renovation
ASID Illinois Chapter Design Excellence Awards
Custom Detail: Millwork
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SmithGroup Chicago Office
ASID Illinois Chapter Design Excellence Awards
First Place Contract Over 10,000SF
Organizations
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IIDA Illinois Chapter
Professional Member | President
- PresentIIDA is the Commercial Interior Design Association with global reach. We advocate for advancement in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of Interior Design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day.
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CoreNet Global | Chicago Chapter
Young Leaders
- PresentCoreNet Global is the premier association for corporate real estate professionals and the only one capable of convening the entire industry. We have nearly 7,000 members around the world; this is where your colleagues, partners, competitors & future employers come together to share ideas, do business, learn and socialize.
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IIDA Illinois Chapter
Professional Member | President-Elect
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IIDA Illinois Chapter
Professional Member | Vice President of Professional Development
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