Category: Celebrating Our Members

  • Celebrating Our 2025 Hoʻohuli Special Awards Winners!

    Celebrating Our 2025 Hoʻohuli Special Awards Winners!

    At the 2025 Hoʻohuli Awards, the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter honored four exceptional individuals whose passion, innovation, and leadership continue to elevate the interior design profession in Hawaiʻi. Join us in recognizing their outstanding contributions through the Legacy Award, Industry Impact Award, Emerging Professional Award, and Member of the Year Award.

    LEGACY AWARD

    Mary Philpotts
    Founding Designer, Philpotts Interiors

    The Legacy Award honors a person, company, or organization whose contributions have advanced the interior design profession in Hawaii, exemplifying advocacy, mentorship, design innovation, and sustainable leadership.

    Mary Philpotts McGrath built a legacy that forever shaped design in Hawaiʻi. As founder of Philpotts Interiors in the 1960s, she championed a design approach rooted in culture, craftsmanship, and a deep sense of place—drawing upon the island’s rich heritage, landscape, and spirit to create timeless, island-authentic spaces. Her iconic projects, including Kona Village Resort, Aulani, Washington Place, and countless homes, set the standard for multifunctional designs that blend indoor-outdoor living with Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty.

    Mary’s greatest impact endures through the generations she mentored with generosity, curiosity, and heart. Her leadership, community service, and ability to inspire others continue to influence Hawaiʻi’s creative landscape, as noted by colleagues who praised her wisdom, aloha spirit, and collaborative genius.

    INDUSTRY IMPACT AWARD

    Holly Boling Ruiz, ASID, IIDA
    Partner, Philpotts Interiors

    The Industry Impact Award recognizes an active IIDA Professional, Associate, or industry member within the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter who exemplifies outstanding volunteer service through commitment, passion, professionalism, advocacy, mentorship, and leadership.

    Holly Boling Ruiz brings energy, authenticity, and heart to every space and initiative. As a partner at Philpotts Interiors—now co-led with Marion Philpotts-Miller and Lowell Tom—she has dedicated over 20 years to mentoring young designers, supporting students, and fostering community ties within IIDA Hawaiʻi Pacific. Her consistent leadership, compassion, and encouragement empower emerging professionals, clients, and creatives alike, making the industry stronger, more connected, and infused with joy.

    EMERGING PROFESSIONAL AWARD

    Allyson Gonzaga
    Junior Designer, The Vanguard Theory

    The Emerging Professional Award honors a junior design leader who has advanced the interior design profession through hard work and a passion for design.

    In just a few years, Allyson Gonzaga has emerged as a standout at The Vanguard Theory. Her technical skill and creative thinking have driven major hospitality projects, such as the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani renovation and its upcoming lobby redesign. Allyson’s fresh curiosity shines in custom millwork, client presentations, and collaborations with local artists—like the Royal Lahaina Resort mural—pushing her team toward innovative solutions. Her humility and leadership embody the future of Hawaiʻi design: thoughtful, bold, and brimming with potential.

    MEMBER OF THE YEAR

    Monique Palisbo, Assoc. IIDA, WELL AP, LEED Green Associate
    Field Engineer, Honolulu Builders, LLC

    The Member of the Year Award recognizes an active IIDA Professional, Associate, or industry member within the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter who exemplifies outstanding volunteer service through commitment, passion, professionalism, advocacy, mentorship, and leadership.

    For the second consecutive year, Monique Palisbo earns Member of the Year—a true reflection of her heart, consistency, and aloha-driven leadership. As former Chapter President and tireless volunteer, she connects people, champions others, and builds lasting momentum for IIDA Hawaiʻi Pacific. Monique’s purpose, humility, and positivity create welcoming spaces for members at every career stage, elevating our chapter in profound ways.

    Join us in congratulating these remarkable honorees. Their stories inspire us all to lead with purpose, innovate with place, and uplift our community. Mahalo for shaping the future of design in Hawaiʻi!

  • Jenny Manansala: leader in interior design and advocacy

    Jenny Manansala: leader in interior design and advocacy

    Sharing Stantec’s new blog featuring Jenny and 2 other interior designers from Chicago and Philly as Presidents of IIDA chapters.

    Madam Presidents: 3 leaders in interior design and advocacy

  • Hello, 2023! A Letter From Our President, Jenny Manansala

    Hello, 2023! A Letter From Our President, Jenny Manansala

    A Letter From Our President, Jenny Manansala

     

     

    Aloha to our Chapter Members, Sponsors, Industry Partners and Volunteers!

    The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is made of creatives, leaders, and changemakers and together we connect, inspire, and empower. Most importantly, WE MAKE SPACE, to understand and uplift humanity.

    Our expansive design community, are changemakers and leaders in all sectors of society, and together WE MAKE SPACE – physical space, community space, social space, equitable space, as well as space to support and enhance our communities.

