DALLAS MARKET CENTER
DALLAS, TX
ARCHLIGHT SUMMIT ADVISORY BOARD
The ArchLIGHT Summit Advisory Board consists of distinguished industry leaders who provide valuable perspectives for shaping this groundbreaking event and its educational programming.
FRANK AGRAZ, LC, CLMC, IES
ESCO SOLUTIONS MANAGER, FACILITY SOLUTIONS GROUP
Frank has worked in the energy efficient lighting retrofit community for 3 decades and currently serves as ESCO Solutions Manager at Facility Solutions Group. He and his team develop turnkey lighting projects and provide technical and educational support to the customer. Prior to his current role, he co-founded Maneri-Agraz, a national turnkey lighting retrofit provider. He is the 118th Past President of the Illuminating Engineering Society and serves on the Board of Directors at NCQLP. Mr. Agraz is Lighting Certified by the NCQLP and is a former Exam Committee Chair, responsible for the group that develops and maintains the content of the annual LC exam. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Industrial Distribution.
CRAIG A. BERNECKER, Ph.D., FIESNA, LC
FOUNDER, THE LIGHTING EDUCATION INSTITUTE
Dr. Bernecker has been a lighting educator for over 35 years. He is founder of The Lighting Education Institute and Professor of Lighting Design and Director of the Masters of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program at Parsons School of Design, The New School. He previously directed the lighting education program within the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. He has published more than 50 articles on research and education in lighting design and illumination engineering and is known for his work on the psychological aspects of lighting. Dr. Bernecker also maintains an active consulting practice and regularly serves as a peer reviewer for lighting research proposals and projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. As a result of his contributions to lighting education, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) named him a Fellow in 1991, and for serving in several IES offices, he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
MICHELLE CRUZ
LIGHTING SPECIFIER/SPEC SALES, PETERSON SCHARCK & ASSOCIATES
Michelle Cruz is a specification sales representative for Houston-based agency Peterson Scharck & Associates. She recently founded the Houston chapter of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). Prior to joining Peterson Scharck, Cruz served as a lighting consultant for Lights Fantastic Pro and has been a showroom manager for Coventry Lighting Design Center and Wabash Lighting.
RACHEL FITZGERALD, CLD, LC, IALD, IES, LEED AP BD+C
PRINCIPAL, DISCIPLINE LEAD, LIGHTING, STANTEC
A graduate of the University of Colorado’s lighting program, Rachel Fitzgerald has nearly 20 years of experience in lighting design, providing significant expertise to Stantec’s buildings and master plans globally. Her talent and commitment to the design of highly sustainable and human-centric spaces has been recognized with more than three dozen design awards. Fitzgerald’s drive to create a world where lighting plays a more impactful role manifests itself through her industry involvement. She is the Membership Chair for the IALD, serves on the WELL light concept advisory, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
ADRIAN GALVAN, ASID ALLIED
CEO AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DESIGNOLOGY
Adrian Galvan, ASID Allied, serves as the CEO and Creative Director of Designology, the Lifestyle Design Company. Renowned for his unique perspective within the interior design industry, Adrian leverages his innate creativity and commitment to inclusive communication, connection, and collaboration. His strategic approach has resulted in numerous award-winning projects and a distinguished reputation in the industry.
With a background in communication and public relations, combined with over 20 years of industry experience, Adrian has been recognized as a trailblazer within the architecture and design community. His leadership and contributions have been acknowledged through honors such as the ASID Ones to Watch Leadership program. Currently, Adrian serves as the Immediate Past President of the ASID Texas Chapter and is a member of the Trends and Futures Committee for ASID.
JESSICA KENNEDY, LC, WELL AP
SENIOR LIGHTING DESIGNER, STANTEC
Jessica Kennedy is a Penn State graduate in Architectural Engineering with a focus in architectural lighting and building electrical design. She has previous experience working in lighting consulting and electrical design build. Her background in engineering brings a technical, problem-solving approach to her designs, and encourages a drive for full discipline coordination early on projects. She enjoys the challenge of evaluating existing conditions and projects with complex design and energy efficiency requirements. Each project allows her to combine the artful integration of lighting science and design to deliver an efficient solution for the client and end users.
JILL KLORES, CLD, IALD, LC, FIES
SENIOR LIGHTING DESIGNER AND FOUNDING PARTNER, ESSENTIAL LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO
Jill Klores brings 32 years of lighting industry experience and 24 years of lighting design in commercial, residential and institutional projects . Klores has completed award-winning lighting designs for an array of project types, including education, corporate projects, healthcare and senior living, museum and entertainment venues. She began her studies in the field of physics and optics, subsequently switching to photography to bring together the fields of optics/lensing and light. She “found” illuminating engineering alongside environmental design at the University of Colorado, and her passion for the technical and artistic aspects of light were formally blended. Under Klores’ guidance, Essential Light Design Studio has grown to eight employees in Texas, New York and Arkansas. She and her creative staff have won more than 40 awards for excellence in lighting design.
