DALLAS MARKET CENTER
DALLAS, TX
ARCHLIGHT SUMMIT ADVISORY BOARD
The ArchLIGHT Summit Advisory Board consists of distinguished industry leaders who provide valuable perspectives for shaping this groundbreaking event and its educational programming.
PETER AUGUSTA
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH AMERICA, CASAMBI TECHNOLOGIES
With 20 years of experience in architectural lighting, Peter Augusta has a unique blended background in lighting, software and modern technologies with a passion for bringing these disciplines together. Casambi’s wireless lighting control system is a robust, cost-effective and simple solution that delivers versatility in design and control, ease of installation and use, and connectivity that’s reliable and effortless.
CRAIG A. BERNECKER, Ph.D., FIESNA, LC
FOUNDER, THE LIGHTING EDUCATION INSTITUTE
Dr. Bernecker has been a lighting educator for over 35 years. He is founder of The Lighting Education Institute and Professor of Lighting Design and Director of the Masters of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program at Parsons School of Design, The New School. He previously directed the lighting education program within the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. He has published more than 50 articles on research and education in lighting design and illumination engineering and is known for his work on the psychological aspects of lighting. Dr. Bernecker also maintains an active consulting practice and regularly serves as a peer reviewer for lighting research proposals and projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. As a result of his contributions to lighting education, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) named him a Fellow in 1991, and for serving in several IES offices, he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
MICHELLE CRUZ
LIGHTING SPECIFIER/SPEC SALES, PETERSON SCHARCK & ASSOCIATES
Michelle Cruz is a specification sales representative for Houston-based agency Peterson Scharck & Associates. She recently founded the Houston chapter of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). Prior to joining Peterson Scharck, Cruz served as a lighting consultant for Lights Fantastic Pro and has been a showroom manager for Coventry Lighting Design Center and Wabash Lighting.
RACHEL FITZGERALD, CLD, LC, IALD, IES, LEED AP BD+C
PRINCIPAL, DISCIPLINE LEAD, LIGHTING, STANTEC
A graduate of the University of Colorado’s lighting program, Rachel Fitzgerald has nearly 20 years of experience in lighting design, providing significant expertise to Stantec’s buildings and master plans globally. Her talent and commitment to the design of highly sustainable and human-centric spaces has been recognized with more than three dozen design awards. Fitzgerald’s drive to create a world where lighting plays a more impactful role manifests itself through her industry involvement. She is the Membership Chair for the IALD, serves on the WELL light concept advisory, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
ARCHIT JAIN, IALD, LEED® AP, ISLE
PRINCIPAL, OCULUS LIGHT STUDIO
An architect by training, and with specialization in Building Science, Jain is founding-partner at Oculus Light Studio. He has lived and practiced in Los Angeles for over 20 years, working on a wide variety of lighting design projects around the globe. His projects have won over 40 lighting design awards. He is a professional member of the IALD, and has been on the Lightfair Innovation Awards Committee. He has spoken at Lightfair, IES Street and Area Lighting Conference and Lightshow West.
JESSICA KENNEDY, LC, WELL AP
SENIOR LIGHTING DESIGNER, STANTEC
Jessica Kennedy is a Penn State graduate in Architectural Engineering with a focus in architectural lighting and building electrical design. She has previous experience working in lighting consulting and electrical design build. Her background in engineering brings a technical, problem-solving approach to her designs, and encourages a drive for full discipline coordination early on projects. She enjoys the challenge of evaluating existing conditions and projects with complex design and energy efficiency requirements. Each project allows her to combine the artful integration of lighting science and design to deliver an efficient solution for the client and end users.
