CIDQ Leadership
Meet our 2025 Board of Directors
Guiding Voices
Our Board of Directors are the dedicated leaders who steward our mission, shape our vision, set our strategic direction, and ensure we stay true to our values.
Siavash Madani
President
Siavash is an interior designer with over a decade of experience in the field. Over the past 11 years he has practiced interior design progressively in a variety of boutique, medium and large multi-disciplinary firms in Montréal with projects spread across North America. Developing an exceptionally diverse portfolio, Siavash has designed high-end residential projects, commercial, retail and corporate work space projects. He has served as the CIDQ delegate for the province of Quebec, as well as an NCIDQ Ambassador since the inception of the program.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 32277
Carol Erklouts
President Elect
Carol is a Project Manager at JLL in Minneapolis. She has a broad range of expertise in commercial design and project management. Over the last ten years, she has designed and managed projects for numerous corporate clients across the globe with an emphasis on providing data-driven results. Carol is also an educator and advocate for emerging design professionals as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota College of Design.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 32368
Erin Jennings
Past President
Erin is a Market Leader for Luminaut, with studio locations in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. She leads a creative team focused on educational spaces and places. She attended Ball State University, where she graduated with a double major in both architecture and interior design. After her time at BSU, she traveled to Buffalo, New York for two years to complete her Master of Architecture from The State University of New York at Buffalo. She has since studied abroad in Costa Rica, participating in a sustainable design futures program, with an emphasis on sustainable interiors and inclusive design.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 30952
Charrisse Johnston
Director
Charrisse is a former Wall Street strategic planning exec turned interior designer. After more than a decade leading workplace, higher education, and multifamily projects in LA, she moved to Cape Town, South Africa, where she now designs residences and teaches online for two masters programs in the US and Spain. Charrisse is a Fellow and former Chair of ASID and the present Chair of the IID, the African Institute of Interior Design Professions, as well as a LEED AP and WELL AP. She firmly believes in the ability of interior design to improve human performance and well-being, both physical and mental.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 23101
Ashley Kirkland
Director
Ashley is a Partner and Managing Principal of Wyn Design Company based in Washington, DC. With nearly two decades of design experience, Ashley brings a strategic and empathetic view to the future of the profession. Ashley is known by her clients as a talented designer and organized project manager. She’s known by her colleagues and peers in the profession as a generous mentor and leader; she sets the bar, documents the standard, and brings the team up to a new level of delivery. Since earning her Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture from Ohio University, Ashley has worked in a variety of environments designing and managing hospitality, multi-family, and corporate interiors projects. Her experience at large firms, small firms, and in managing her own business have created a holistic perspective on the profession. Her passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the profession has made Ashley a great resource for emerging professionals and students seeking licensure. Ashley has served as an NCIDQ Ambassador since 2016 and has served as an NCIDQ Practicum exam writer since 2020, balancing her high standards for the profession with her advocacy to encourage licensure in the interior design industry.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 31437
Melanie Doss
Director
Melanie is an interior designer, acknowledged by 35+ years as a professional interior design consultant to major architectural and engineering firms in the southeast. She has also been an academician in interior architecture and interior design programs over a span of 25 years at institutes of higher learning including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Chattanooga, East Tennessee State University, and Pellissippi State Community College.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 6878
Amanda Rienth
Director
Amanda is a Principal and Interiors Studio Leader at Steinberg Hart with over 13 years of experience. She guides cultural, civic, and higher education institutions through the planning and design process, with a particular focus on libraries and performing arts spaces. Based in NYC, Amanda is a dedicated advocate for client and community engagement, ethical design, and upholding rigorous interior design standards. Her empathetic approach and dedication to understanding her client’s needs ensure that achieving client goals remains her primary focus.
NCIDQ Certificate No. 29817
David Cox
Public Member
David is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) who retired October 1, 2024. During his tenure as CEO, he has led the organization in several key events including the transitioning of exams from pencil-and-paper format to computer-based testing, being a founding member of the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing, the establishment of the NCEES Foundation, and the signing of a mutual recognition agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, which provides a more direct path for licensed engineers to practice in each country. In recognition of his contributions, David was honored with the prestigious NCEES President’s Award.
