AIGA staff

Julie Anixter, executive director, 212 710 3100
Since January 2016, Julie has been leading AIGA to oversee strategies and ​new initiatives to enhance the value and competitive success of designers. A vocal advocate of design and design excellence for more than 20 years, ​Julie’s career has spanned business, education, and the public sector. She has global experience working with world-class brands and institutions, including Chanel, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, GE, P&G, Roche, and the U.S. Military, where she utilized design, business strategy, and technology to activate transformation and growth.​ Julie has worked in many facets of the creative and business disciplines including consulting, curation, business development, education, management, marketing, product, service and UI/UX development, and R&D.

Hezron Gurley, chief operating officer & chief financial officer, 212 710 3127
A seasoned and versatile executive, Hezron has more than 20 years of experience in a wide array of challenging industries with global multi-nationals such as Siemens, KeyBank, Sumitomo, and ICON Capital. He earned his master’s degree in finance and accounting from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Most recently, he served as CFO for the Girl Scouts of Central California South where he was responsible for the fiscal function of the Council and supported the CEO, particularly with regard to membership. In addition, Hezron brings a significant suite of management skills to AIGA that include strategic business development, risk management, marketing, revenue growth, and finance and accounting.

Amy Chapman, chief of staff, 212 710 3137
With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit design space, Amy specializes in programming development and direction, operations, and balancing resources to align with strategic priorities. As part of the executive team, Amy provides support and oversight to both the staff and the national board of directors, and works closely with external design leaders to elevate the profession through national programs. Additionally Amy oversees the committees responsible for selecting AIGA Medalists and AIGA’s national board each year. She holds a B.F.A. from the State University of New York.

Eugenia Peña, senior accountant, 212 710 3128
Eugenia manages daily accounting processes, including A/P, A/R, journal entries, and bank reconciliation in accordance to GAAP. She ensures that all of AIGA's budget is accurate and financial procedures are followed. Prior to AIGA, Eugenia worked at Misys International Banking Systems as FP&A Analyst for the Latin America regional (Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico) managing financial planning, analysis, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting to assist senior executives in the long-term decision-making process. She earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Monroe College.

Kathleen Cox, controller
Kathleen is responsible for AIGA’s accounting, bookkeeping, and administration. Her duties include internal controls, policies, and procedures according to established audit norms, liaison with outside auditors overseeing the annual audits, corporate tax returns, and financial reports. She assures that AIGA’s business activities comply with internal policies aimed at fiduciary responsibility, as well as with federal, state, and local regulations. Kathleen brings many years of experience in accounting to this role. Previously, she served as the director of finance for the New York Society for the Deaf and as its executive director. Kathleen earned her B.S. in accounting from Georgian Court University.

Lauren Shultz, membership and chapter development director, 212 710 3136
Lauren directs the team in providing resources, information, and support to AIGA’s members and chapters. She is the primary liaison for the Presidents Council Chair, who represents chapter interests on the AIGA national board of directors, as well as the Chapter Advisory Council, which consists of former chapter presidents each serving a region of AIGA chapter leaders. She organizes AIGA’s annual Leadership Retreat, a leadership conference for chapter leaders, and provides strategic direction for membership and chapter development. Her top priority is maintaining a human-centered approach to member and chapter support. Her prior experience includes developing and managing a museum membership program, creating unique programming for arts organizations, and assisting in conference and event planning. Lauren earned her M.A. in international arts administration from St. John International University in Turin, Italy, and B.A. in art history and Italian from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Corey Strausman, chapter development associate director, 212 710 3122
As a core member of chapter development, Corey provides information, support, and resources for AIGA’s chapters and individuals interested in starting new chapters; facilitate a number of national initiatives and programs (including the AIGA Innovate grant, AIGA Fellows, and EMERGE) for chapter implementation; coordinates chapter communications; provides administrative support to all chapters; and helps organize AIGA’s annual leadership retreat. Corey previously worked as the chapter relations manager at the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), an international society made up of chapters in North America, Asia, and Australia. He earned a B.A. in political science from Rutgers University.

Anna Sparks, membership manager, 212 710 3132
Anna ​provides service and support for AIGA’s community of designers and members. She manages membership processing, provides membership resources to chapter leaders, and works to ensure a positive member experience. She also manages AIGA’s student groups and the Design Educators Community (DEC) by connecting ​undergraduates, faculty advisers, design educators, and their ​​local chapters to establish member engagement, professional development, and community networks. She brings experience in arts administration, photography, design, development, and marketing through prior experience with ​various ​arts and nonprofit organizations in the greater Seattle area. Anna received her B.A. from Western Washington University in photography and graphic design.

