ASID San Diego Merit Awards

About our Awards

The Ethel Siegelman Award (Designer Merit Award)

The ETHEL SIEGELMAN AWARD was created in 1993 to honor San Diego ASID designers for their
outstanding service to the chapter and to the community. The award is named for Ethel Siegelman, who in
1975 was the first San Diego Chapter president of the newly formed American Society of Interior Designers.

Ethel Siegelman was a pioneer in the interior design profession in San Diego. She started her career in design as the head of the Wallcovering Division at Frazee’s in Mission Valley. Wanting a more comprehensive design challenge, she took correspondence courses in interior design at the age of 47. She then joined VJ Lloyds furniture store in El Cajon. She became the top performing interior designer within her first two years at Lloyds. At the age of 60, when most people are thinking of retirement, Ethel felt a still greater challenge lay ahead. She started her own interior design firm, Ethel Siegelman Interiors, and left her detractors in the dust who said “you can’t do that – you are too old!”. Ethel continued her business until the age of 72, when she
decided it was finally time to retire and relax.

Ethel not only worked hard within her profession and for the profession, she was very involved in the community. The San Diego Historical Society was a great beneficiary of her talents and energy. Ethel and Walter Nelson were early pioneers in the development of the San Diego Designers Showcase home tours. Initially in 1974, it was to raise money for the restoration of the Villa Montezuma’s second floor gallery. In successive years the home tours became a major source of income for the San Diego Historical Society.

ASID established the Ethel Siegelman Library on the ground floor of their headquarters in Washington, DC. The library is a resource available to all interested interior designers and students. It houses books, CD’s and DVD’s on interior design and professional practices. Anyone wishing to make a contribution in either literary or monetary form in Ethel’s memory should contact the ASID Foundation at (202) 675-2365.

The Don Marrell Award (Industry Partner Merit Award)

Don Marrel owned and operated La Jolla Lighting for over thirty years and was one of our earliest Industry Partner Members. As far back as those who knew him can remember, Don and his staff were always there to support our chapter and members with unparalleled generosity. Working tirelessly, he gave both time and treasure whenever called upon. To honor his memory and acknowledge his outstanding contributions to
our chapter and our industry, an award was established in his name to acknowledge other Industry Partner members, who like Don give outstanding service to our chapter and to the profession.

The Deborah Thomas Award (Student Merit Award)

The DEBORAH THOMAS AWARD was created in 1998 to honor ASID San Diego student members for their outstanding service to the chapter. The award is named in honor of Deborah Thomas, ASID for her contributions to the chapter, the profession and her strong support of the student membership. Deborah was partners with her husband, Robert McCartney, in the firm McCartney and Thomas and they did wonderful design work in San Diego County.

Congratulations to our Ethel Siegelman and Don Marrell Award Winners for 2011

Ethel Siegelman Award: Dale Monday Kolins, ASID

Don Marrell Award: Marcel Perry of SunPro Tint

Deborah Thomas Award: Brooke Williams, Student Member ASID

Past Recipients

The Ethel Siegelman Award

1993 Ethel Siegelman

1994 Charlotte Jensen

1995 Marsha Paine

1996 Carol Brown

1997 Robert Tuggey

1998 Jan Bast

1999 Janine Brown

2000 Walter Nelson

2001 Becky Jessen

2002 Christine Brun

2003 Robert Wright

2004 Jean Young

2006 Judy Hallberg

2007 Mimi Moore

2008 Carol Spong

2009 Regina Kurtz

2010 Sandra Wagonaar

Don Marrell Award

2001 Ben Wollman

2002 Martha Upp

2003 Lori Lipsman

2004 Art Ferber

2005 Michael Napier

2006 Martha Upp

2007 Bill Baker

2008 Mark Gauvin

2009 Standards of Excellence

2010 Don Miller

The Deborah Thomas Award

1999 Kimberley Burgess Hansen

2000 Lynn Wyndham Morris

2001 Ann Stansfield

2002 Judy Yeager

2003 Gayle Schandendorf

2004 Suzie Anderson

2005 Lien Randle

2006 Beverly Main

2007 Heidi Hatcher

2008 Jodi Smart

2009 Joanne Leverault

2010 Petra Rupp