    Still a young chapter of 7 years, the Hawaii Pacific Chapter is among a network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries, and we continue to grow and evolve. We advocate for advancements in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of Interior Design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day.

    This year, please join me along with my fellow changemakers and leaders in the industry, to create a collective space in which we all thrive. Follow us on Instagram @iidahawaiipacific. I also encourage you to join the IIDA community if you have not done so already – there are Membership opportunities for every career level including Students, Designers, Architects, Educators, Manufacturers and Representatives. Visit https://iida.org/membership for more information. We have several in-person events planned for 2023, including our Signature Event focused on design excellence within our local community – Ho’ohuli Awards – to be held on Saturday, October 21. We will continue to promote and honor equity, diversity and inclusion in the interior design industry as a representative of the IIDA Equity Council.

    You are all an integral part of our space. Without your support and contributions, we would not be in the space we are today, so I cannot thank you enough for your continued loyalty, generosity, and commitment to our organization.

    Together WE MAKE SPACE. Let’s continue to embrace change, connect, inspire and empower together in 2023!

    Mahalo nui loa,

    Jenny P. Manansala

    IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter President

     

  • Congratulations, Karen Muraoka! IIDA College of Fellows Inductee

    Congratulations, Karen Muraoka! IIDA College of Fellows Inductee

    IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter would like to acknowledge and congratulate our CO-VP of Sponsorship, Karen Muraoka, for being one of the newest inductees to the IIDA College of Fellows in 2021. Induction into the College of Fellows is the highest and most prestigious honor IIDA bestows. Cheers to Karen and all inductees for their continued success, for your outstanding professional achievements and leadership in the interior design community. Thank you for your dedication, contributions and impact you have made for our community!

    Karen Muraoka, FIIDA, principal and senior interior designer at Karen Muraoka Interior Design, LLC, was inducted into the IIDA College of Fellows in 2021—the highest honor the International Interior Design Association awards for exceptional contributions to the profession. As CO-VP of Sponsorship for the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter, her leadership and achievements inspire our community.

    A Distinguished Career in Healthcare Design

    Karen launched her design career in 1982 at Architects Hawaii Ltd. in Honolulu, building expertise over decades before founding Karen Muraoka Interior Design, LLC, in 2011, with a specialization in healthcare environments. She collaborates closely with Hawaii Pacific Health on projects like primary care clinics integrated into community settings, such as the upscale Straub Hospital Primary Care in Ward Village—a 5,000-square-foot space featuring resilient flooring for cleanability, infection control, and longevity.

    Her international experience includes work on a 400-bed acute care project at Kameda Medical Center in Japan, a family-centered facility on a 50-acre campus with supportive amenities like dining areas, staff housing, and 24/7 visitor access to enhance patient morale.

    Now based in Hawaii, Karen remains active as a frequent juror at NeoCon and healthcare design conferences, sharing her insights with the industry.

    Awards and Professional Recognition

    Karen’s impact is evident in accolades like the 2019 Legacy Award from the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter, which recognized her leadership and opened pathways for mentoring emerging designers[3][6]. She is also listed among the founders and historic figures of the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID), underscoring her foundational role in the field.

    The IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter congratulates Karen on her College of Fellows induction, celebrating her outstanding professional achievements, dedication, and lasting contributions to interior design and our community

  • Congratulations, Joan Riggs!- 2021 IDEC Community Service Award Recipient

    Congratulations, Joan Riggs!- 2021 IDEC Community Service Award Recipient

    IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter would like to acknowledge and congratulate Joan Riggs on receiving the 2021 Community Service Award from IDEC, the Interior Design Educators Council.

    The IDEC awards committee had reflected praise on the impact of Joan’s service to the design community at large mentioning that “this applicant has an outstanding number of community services where interior design played a very important role”.  Over the last 12 years as Chaminade University’s Environmental + Interior Design program director, Joan has challenged students to incorporate interior design skills in projects that benefited the community. Community service projects ranged from women and youth correctional (rehabilitative) facilities, nursing homes and assisted living for the elderly, safe houses for victims of human trafficking to healthcare facilities just to name a few.  Joan mentions that “ when integrated with service-learning and community service, students exponentially gain awareness and compassion.” For the students, Joan believes that “ in partnerships, they deepen their ability to adapt- their thinking, their perspective and their understanding- with respect to how diversity is a strength and problem-solving is a gift to be shared.” This type of community integrated design education really gives students an awareness and first hand experience as to how design work can positively impact lives and serve the public. For Joan, “as an educator, what greater award than to see students emerge as skilled, compassionate and successful designers.” It truly is a blessing for the design community to have a mentor like Joan who is a part of this process and having the recognition from IDEC for her many years of service to the University is, as Joan says, “ icing on a marvelous multi-layered cake”.