Modern Luxury Design 9 Awards 2024

Margaret Crow — Director of Marketing, The MART

In her role at the iconic Merchandise Mart, Margaret works to create and execute strategies designed to strengthen the showroom business from both a tenant and client perspective. In addition to digital tactics, advertising, and data analysis, she has a central role in numerous events each year that bring interior designer, architects, and builders to the Mart, solidifying it as the hub of the design industry in the Midwest and beyond. Prior to joining the Mart in 2017, she led marketing efforts in the apparel industry on both the manufacturing and wholesale side of the business, including 4 years in the trade show production sector. In short, understanding the importance of superior design and meaningful customer experience has always been the basis of her career.

Randy Fifield — Founder and Chairwoman of Randy Fifield Modern Living

Randy April Fifield is founder and Chairwoman of Randy Fifield Modern Living. For over 30 years, she has been a senior executive in multi-family housing, creating lifestyle brands that live, work and play in over 10 cities. Her expertise has enhanced multiple portfolios totaling over $7 billion in market value.

As Chairwoman of Fifield Realty Corp. she oversaw design, marketing and execution of Fifield Realty’s multifamily acquisition & construction businesses in Chicago, Los Angeles, South Florida, Dallas, Austin, and Denver. Projects led by Randy represent over 8,000 apartment units and over $2 billion in development. Randy’s unique contribution to these companies demonstrates her expertise and proclivity toward modern functional design, interior layouts, and community building. She was integral to the creation of each unique apartment community brand, with special attention and artistic vision to create living spaces for the sophisticated urban dweller.

Randy set a precedent when she delivered the first Apartment Designer Showcase in Chicago and Los Angeles. She and her work have been featured in Traditional Home, Chicago Social, Michigan Avenue, Splash and HGTV. She is also a driving force in implementing smart technologies in newly built communities.

Randy embarked on her real estate development career in Chicago, completing several for-sale housing projects in the trendy Old Town and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. Randy led the Fifield Company’s successful transition into multifamily development. Because of Randy’s lifelong passion for housing, it helped her recognize the great need and opportunity in a highly underserved area of the sector. She helped steer the business into luxury apartments, changing course for her company.

In addition, Randy runs a $100 million workforce housing fund that supports up and coming young urban dwellers on the North Side of Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Florida, Washington and San Antonio.

Beth Hicks — Managing Director, Marketing, THE MART & Editorial Director, Design Chicago Magazine

Beth Hicks oversees THE MART design business including 200 premiere design showrooms encompassing over 1.2M square feet on 6 floors. To solidify THE MART as the hub of the design industry in the Midwest and beyond, Beth and her team execute over 100 annual events, manage digital and print media partnerships, and foster manufacturer and designer collaborations. Beth is also the editorial director of Design Chicago, the Magazine of the Mart Showrooms. Prior to joining THE MART, Beth spent over 12 years in commercial real estate management, holding asset level and corporate marketing roles at General Growth Properties and Inland Real Estate Corporation.

Michael Miller — Principle CI Design + Build

Michael Miller founded CI Design + Build in 2009 with a relentless desire to create a residential renovation firm unlike any Chicago has seen. Merging his multifaceted experience in the fields of architecture, design, engineering and construction with his personal passion for the art of building, Michael envisioned an innovative company that offers the highest quality, customized turnkey interiors to high-end clients by providing every service from concept to completion.

Since its inception, Michael has drawn on his entrepreneurial and organizational skills, technical education, and jobsite experience to guide all stages of CI’s projects from conceptual design through construction. Michael entered the industry in 1994 after graduating from the Universal Technical Institute with a specialization in electrical application. He had a decade-long career designing and installing mechanical systems while getting to know all of the trades at construction sites before making the move into high-end renovation projects. Under his leadership, CIDB has garnered numerous international design awards and grown into a world-class team capable of completing a broad range of projects—from 10,000-square-foot single-family homes to 1,500-square-foot luxury condos in Chicago, Dallas, Miami and beyond—with the same meticulous attention to quality and detail.

Jan Neiges — CMKBD (Highlands Ranch, CO – Rocky Mountain Chapter)

Jan Neiges, is a Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer (CMKBD) with NKBA and has been serving the industry for 24 years through her own design firm. She has served on the NKBA 9 member board, was the past president of the Rocky Mountain NKBA Chapter and has received numerous design awards including Best of Houzz for Customer Service and Design from 2014 to 2024.

Jan has been a design judge for NKBA and local chapters around the country and is a frequent speaker for the VFTI at KBIS and is highly regarded as a dynamic speaker who tells it like it is. She brings 40 years of sales experience to the design industry by sharing her selling process that she established when she was struggling to sell under the standard showroom design process. When not presenting Jan is mentoring design students and providing sales consulting to design firms in addition to designing to her broad base of clients.

When not designing and judging on her spare time, Jan is VP of Sales/Design for Avalon Cabinetry in Colorado.

Tom Stringer — President, Tom Stringer Design Partners

Tom’s design approach is externally inspired and internally driven, largely informed by his great life passion for exotic travel. With a degree from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Arizona State University, Tom augments his formal education with annual visits to a new corner of the world each year for both personal adventure and professional inspiration. Filtering his experiences through the prism of design allows him to bridge styles and cultures, expanding his imagination into innovative layers of colors, textures and function.

Tom brings this same rigorous planning, enthusiasm and joy of discovery to the comfortably glamorous homes he creates. His own residence is filled with a worldly mix of modern and antique furnishings and also always filled with guests.

Tom’s design philosophy is that a home should be the backdrop for a well-lived life with friends and family. He is currently working on projects as diverse as a 19th century Georgian row house in Dublin, Ireland, the restoration and expansion of a mid-century modern estate in Beverly Hills and a high rise penthouse in Boston.

Emily Sachs Wong — Broker / Owner @properties | Christie's International Real Estate

Emily Sachs Wong is the most distinguished advisor to Chicago's luxury real estate buyers and sellers, specializing in key Chicago neighborhoods. Since 1998, she has consistently ranked among Chicago's top 10 agents, trusted by CEOs and tech leaders for her industry expertise and innovation. At @properties Christie's International Real Estate, Emily holds the #1 position in group sales volume, boasting an impressive annual sales volume exceeding $185 million and a total career sales record surpassing $2.6 billion. Her exceptional marketing skills, extensive real estate knowledge, and dedication to client service have established her as a leader in the field.

Emily's success is built on her unwavering work and personal ethics, strong communication skills, and empathetic approach, leading to a thriving business driven by referrals and repeat clients. Beyond her professional achievements, Emily is deeply involved in her community, supporting numerous charities and civic organizations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, yoga, and traveling!

Ernest C. Wong — Founder and Principle Site Design Group

Ernest C. Wong, Founder and Principal of Site Design Group, ltd., has been instrumental in the evolution of the firm as a multi-cultural cutting-edge design entity and fostering the landscape architecture profession in the city of Chicago. In managing the firm for over 34 years, site has established a reputation for creative design solutions, and developing thoughtful, community-oriented urban spaces. A strong proponent of civic and community engagement, Mr. Wong sits on the board of numerous service organizations and professional juries including the Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design, Chinese American Service League, and as the Chair of the Chicago Landmarks Commission. In addition, Mr. Wong is a frequent speaker at universities as well as design, business, and diversity conferences. Mr. Wong was recently awarded the 2021 ASLA Community Service Award and the 2021 Daniel H. Burnham Distinguished Service Award from the Lambda Alpha International Land Economics Society Ely Chapter.