Honoree Profile
Jill Dexter
Stantec
- Title: Associate, Interior Designer
- Tenure at Firm: 5 Years
- Nominating Principal: Christopher Keller, Principal & Design Leader
- School: Harrington College of Design
- Major: Interior Designer
Inspired By:
I love solving problems for people and making space feel inviting, safe, and fun for all of the people who are using it. Nothing makes me happier than clients and end users walking into a newly finished project and grinning ear to ear as they touch new finishes, look at new lighting, experience new spaces, and make new memories.
Keys to a Successful Project:
Communication. And it’s not only verbal communication – a lot of times, we need to understand what is NOT being said so it’s important to us to really empathize with our clients and end users, put ourselves in their shoes and envision what their experience might be when they venture into the newly completed space. Communication also helps keep our project team moving forward in a cohesive way so we can deliver a successful project. Once we’ve established a base line of good communication, everything else will fall into place.
Communication. And it’s not only verbal communication – a lot of times, we need to understand what is NOT being said so it’s important to us to really empathize with our clients and end users, put ourselves in their shoes and envision what their experience might be when they venture into the newly completed space. Communication also helps keep our project team moving forward in a cohesive way so we can deliver a successful project. Once we’ve established a base line of good communication, everything else will fall into place.
Interests Outside of Work:
I spend a lot of time with friends and family. I am also active in IIDA’s Illinois Chapter and am passionate about supporting students pursuing a career in interior design as well as advocating for design professionals to sit for their NCIDQ exam. You’ll also hear me telling people to “Register with the State” frequently! In my downtime, yoga to balance out my tendency to keep myself too busy (I need to counteract it with something slow), lots of walking with my dog, Odie, and constantly trying to convince my husband to book our next adventure abroad. We just moved so we’re also renovating which is taking A LOT of our free time.
“Jill had displayed an unwavering dedication to design to both Stantec and the community at large. she strives for design excellence and culture within the walls and gives her time and energy to design initiatives outside the office, such as her recent tenure as IIDA president.”
Christopher Keller
Principal | Design Leader
Favorite Haworth Collection Piece:
What Is Special About It:
First of all, the name. so ICONIC. But really, the chair lives up to the iconic name, Archibald. The little fold over flaps is perfect for my fidgety hands while kicking back, the amazingly soft leather is so comfortable, but the best part, is that this chair kind of hugs you. It feels like a safe place to take a rest.
Photos From Jill