Adriana Warner, membership associate, 212 710 3120
Adriana works to help the AIGA community get the most out of their memberships, offering support with account management and member communications With a focus in group memberships, Adriana connects companies and organizations with the resources to support creative communities, providing employee benefits and professional development. She is passionate about being an asset to the artistic community, with diverse experience in artist residencies, contemporary art museums, and small design firms. Adriana received her B.F.A. with a concentration in graphic design from Maine College of Art. She is passionate about being an asset to the artistic community, with diverse experience in artist residencies, contemporary art museums, and small design firms.

Kathleen Budny, program director, 212 710 3144
Kathleen collaborates with staff and volunteer committees to orchestrate AIGA’s annual conferences. She also works to create partnerships with universities and other providers to program professional development at a national level. With degrees from the University of North Carolina and the Royal College of Music, Kathleen has directed arts education departments within New York City nonprofits for several years. Previously, she worked in London as an educator with Arts Council England, London Borough of Ealing, and Arts Award UK. Kathleen has also served on the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable, a professional association for arts educators, where she was a member of the conference committee. She also has extensive experience planning and leading professional development workshops.

Laetitia Wolff, strategic initiatives director, 212 710 3126
A creative strategist, design curator, writer and educator, published author, and self-described cultural engineer, Laetitia is interested in building bridges between design as tool for change in communities. In 2013, she joined AIGA New York to build civic and creative placemaking initiatives such as Design/Relief and Identity Design Action: East New York. She headed the nonprofit start-up desigNYC as its first executive director, creating a successful partnership with the Bloomberg Foundation. The former editor-in-chief of Graphis and Surface magazines, she is the author of the Massin monograph (Phaidon) and an instructor at the School of Visual Arts Impact! Design for Social Change summer program.

Heather Strelecki, archives director, 212 710 3145
Heather provides support on a variety of information sources. She identifies and engages resources to develop and safeguard AIGA’s archives and special collections. She manages projects that enhance access to collections and promote research and inspiration. Heather has contributed to the success of legacy projects including: AIGA 100: A Century of Design, AIGA Design Archives, Get Inspired!, and A Tradition Over Time. She brings experience from New York Public Library, Museum of Arts and Design, Erie Art Museum, and STERIS Corporation. She is an active board member at Kentler International Drawing Space in Brooklyn. Heather earned an M.S. in library and information science with a certificate in archives from Pratt Institute and a B.A. in art history from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Darralyn Rieth, new ventures director and In-house INitiative leader, 212 710 3131
As a seasoned designer, Darralyn brings more than 25 years of corporate in-house design and leadership experience in branding, strategy, and operations to the role of n​ew ventures director​. At AIGA h​er focus is mining white space opportunities to grow revenue and relevance for the AIGA brand. Darralyn is also spearheading the In-House INitiative program, which provides the skills, tools, inspiration, and resources for in-house designers to advance design competencies, build leadership skills, and make a greater impact on business growth. Prior to AIGA, Darralyn held roles as director of global design for Campbell Soup Company and global director of design operations for Kimberly-Clark. She holds degrees in graphic design and communications from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute of Philadelphia, and was the treasurer for AIGA’s national board from 2011–2015.

Anita Maritz, learning and development associate director, 212 710 3139
As associate director of learning and development, Anita creates educational programming at the national level. From compelling distance learning to face-to-face gatherings that promote learning and creative exchange, she is instrumental in shaping AIGA’s professional development strategy, managing programs, producing educational resources, and creating content that enables designers to succeed professionally. Her prior experience includes working as a creative consultant, producing events and innovative programming for design and arts organizations, coaching emerging artists, and leading art programs. Anita earned an M.A. in studio arts from The University of Sydney, Australia, a certificate of journalism from Central St Martins, London, and a B.A. in consumer science from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. 

Susan Augenbraun, events manager, 212 710 3133
Susan manages logistics and registration for AIGA’s national events and programs. She is the primary contact for conference and event attendees. Susan has provided programming support and customer service at museums and theaters throughout New York. Most recently, she handled group reservations at the New York Transit Museum. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Chicago.

Angelica del Rocio Dios Jaramillo, strategic initiatives program assistant
Angelica supports the strategic initiatives director in management of AIGA initiatives, including Design for Democracy, Diversity & Inclusion, and Women Lead. She combines her interests in political organizing and strategy, passion for impact driven design, and administrative experience. She holds a B.B.A. in strategic design and management from Parsons The New School for Design and a minor in global studies from the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts.