JILL KLORES, CLD, IALD, LC, FIES
SENIOR LIGHTING DESIGNER AND FOUNDING PARTNER, ESSENTIAL LIGHT DESIGN STUDIO
Jill Klores brings 32 years of lighting industry experience and 24 years of lighting design in commercial, residential and institutional projects . Klores has completed award-winning lighting designs for an array of project types, including education, corporate projects, healthcare and senior living, museum and entertainment venues. She began her studies in the field of physics and optics, subsequently switching to photography to bring together the fields of optics/lensing and light. She “found” illuminating engineering alongside environmental design at the University of Colorado, and her passion for the technical and artistic aspects of light were formally blended. Under Klores’ guidance, Essential Light Design Studio has grown to eight employees in Texas, New York and Arkansas. She and her creative staff have won more than 40 awards for excellence in lighting design.
AARON LARMER
MANAGING PRINCIPAL, TEXAS LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
Aaron Larmer is one of the two managing principals at Texas Lighting Solutions. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2003 and began his career at Texas Lighting, where he specialized in lighting controls for the west Texas market. After moving to the DFW office, he continued to focus on the controls aspect of the business, eventually taking on the role of Controls Team Manager for the north Texas market. In 2016, Larmer was named as a principal of the agency and now oversees the Specification and Controls efforts for Texas Lighting. He has been married to his loving wife, Jaime, for 21 years and together they have 2 boys, 18 and 14.
TOM LILLIE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WAC, MODERN FORMS, SCHONBEK
Tom Lillie has been in the lighting industry for more than 20 years, first as National Sales Manager for German manufacturer Holtkötter with a rapid rise to become the company’s President. Under his direction, the company prospered with a dedicated sales force and management team. In addition to several design awards, Holtkötter received national recognition with the coveted ARTS Award for Lighting Fixture Manufacturer in 2015.The following year, WAC recruited Lillie as Director of Business Development for Modern Forms, advancing to become Director of Sales for the specification channel for both WAC and Modern Forms. In early 2024, he was promoted to Executive Director of Business Development, now also overseeing international sales for Schonbek. Lillie’s vast experience in manufacturing, marketing and sales gives him a unique a thorough understanding of the specification process.
KELLY ROBERTS, LEED® BD+C, IES
PRINCIPAL, PRIMARY ARC DESIGN
Kelly Roberts brings nearly two decades of experience to the architectural lighting industry after receiving her education in theatrical scenic and lighting design. Prior to founding Primary Arc Design, Roberts worked as a designer and then Studio Director of WALD Studio for more than 15 years. She has designed a wide range of projects across the United States and overseas, including high-end residential, upscale retail and boutique hospitality. Outside of the office, Roberts has devoted her energy to expanding the networking strength and industry outreach of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). She also serves on the Advisory Board for Equity in Lighting (EIL).
LAURA McDONALD STEWART, FASID, RID, LEED® AP, WELL AP
FOUNDER/OWNER, LAURA McDONALD ENTERPRISES and PLiNTH & CHiNTZ
Stewart received her BS in Civil Engineering from Southern Methodist University and her MFA in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. After several years in the commercial interior design field, she founded Laura McDonald Enterprises and PLiNTH & CHiNTZ, the online resource that prepares a new generation of designers to enter the workforce. For almost 10 years, Stewart also managed METROCON Expo & Conference, the annual two-day event in Dallas focusing on the built environment. She has served on the ASID National Board, currently sits on three interior design department advisory councils, and was the recipient of the 2009 NCIDQ National Louis S. Tregre Award.
JERED E. WIDMER, IALD, MIES
PRINCIPAL, DALLAS OFFICE, THE LIGHTING PRACTICE
Widmer joined The Lighting Practice in 2001 upon graduation from The Pennsylvania State University. Leading TLP’s Dallas office, he has designed architectural lighting for corporate, retail, historic, hospitality, education, healthcare and places of worship. Diverse work allows him to merge creative principles and techniques to enhance the user environment. He educates clients and team members through a collaborative design process, facilitating a better understanding of the impact of lighting. His passion for digital technology and smart home integration has fueled his IoT and smart lighting knowledge and its benefits for clients and project sectors. He has collaborated with both retail and corporate clients to deliver smart lighting solutions that enhance the user experience and deliver detailed data for improved operational efficiencies.