Meet the Team
Dedicated Hands
The headquarters team are the passionate staff members who bring our mission to life through daily action and unwavering commitment.
Rebecca Moden
Chief Executive Officer
Rebecca is the Chief Executive Officer of CIDQ, where she leads the organization’s strategic vision and operations. As CIDQ’s primary spokesperson, she champions its global mission to establish, maintain, and assess standards for competence in interior design through empirically validated practices.
Before joining CIDQ, Rebecca served for over two decades at the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), most recently as Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she directed critical programs and services, including strategic initiatives, financial operations, the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE), and CLARB Certification. She also cultivated strategic partnerships with organizations and professionals around the world.
Outside of work, Rebecca finds joy in family life with her husband Erik and their three children—Parker, Brooks, and Taylor. Whether cheering on her young athletes at hockey games, soccer matches, or ski races, or unwinding at the lake, Rebecca thrives in staying active and connected.
Kelly Nelson
Chief Marketing Officer
Kelly is responsible for the marketing strategy aimed at conveying the value of NCIDQ Certification, and the health, safety, and welfare impact of the NCIDQ Exam, strategic partnerships, advocacy communications, while overseeing and improving the effectiveness of organizational operations. She brings 20+ years of marketing experience to this role. Previously, Kelly led marketing and communications for Studio Theatre, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and the Washington Wizards, where she won five National Capital Region Emmy Awards for marketing campaigns.
Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.
Kelly enjoys combining her love of travel with her passion and interest in wine. She’s visited wineries and vineyards in the US and abroad, including Italy, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Greece, South Africa, and Portugal.
Cornelia Springer
Certification Operations Director
Cornelia is responsible for the development, administration, and advancement of the NCIDQ Exams. Cornelia has more than 25 years of experience in the credentialing industry, including the design, development, implementation, and management of various certification programs.
Before joining CIDQ, Cornelia was director, certification services for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she was an integral part of the senior management team that designed, developed, and implemented a new globally recognized certification program. Cornelia also served as executive director for the HR Certification Institute, where she led the development of two new certification exams, managed the transition from paper and pencil testing to computer-based testing, and led the initiative to become NCCA-accredited.
Cornelia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Clemson University.
Matt Barusch
Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy
Matt will support and advance CIDQ’s policy agenda at the state and provincial level. He is responsible for monitoring legislation, analyzing threats to the public from deregulatory efforts, generating advocacy resources that convey the value of the NCIDQ Exam, and developing strategies to support our stakeholders in educating policymakers on the value of meaningful interior design regulation.
Before CIDQ, Matt held state advocacy positions with the National Association for Music Education and the National Court Reporters Association, where he advocated for reasonable regulation of court reporters.
Matt holds a master’s in public administration from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s in political science from the State University of New York.
Ray Resendez
Customer Experience Manager
Ray has been busy ever since joining CIDQ in November 2000, maintaining more than 30,000 Certificate holders’ records. As the first point of contact for many of CIDQ’s callers, Ray’s role as customer experience manager ensures applicants, candidates, and certificate holders receive accurate information and assistance along the way.
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Ray was raised in Indiana. For fun, Ray enjoys movies, spending time with friends, and going to the gym.
Kayla Karpp
Governance, Engagement, and Meetings Manager
Kayla leads outreach to CIDQ’s prospective exam candidates; will oversee the Council’s governance and Board administrative workflow; as well as manage the logistics of all CIDQ meetings.
Before joining CIDQ, Kayla was the Program Administrator for the Florida Boards of Physical Therapy and Respiratory Care. In this role, Kayla facilitated relationships with various organizations while facilitating numerous meetings for her Boards. Her responsibilities included helping the public understand the laws and rules that relate to the respective professions she served.
Kayla holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and a certificate in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from Florida State University.