Faustyna Hariasz, development associate director, 212 710 3121
Faustyna is instrumental in maintaining relationships with AIGA’s sponsors and affiliates, partnerships that allow the organization to advance its mission of communicating the value of design to a wider audience. She also supports the marketing and communications team, playing an integral role in AIGA’s promotional strategy by developing and implementing ways to broaden the organization’s reach. Prior to AIGA, Faustyna was the head of sales and marketing at World Screen, the leading trade publication in the international television and media business. She earned her degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University.

David Trier, marketing and communications director, 212 710 3149
David is an experienced integrated marketing and communications executive who’s spent more than 10 years helping companies activate now while planning for the future. As a multi-channel marketer, he has experience with TV, radio, print, email and relationship/B2B sales along with more recent digital work. In digital, he led marketing strategy, brand activation and campaign management for a Fortune 100 company integrating acquisition, digital content planning, and social media.

Perrin Drumm, founder and director, AIGA Eye on Design, 212 710 3123
Perrin runs Eye on Design, AIGA’s editorial outlet covering the best new work from the world’s most exciting emerging and established designers—and the issues they care about. Since she launched the site in December 2014, Perrin has worked to create a lively, thought-provoking online reading experience for AIGA’s members and growing international community. Previously, Perrin worked at Condé Nast as the senior online editor of Details magazine, as an editor at The Architect’s Newspaper, and as the editor of the Sundance Channel’s blog. She’s written about art, culture, and design for a number of publications. She holds a B.A. in creative writing from Santa Fe University of Art and Design and an M.F.A. in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Sophia Ahn, managing editor, 212 710 3138
Sophia leads the content strategy and editorial output across AIGA.org and other channels. She brings editorial expertise to AIGA’s integrated marketing and communications department, from strategizing the brand’s guiding narrative and key messages, to directing special editorial and publishing projects. Previously Sophia worked at Condé Nast’s Details magazine, NBCUniversal, New Jersey Monthly, and The A.V. Club. She holds a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University.

Emily Gosling, senior editor, AIGA Eye on Design
Emily is Eye on Design’s senior editor, and an art and culture journalist. She was previously deputy editor at It’s Nice That and reporter at Design Week. She specializes in design, art, culture, and women’s issues, and has also contributed to AnOther, The White Review, Broadly, Grafik, and many others. She studied English literature at UCL, and is currently based in London.

Lilly Smith, editorial project manager, 212 710 3111
As editor of  AIGA’s partner publication, Design Observer, Lilly leads day-to-day operations to produce great content that shows how design intersects with the world. She is a key member of the strategic initiatives and editorial teams in both the development of content strategy and its delivery from concept to page, with the ultimate goal to amplify AIGA programs, events, and initiatives through storytelling. She also serves as the primary point of contact for the Worldstudio AIGA scholarship. Lilly earned a B.A. with honor in interdisciplinary humanities from Michigan State University, where she focused on modern American history, art, and design. Her studies were complemented by extended study in Florence, Italy. She also earned an A.A.S. in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Frank Migliorelli, digital strategies director, 212 710 3124
Frank is an award-winning interaction designer specializing in media-rich software and exhibit development. With a portfolio that includes children’s projects, corporate websites, and media enhanced installations around the world, he has been a creative and innovative leader in interactive media design for a wide range of clients. Most recently, Frank served as director of digital experience at The New York Public Library. He has taught digital media design for interactive technology at the Steinhardt School of Education and Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University as a visiting clinical professor.

Tiia Schurig, technology director, 212 710 3134
Tiia is responsible for managing technical support and integration for AIGA. Her responsibilities include coordinating with all of AIGA’s technical partners to ensure website maintenance, enhance user experience, and oversee the development and execution of new web-based projects. Tiia earned a B.A. in art history and humanities from the University of South Florida.

John Snowden, content production specialist, 212 710 3129
John’s an award-winning filmmaker whose credits include feature films, independent movies, and music videos as well as projects that have saved organizations and changed how brands tell their stories. He has a proven eye for narrative and enjoys capturing real situations in a way that reveals the most authentic view. John’s also worked with some of the most prominent international research firms directing videography that brings insight to life in a way that’s relatable and shareable. Film and photography are also John’s hobbies and where he gives back by volunteering for worthwhile causes that need help making their case. His talent and passion for storytelling is abundant and contagious. As he’ll gladly tell you, “A picture’s worth a thousand words and I roll thirty of them a second.”

Megan Smith, design office administrator, 212 710 3112
Megan provides general office support at AIGA. She also assists the production of printed and digital design pieces for AIGA. Most recently, Megan served as a marketing and design assistant for the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development. She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota.