A morning breakfast event honoring Judy Pesek, IIDA and Veletta Forsyth Lill with Keynote Speaker Neva Hall
The Texas Oklahoma Chapter of the International Interior Design Association is pleased to announce the return of the highly coveted Leaders Breakfast Series to Dallas, after two successful years in Houston. This year's event will be held in the fall of 2011.
The Leaders Breakfast program serves to bridge the gap between the design industry and the business leaders in the region. Our goal is to host a premier Dallas event that you will want to invite your clients and colleagues to attend.
You will have the opportunity to mingle with design leaders and business innovators, and join in honoring leaders within the community. In addition to Dallas, breakfast programs will be held in New York, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto.
 |
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Neva Hall is executive vice president, stores for Neiman Marcus Stores, a division of The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. The Neiman Marcus Group is the premier retailer of luxury and designer merchandise in the United States. Since 1907, the company has been known for its commitment to merchandising excellence and customer service.
Annual sales for The Neiman Marcus Group specialty stores segment were over $3.6 billion in Fiscal 2010.
Presently, Ms. Hall oversees the management of 41 Neiman Marcus Stores, 2 Bergdorf Goodman Stores and Neiman Marcus Food Services. She and her team of store directors implement the selling and marketing, merchandising and planning, and customer service strategies for the Company. Her professional expertise includes creating a service culture and developing strong leaders.
Ms. Hall joined the Company in 1983 as a buyer, women’s sportswear. She subsequently advanced to associate divisional merchandise manager, Leisure Sportswear. In 1988 she was promoted to vice president, divisional merchandise manager, Galleria Dresses; followed by the same role in the Fine Apparel division. In 1996, she was appointed vice president, public relations. The following year, she was promoted to senior vice president, general merchandise manager, Handbags, Women’s Shoes, and Beauty. She assumed her current position in 2002.
Prior to her affiliation with The Neiman Marcus Group, she was a buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s New York.
A native of New Jersey, Ms. Hall is a graduate of the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, New York..
An active participant in philanthropic and civic organizations in North Texas, Ms. Hall is currently chairman of the board of United Cerebral Palsy. She has also served on the boards of the Central Dallas Association and Inside the Loop, an organization devoted to the redevelopment of the downtown Dallas business district.
Ms. Hall and her husband, Randy, reside in Dallas. They have two children, Danielle, and a son, John. |
| |
|
|
HONOREE
Judy Pesek, IIDA is the 2011 Dallas Leaders Breakfast Series Recipient of the highly respected IIDA Leader's Award.
As the Managing Director for the Dallas office, and a Founding Member of Gensler’s Workplace Taskforce, Judy Pesek has over 32 years of experience in all aspects of interior architecture from initial strategic facilities planning, conceptual design, furniture and materials implementation, interior construction, and contract administration.
Her impeccable client service is reflected in her long-term relationships, as demonstrated with such clients as Marathon Oil Company, Duke Energy, Electronic Data Systems (now HP), Perot Systems (now Dell), and Hunt Oil Company. Some of these relationships date back over 30 years, and she has continued to advise many of her corporate clients with their day-to-day requirements and strategic planning issues.
Judy continually lends her expertise as an adjunct professor and contributing specialist to higher education establishments like UT at Austin. She was recently inducted as a Lifetime Member of UT at Austin’s Architecture Foundation Advisory Board and named a Top 25 Changemaker for the Dallas Business Journal’s 2009 Women in Business Awards. |
| |
|
 |
HONOREE
Veletta Forsythe Lill is the 2011 Dallas Leaders Breakfast Series Recipient of the highly respected IIDA Leader's Award.
In January of 2009 Veletta Forsythe Lill accepted a newly created position - Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District at DOWNTOWN DALLAS, with the mission “dedicated to stimulating the economic and cultural life of the region through the promotion of the district.” In her new role she leads the diverse organizations of the arts-centric neighborhood in joint marketing efforts and coordinated events, such as Art in October, which showcase the internationally recognized district.
Previously Ms. Lill served 8 years on the Dallas City Council (1997-2005) where she chaired the council’s Arts, Education and Libraries Committee and the city’s Comprehensive Plan Committee. Her support of arts infrastructure led to a number of successful initiatives from the expansion of the boundaries of the city’s Arts District to the creation of a Cultural Facilities Master Plan. During her tenure, several new municipally owned cultural facilities opened to wide acclaim, including the Ricardo Legorretta designed Latino Cultural Center and Freedman’s Memorial. In addition, voters approved over $100 million in municipal bond support for libraries and cultural facilities, including the seed investment for the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Her advocacy work extended also to privately funded facilities, including the opening of the Nasher Sculpture Center and public/private partnership investments such as the Santiago Calatrava-designed bridges.
While she has been an advocate for the creation of new and revitalized cultural facilities, both public and private, she has also championed programming efforts. During Ms. Lill’s tenure as Chairwoman, the city partnered with the Dallas Independent School District to create ArtsPartners, a nationally recognized arts-in-education program for elementary school children. As a former Mayoral appointee to the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau board Ms. Lill led efforts to promote cultural tourism and film production in the city.
She moved to Dallas in 1985, and soon began her career as a training specialist with mutual funds giant, Fidelity Investments. In addition to her work with Fidelity, the city and the arts, she has served on numerous community and civic boards. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Parkland Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has been honored with a number of awards in the arts including TITAS’ Tom Adams Award of Appreciation, the Dallas Contemporary’s Legends Award and the Dance Council of North Texas’ Service to Dance Award. In April 2006, her work on behalf of the Arts District, urban planning and historic preservation led to her acceptance of the American Planning Association’s Distinguished Leadership Award for an Elected Official.
She holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Community Health from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. |
|
 |
|
Annual Leader's Breakfast
