Executive Committee

  • Levar Jackson

    Levar Jackson

    President

    Levar Jackson is Founder and CEO of Visual Renaissance, a full-service art strategy firm that sources and curates unique wall…

    More about Levar Jackson ›
  • Erica Puccio

    Erica Puccio

    VP/Administration

    Erica Puccio is currently the Chief Brand Officer of Tilebar. She joins us with 20 years of experience in the industry as an…

    More about Erica Puccio ›
  • John Roberts

    John Roberts

    VP/Development

    John Roberts has been in the industry since 2003 and has worked for notable manufacturers like Interface, Lutron, Milliken, a…

    More about John Roberts ›
  • Evelyn Liu

    Evelyn Liu

    Secretary

  • Andrew Cooper

    Andrew Cooper

    Treasurer

  • Mark Cunningham

    Mark Cunningham

    Past President/Parliamentarian

    Mark, is a native New Yorker and the principal of Cunningham Design + Associates, their mission is to enhance and facilitate …

    More about Mark Cunningham ›
  • Laura Carter

    Laura Carter

    Executive Advisor

    Laura Carter (she/her) is a Sales Representative for Gmansales representing Ashley Lighting, Charter Furniture, Electric Mirr…

    More about Laura Carter ›
  •  

Board of Directors

  • Lori Firpo

    Lori Firpo

    Scholarship

  • Joshua Kennett

    Joshua Kennett

    Student Relations

    Josh is a manufacturing representative for carpet and rugs, working for Royal Thai, a world leader in the categories of Axmin…

    More about Joshua Kennett ›
  • Kristy Bohne

    Kristy Bohne

    Membership

    With a degree in Interior design, Kristy has spent most of her career working hand-in-hand with her clients to create beautif…

    More about Kristy Bohne ›
  • Yolanda Silva

    Yolanda Silva

    Programming

  • Sandra Tobar

    Sandra Tobar

    Fundraising

  • Catherine Kar

    Catherine Kar

    Marketing

  • Mark Cunningham

    Mark Cunningham

    NEWH, Inc. Delegate

    Mark, is a native New Yorker and the principal of Cunningham Design + Associates, their mission is to enhance and facilitate …

    More about Mark Cunningham ›
  • Erica Puccio

    Erica Puccio

    NEWH, Inc. Delegate

    Erica Puccio is currently the Chief Brand Officer of Tilebar. She joins us with 20 years of experience in the industry as an…

    More about Erica Puccio ›
  • Lissette Wispe

    Lissette Wispe

    Equity, Inclusion, Diversity

    Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Lissette has been a member of NEWH for 7 years and counting…

    More about Lissette Wispe ›
  •  

Committee Chair

  • Anushka Vaidya

    Anushka Vaidya

    Green Voice

  • Tina Beck-King

    Tina Beck-King

    Hospitality

    Tina Beck-King is the Sales Manager for Wolf Gordon, headquartered in NYC. She graduated from The Fashion Institute of Techno…

    More about Tina Beck-King ›
  • Raquel Miller

    Raquel Miller

    Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity

    Raquel is the founder & CEO of Bunchful, Inc. a technology company with its flagship product, Ensom City TalentQuest, a new p…

    More about Raquel Miller ›
  • Lauren Somers Pelusio

    Lauren Somers Pelusio

    Marketing

    Under the creative direction of Lauren Somers Pelusio, Richloom Contract has developed an unmatched understanding of how indi…

    More about Lauren Somers Pelusio ›
  • Eugenia (Jenya) Itskovich

    Eugenia (Jenya) Itskovich

    Strategic Planning

  • Foster Oakley

    Foster Oakley

    Ways & Means

Levar Jackson

Levar Jackson

President

Levar Jackson is Founder and CEO of Visual Renaissance, a full-service art strategy firm that sources and curates unique wall art, paintings, sculpture and other installations for sophisticated hospitality, residential and commercial properties. He specializes in helping world-class hotel brands drive customer loyalty and engagement with art that inspires. Levar co-developed Meural, a digital canvas that enables hospitality properties to offer guests a dynamic, personalized aesthetic experience. When he’s not organizing distinctive networking and educational programs for NEWH New York Chapter members, Levar can be found honing his craft as a photographer, chef and graphic designer–or taking in a movie near his home in Downtown Brooklyn.