AARON LARMER
MANAGING PRINCIPAL, TEXAS LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
Aaron Larmer is one of the two managing principals at Texas Lighting Solutions. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2003 and began his career at Texas Lighting, where he specialized in lighting controls for the west Texas market. After moving to the DFW office, he continued to focus on the controls aspect of the business, eventually taking on the role of Controls Team Manager for the north Texas market. In 2016, Larmer was named as a principal of the agency and now oversees the Specification and Controls efforts for Texas Lighting. He has been married to his loving wife, Jaime, for 21 years and together they have 2 boys, 18 and 14.
TOM LILLIE
BOARD MEMBER & INDUSTRY CONSULTANT, ARCHLIGHT SUMMIT
Tom Lillie brings more than 25+ years of experience in the residential, commercial and architectural lighting industry, with deep expertise spanning sales leadership, marketing strategy, product development, and the specification process. His career began with German manufacturer Holtkötter, where he rose quickly from National Sales Manager to President, guiding the company to national recognition—including the prestigious ARTS Award for Lighting Fixture Manufacturer in 2015 and numerous design awards.
Tom later served in senior leadership roles within the WAC Group of companies (WAC Lighting, Modern Forms and Schonbek), focusing on business development and specification sales, strengthening his insight into the needs of rep agencies, designers, specifiers, and the broader manufacturing ecosystem. His hands-on understanding of how products move from concept to specification to market gives him a uniquely holistic perspective on the industry.
He recently moved on from his position as Executive Director at the WAC Group but continues his role as a board member and consultant for ArchLIGHT Summit. Tom leverages his extensive background and relationships to support the show’s strategic direction, foster community engagement, and champion education that addresses the complexities and evolving needs of the specification community.
C. Webster Marsh
ArchLIGHT Summit, Director of Education and Programming
C. “Webster” Marsh is Lighting Controls Designer for Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting where he provides high-quality lighting controls designs and specifications. Webster is a Certified Lighting Controls Practitioner (CLCP), Education Manager for the Lighting Controls Academy, instructor for the Southern California Edison Energy Education Centers, member of the Lighting Agora, IESNA, and past speaker for ArchLight Summit, Lightovation, DALI Summit, Lightfair, IES Annual Conference, LEDucation, NYControlled, and Canada Light Expo. In his spare time, Webster is creator of Tonight in Controls and he co-hosts the Lighting Controls Podcast.
LAURA McDONALD STEWART, FASID, RID, LEED® AP, WELL AP
FOUNDER/OWNER, LAURA McDONALD ENTERPRISES and PLiNTH & CHiNTZ
Stewart received her BS in Civil Engineering from Southern Methodist University and her MFA in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. After several years in the commercial interior design field, she founded Laura McDonald Enterprises and PLiNTH & CHiNTZ, the online resource that prepares a new generation of designers to enter the workforce. For almost 10 years, Stewart also managed METROCON Expo & Conference, the annual two-day event in Dallas focusing on the built environment. She has served on the ASID National Board, currently sits on three interior design department advisory councils, and was the recipient of the 2009 NCIDQ National Louis S. Tregre Award.
Weston Wetzel
Senior Lighting Designer, IES/DLFNY
Weston Wetzel is a Senior Designer at Design One Lighting in New York City and is currently spearheading the launch of the fi rm’s Dallas–Fort Worth studio. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, and brings more than 13 years of “architainment” lighting design experience to his practice. Weston’s portfolio spans architectural commercial work, retail, hospitality, and high-end residential projects, as well as corporate live events including fashion shows, expos, concerts, award shows, and large-scale immersive/interactive brand experiences. In addition to his design background, he is well-versed in advanced lighting control systems and has served as a system designer for projects requiring complex coordination and integration. His awards include a Best in Houzz Design Award and two-time winner of the LIT Lighting Design Awards. Weston is an active member of both the Illuminating Engineering Society and the Designers Lighting Forum of New York..
JERED E. WIDMER, IALD, MIES
PRINCIPAL, DALLAS OFFICE, THE LIGHTING PRACTICE
Widmer joined The Lighting Practice in 2001 upon graduation from The Pennsylvania State University. Leading TLP’s Dallas office, he has designed architectural lighting for corporate, retail, historic, hospitality, education, healthcare and places of worship. Diverse work allows him to merge creative principles and techniques to enhance the user environment. He educates clients and team members through a collaborative design process, facilitating a better understanding of the impact of lighting. His passion for digital technology and smart home integration has fueled his IoT and smart lighting knowledge and its benefits for clients and project sectors. He has collaborated with both retail and corporate clients to deliver smart lighting solutions that enhance the user experience and deliver detailed data for improved operational efficiencies.