亚洲天堂

Meet Charrisse Johnston
亚洲天堂, LEED AP BD+C, Associate AIA
2017 Chair, 亚洲天堂 Board of Directors

I’m so excited to be the new Chair of your 亚洲天堂 Board of Directors, following the small but mighty footsteps of Sandy Gordon, F亚洲天堂, LEED AP. Thanks to her efforts and the 2016 Board, we have a that will continue to further the profession of interior design as well as give each of us the resources we need in our practices.

It is my job, just like it was for previous Chairs, to work with the Board and 亚洲天堂 Staff to help make that Strategic Plan a reality.

This year, I’d like to use the monthly Chair’s Message to not only share with you the latest 亚洲天堂 news but to also engage with you through various outlets. We’re going to continue the emails but use different formats including Q&As, interviews, Facebook Live, and many others.

For this first month, I’m supposed to introduce myself but honestly, is there anything more boring than an ? So, to make things a little more interesting, here are some facts about me – listed as Top 5s!

Reasons I am a member of 亚洲天堂

1. My told me I should join 亚洲天堂, so I did. Thanks, Joanne!
2. The welcoming and accepting attitude: it represents all interior designers, at every stage of their career, practicing all types of interior design, in small towns and big cities.
3. 亚洲天堂 makes me smarter about interior design’s role in addressing today’s relevant issues, such as health & wellness, resiliency, sustainability, and active aging in place.
4. Volunteering with 亚洲天堂 has made me a better leader, teammate, and designer.
5. Through 亚洲天堂, I’ve met amazing people, visited wonderful places, and participated in conversations that have expanded my view of our profession and how design impacts lives.

1. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.”
2. "Smile when you talk on the phone.”
3. "Don’t give people what you want to give them or even what they say they want, give them what they didn’t even realize they wanted.”
4. "When you least expect it, expect it!”  
5. "Spend your time on what’s important, not what’s urgent.”

Things I cannot live without

1. Coke Classic, ice cold, right out of the can.
2. Wi-Fi. That is all.
3. Google. It has replaced my short-term memory and mitigated my worsening word retrieval issues.
4. Jeans. I wear them practically every day.
5. Uncluttered horizontal surfaces. I hate clutter! 

Favorite design innovations

1. Wearable technology, the , and using sensors to improve our productivity and health.
2. principles that apply nature’s designs to spaces and products.
3. Augmented and virtual reality devices such as and . 
4. 3D printing for everything from to .
5. The new field of – understanding how the brain perceives the built environment.

Things people would be surpised to learn about me

1. I was the New Jersey stenography champ. Does anyone even remember what stenography is?
2. I have an NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse championship ring, with my name on it!
3. I never graduated from high school.
4. Design is my 3rd career.
5. I am an introvert who tries very, very hard to be outgoing.

1. The new 亚洲天堂-sponsored documentary, “Thriving in Place: Designing Your Best Life, Now & Later” featuring 亚洲天堂 members!
2. My son’s 15th birthday. One step closer to a learner’s permit and driving himself everywhere.
3. to design students at the University of Arkansas.
4. Finishing CDs for 3 big projects here in LA.
5. Attending 2 concerts: at The Greek Theater and in Cupertino.