Erica Puccio

Erica Puccio

VP/Administration

Erica Puccio is currently the Chief Brand Officer of Tilebar. She joins us with 20 years of experience in the industry as an Interior Designer and AD Business Developer. Before embarking in the world of product development that ranges in her expertise of natural stone to tile, she earned her BFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology for Interior Design. This experience allowed her the privilege to design for residential and commercial based companies from Victoria Hagan Interiors to Harrah’s Entertainment. She is extremely passionate about the design community and the endless connection it brings with an overall conviction to inspire, promote, service, and celebrate great design.

John Roberts

John Roberts

VP/Development

John Roberts has been in the industry since 2003 and has worked for notable manufacturers like Interface, Lutron, Milliken, and Daltile.

John remains an active member of the A&D community in NYC. In addition to his current role as Director of Membership for the New York chapter of NEWH, he previously served as their Director/Chair of Fundraising. He has also served on multiple IIDA committees as well as in a leadership role for LMNOP, a New York-based organization that provided business-focused workshops, organized mixers, and hosted a yearly benefit event in support of the A&D community where members connected, supported, and advised each other in a proactive and productive environment. LMNOP is now a part of IIDA NY.

Mark Cunningham

Mark Cunningham

Past President/Parliamentarian

Mark, is a native New Yorker and the principal of Cunningham Design + Associates, their mission is to enhance and facilitate the needs of the hospitality and procurement community. Our expertise and focus is hotels, country clubs, commercial buildings, assisted living, museums, restaurants, spas and other select public places.

Mark has been in the design services industry for the last 10+ years, following a decades long career in the financial services community. With a 30+ year passion for buying and researching high end residential furniture, Mark decided to follow his passion and deliver his own unique service. Mark is married to an NYC marketing executive, lives outside of Manhattan and enjoys spending time with their son Owen. Mark is also an avid traveler, collector and sports enthusiast who enjoys training for marathons and triathlons.

Laura Carter

Laura Carter

Executive Advisor

Laura Carter (she/her) is a Sales Representative for Gmansales representing Ashley Lighting, Charter Furniture, Electric Mirror, Fermob, Richloom Contract, Shaw Contract, and The Living Company. Laura has a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Laura started her career in New York with her first role in marketing at a commercial interior design firm. Since transitioning into sales, she enjoys collaborating with designers to help make their concepts come to life. On the weekends you can find Laura exploring Brooklyn, planning trips, and training for half marathons. Her favorite part of NEWH is reading the student scholarship applications and spending our fundraising proceeds on the future of hospitality!

Joshua Kennett

Joshua Kennett

Student Relations

Josh is a manufacturing representative for carpet and rugs, working for Royal Thai, a world leader in the categories of Axminster, Hand Tufted, and Carpet Tile. He lives in NYC, and covers clients in the states of NY, NJ, PA, OH, and DE, while working on projects globally.

Josh started his career at Hilton Worldwide’s headquarters, working in Strategic Sourcing of FF&E (namely carpet, textiles, and art). He then did a stint at Marriott International, prior to working for vertically integrated manufacturers, first in decorative lighting and now in his specialty of carpet. Josh studied fashion and textiles, and is a fan of music, art, and anything design-related.

Kristy Bohne

Kristy Bohne

Membership

With a degree in Interior design, Kristy has spent most of her career working hand-in-hand with her clients to create beautiful custom carpeting for hospitality and multi-family projects. Now, with Innovative carpets, she handles both sales and design in the Northeast as well as business development nationwide.

Happily married with 2 great kids and 3 adorable pups, with a strong belief in working hard while making time for important things. Aside from being a carpet nerd, she also enjoys fitness, travel, beaches, and boating and is a proud NEWH board/Committee member for 6 years.

Mark Cunningham

Mark Cunningham

NEWH, Inc. Delegate

Mark, is a native New Yorker and the principal of Cunningham Design + Associates, their mission is to enhance and facilitate the needs of the hospitality and procurement community. Our expertise and focus is hotels, country clubs, commercial buildings, assisted living, museums, restaurants, spas and other select public places.

Mark has been in the design services industry for the last 10+ years, following a decades long career in the financial services community. With a 30+ year passion for buying and researching high end residential furniture, Mark decided to follow his passion and deliver his own unique service. Mark is married to an NYC marketing executive, lives outside of Manhattan and enjoys spending time with their son Owen. Mark is also an avid traveler, collector and sports enthusiast who enjoys training for marathons and triathlons.

Erica Puccio

Erica Puccio

NEWH, Inc. Delegate

Erica Puccio is currently the Chief Brand Officer of Tilebar. She joins us with 20 years of experience in the industry as an Interior Designer and AD Business Developer. Before embarking in the world of product development that ranges in her expertise of natural stone to tile, she earned her BFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology for Interior Design. This experience allowed her the privilege to design for residential and commercial based companies from Victoria Hagan Interiors to Harrah’s Entertainment. She is extremely passionate about the design community and the endless connection it brings with an overall conviction to inspire, promote, service, and celebrate great design.

Lissette Wispe

Lissette Wispe

Equity, Inclusion, Diversity

Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Lissette has been a member of NEWH for 7 years and counting.

She moved to the Northeast from Miami FL, where she originally fell in love with Hospitality. She now lives in Brooklyn with her 5 year old German Sheppard named Jameson, and spends her down time studying and growing indoor plants as a hobby.

Tina Beck-King

Tina Beck-King

Hospitality

Tina Beck-King is the Sales Manager for Wolf Gordon, headquartered in NYC. She graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with a BS in Marketing. Wolf Gordon is an American design company founded in 1967 offering specifiers a wide range of interior products such as wallcoverings, specialty paints, coated and woven upholstery, wood veneer and acoustic materials. Tina has been with Wolf Gordon since 2003, she currently manages 8 Account Executives covering NYC, NJ, Westchester, CT and Long Island. Tina resides on Long Island with her husband Rodger, their two children, Katarina (21) and Markus (17) and their awesome rescue dog Tango.

Raquel Miller

Raquel Miller

Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity

Raquel is the founder & CEO of Bunchful, Inc. a technology company with its flagship product, Ensom City TalentQuest, a new platform for friendly talent competitions that celebrate individual talents, whilst creating real community within organizations. TalentQuest offers a unique creative outlet to foster a more inclusive culture, especially in current times when employees are remote and increasingly isolated from each other. The service is augmented by optional gifting services to reward winners, which include Bunchful’s personalized gifts from a network of worldwide vendors of gift products, where every gift is connected to a story, and accompanied by in-house gift concierges who curate highly customized gift experiences, including fun and personal growth experiences for both individuals and large teams.

Bunchful has also launched a philanthropic initiative, called The BE Bunchful Awards, an annual event, which aims to shine the spotlight on giving. Each year, the spotlight will shine on a specific area of philanthropic cause, with its inaugural year honoring the very generous contributions made by so many to help those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Raquel has said she hopes to inspire the growth of philanthropy as a global way of living, and that highlighting successes large and small will seek to demonstrate the potential of giving to transform the lives of individuals and communities toward a better world. The BE Bunchful Awards will be held on November 16 & 17, 2021.

Lauren Somers Pelusio

Lauren Somers Pelusio

Marketing

Under the creative direction of Lauren Somers Pelusio, Richloom Contract has developed an unmatched understanding of how individual designers and brands conceptualize interiors, bringing their visions to fruition through fabrics and finished products. Before transitioning over to hospitality, she spent 15 years designing residential fabrics.

With degrees in Marketing and Interior Design, she enjoys all aspects of Design and approaches it from a broad perspective. Lauren has a husband and two children that live in Hoboken and are actively involved in their community and with their church. In her free time she can be found skiing, at the beach, or using her infrared sauna blanket and trying out various biohacking methods.

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