IIDA NY Celebrates the life, leadership, and enduring impact of the visionary leader, whose contributions to design continue to inspire the industry
The International Interior Design Association’s New York Chapter (IIDA NY) proudly honors the life and legacy of Lance Amato, FIIDA, who was posthumously inducted into the prestigious IIDA College of Fellows on June 8, 2025, during the IIDA Annual Meeting in Chicago. This distinction—representing the highest honor bestowed by IIDA—recognizes Amato’s extraordinary contributions to the profession of interior design and his unwavering commitment to elevating the built environment through purpose, mentorship, and heart.
Amato, who passed away earlier this year, leaves behind a powerful legacy as a visionary designer, an inclusive leader, and a beloved member of the New York design community through his involvement in IIDA NY. His induction into the IIDA College of Fellows stands as a testament to the lasting impact of his design work as well as the lives he touched and the future professionals he inspired at IIDA NY.
Throughout his more than two-decade career, Amato exemplified excellence, generosity, and advocacy. He led by example, serving as the youngest-ever President of IIDA NY in 2011 and chairing multiple chapter committees with insight and integrity. Most recently, he co-chaired the chapter’s flagship Leaders Breakfast®, an event that epitomizes the values Lance held dear—leadership, innovation, and the power of connection.
Amato was admired for his strategic vision, design expertise, and deep commitment to sustainability and human-centered design, as Director of Client Experience at Canoa—an online canvas for interior designers and architects to create mood boards, furniture arrangements, slide presentations, and large-scale pinups. But to those who worked with him, he was also a mentor, a storyteller, and a friend. His legacy lives on in the vibrant design culture he helped shape, the professional standards he championed, and the inclusive community he helped build.
“We are heartened to see Lance honored as a Fellow of IIDA,” said Christin Weaver, President of IIDA NY. “He poured so much into our organization and our industry, and his posthumous Fellowship is both a celebration of his achievements and a reflection of the profound loss we feel. Lance’s voice, vision, and kindness made our community better, and his impact will be felt for generations to come.”
At IIDA NY’s Leaders Breakfast® in May, the chapter proudly announced the launch of the Lance Amato Award—an enduring tribute to the behind-the-scenes leaders who embody dedication, service, and community. The award celebrates a current volunteer with 10 or more years of continuous service across one or more committees while honoring those who consistently go above and beyond to uplift the chapter and those around them. The Lance Amato Award will be presented at IIDA NY’s Annual Meeting in July.
About IIDA NY
The IIDA New York Chapter (IIDA NY)—an inclusive community of creative and diverse professionals, industry partners and students—celebrates design, encourages collaboration, shares knowledge and advocates for the interior design community. This professional networking and educational association provides invaluable resources to more than 700 members in 10 specialty forums to enhance their expertise, knowledge and contacts. IIDA NY is proudly committed to design advocacy, sustainability, civic engagement, student mentorship and development, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For more information, visit: http://www.iidany.org/.