ASID Announces Retirement of CEO Gary Wheeler

Following a long and laudable career of service to the interior design profession, Gary Wheeler, FASID, FIIDA will retire as chief executive officer of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) on Sept. 30, 2022.

Wheeler, who first joined ASID as a student at Louisiana Tech University, went on to be named an ASID Designer of Distinction and ultimately Fellow, the Society’s highest honor, will remain an advisor to ASID through the 2022 calendar year, and will assist with the onboarding of ASID’s incoming CEO, who will be presented in a forthcoming announcement.

A member himself for more than 30 years, Wheeler took on the role of ASID’s interim CEO in 2020 and was named the permanent CEO in 2021. During his tenure, Wheeler tapped his experience as a practitioner to bring a holistic view to the Society’s work and the broader design industry. Under his leadership, Wheeler and ASID worked to improve the organization’s inclusivity and amplified research initiatives to make positive contributions to the profession.

“We are grateful to Gary Wheeler, who put aside his own retirement to take on the position of ASID CEO in 2020,” said ASID Board of Directors Chair Carolyn Ames Noble, ASID, WELL AP, WELL Faculty, USGBC Member. “ASID was fortunate to have Gary at the helm during the uncertainty that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic. ASID’s inaugural GATHER conference, which will bring together the entire design community this September, demonstrates the culmination of Gary’s vision for the unity of the profession, though his dedication to the design world will have a lasting impact for many years to come.”

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Wheeler brought together experts in the profession to form four core committees, tasked to create resources to guide the profession: Impact (Return to Work); Adaptive Living; Diversity Equity and Inclusion; and Climate Health and Equity.

Wheeler also expanded the ASID research offerings with the release of in-depth industry reports including the 2022 Trends Outlook report, Resiliency Reports, ongoing Covid-19 Pulse Surveys, which track the impact of the pandemic and economic factors on the profession, Insights Briefs

and State of Interior Design Report. Wheeler’s focus on these reports demonstrated the Society’s investment in evidence-based design and aided in helping professionals adjust to the changing industry landscape.

In Wheeler’s time as CEO, ASID led collaborative initiatives with local chapters and partner organizations to enact legislation in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Illinois, which expanded practice rights for interior designers in those states.

Wheeler led ASID in its partnership with IIDA, IDC, Metropolis and other sustainability leaders in the industry to create the Interior Design Pledge for Positive Impact, which established a framework for professionals to impact and positively influence climate, health and equity.

“Serving as ASID’s CEO has brought my career full circle,” said Wheeler. “From my student days and throughout my career, ASID has been central to my work, as I have witnessed how the design profession truly creates positive impact on all lives. It was an honor to serve as CEO, and now asa member, I am excited for ASID’s next chapter of continued success.”

Wheeler’s leadership and ASID accomplishments will be recognized at GATHER: The National Conference by ASID, held in Miami from Sept. 21-24, 2022.

About ASID

The American Society of Interior Designers believes that design transforms lives. ASID serves the full range of the interior design profession and practice through the Society’s programs, networks, and advocacy. We thrive on the strength of cross-functional and interdisciplinary relationships among designers of all specialties, including workplace, healthcare, retail and hospitality, education, institutional, and residential. We lead interior designers in shared conversations around topics that matter: from evidence-based and human-centric design to social responsibility, well-being, and sustainability. We showcase the impact of design on the human experience and the value interior designers provide.

ASID was founded over 40 years ago when two organizations became one, but its legacy dates back to the early 1930s. As we celebrate nearly 85 years of industry leadership, we are leading the future of interior design, continuing to integrate the advantages of local connections with national reach, of small firms with big, and of the places we live with the places we work, play, and heal. Learn more at asid.org.