Board Of Directors

President
Steven Ryan
sryan@vsapartners.com

Steve started at VSA as an intern 12 years ago, and he simply hasn’t left. An accomplished creative director, Steve has lent his talents and expertise to projects for VSA clients such as IBM, Converse, First Data, Nortel Networks, Compaq Computers, Smithfield Foods, Allstate Financial Services, Potlatch Papers, and Mohawk Papers.

With experience in investor communications, consumer & enterprise communications, branding, and interactive applications, Steve brings a unique understanding of technology and design to both business interactions as well as creating end-user value to all his endeavors. Steve’s work has been featured in various publications, including Graphis, Critique, Print, The AR 100, and Communication Arts, and has been recognized by organizations like the Type Director’s Club.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and was a participant in the 2005 AIGA/Harvard Business School Business Perspectives for Design Leaders.

Treasurer
Scott Theisen
treasurer@aigachicago.org

A 1995 MFA graduate of the University of Arizona, Scott has been directing design, branding, corporate and b2b communications with Froeter Design Company since 2000. His work has been honored internationally by Graphis, Communication Arts, AR100, the American Association of Museums, CASE, and Print Magazine. Scott also serves on the Design Department Advisory Board of the College of DuPage, and is an Austrian Economics superfreak.

Development Co-Chairs
Lisa Gainor
lisa_gainor@yahoo.com

Lisa Gainor graduated from the Academy of Art University and the University of San Francisco and began her career at Addison Creason, a design consultancy committed to creating positive change for people, companies and communities. Relocating to Chicago in 2001, she became the visual voice at OWP/P Architects. She developed graphics for the firm as well as in partnership with their clients which included Orbitz, the CTA and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, among others. She has since worked with Crate and Barrel, helping to grow their retail brand in unique ways through design and is currently the Art Director for Paper Source, leading their visual identity on web site and catalog business.

Expanding on a vision of communication in design, Lisa feels that clear messaging and engaging emotion can create a visual world abundant with sensory experiences. Design is at the center of our worldly experience.

Meg Pucino
mpucino@comcast.net

Meg Pucino has been a part of the Chicago design community since 1992, when she began representing Mohawk Paper Mills. Meg has been a tireless advocate for AIGA, a member for 16 years, and responsible for the multi-year Mohawk Corporate Sponsorship of TeamAIGA. After a long relationship selling to VSA Partners, Meg joined them in 2007 and directs their recruiting efforts.

Programming Co-Chairs
Claire Williams
claire@studioblue.us

Raised by parents who worked for the United Nations, Claire’s humanitarian interests were formed early in life. She loves to design for clients who have community and educational interests at heart, and the search for work with this focus led her to Studio Blue. Her career experience began with five years in New York book publishing, where she designed covers for the trade paperback imprint Vintage Books. During that time she also ran a freelance business that focused on local branding projects and music packaging. Love and marriage then took her to Chicago, where she spent her first three years working on large-scale corporate communications campaigns and annual reports for VSA Partners. At Studio Blue, Claire’s role is to manage junior staff and to create design that solves strategic problems with beautiful visual solutions.

Kelly Komp
kellyk@tandemodus.com

Kelly Komp is Creative Director and Partner of Tandemodus, LLC. Prior to starting Tandemodus in 2006, he was senior designer at Kym Abrams Design where he managed a variety of branding, identity, print, environmental and online communication design programs. Kelly has brought strategic thinking to such clients as CEOs for Cities, Delta Institute, The Harris School of Public Policy, The University of Chicago, Smithsonian Institute, Spencer Foundation and Spertus Institute.

Prior to relocating to Chicago in 2001, Kelly briefly served as Programming Co-Chair for the AIGA Indianapolis Chapter. He has been actively involved in the organization since 1997.

Marketing Chair
John Harris
jharris@a5inc.com

John works with a5 Design, where he counsels clients on marketing and public relations issues, including strategy and positioning, message development, media relations and crisis communications. He also leads the creative team in the development of print and digital programs, including graphic identity, advertising and annual reports.

A former journalist for Forbes, the Milwaukee Journal and other publications, John joined The Marmon Group, Inc. as director of communications in 1991. John also served as a strategic communications consultant for VSA Partners, advising such clients as Ameritrade, Steelcase and US West on brand development and brand management.

A graduate of Carroll College, John has taught at Roosevelt University and Carroll College, and has lectured at numerous organizations. His work has been recognized by the City and Regional Magazine Association, The Annual Report 100 and Communication Arts, among others. He is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)

Editorial Chair
Elle Luna
eluna@ideo.com

A communication designer with extensive knowledge of visual communication strategy and design, Elle joined IDEO in 2007 where she has worked in such diverse areas as health packaging, consumer experience packaging, branding and strategy and architectural design. Driven by the possibilities and opportunities within communication strategy, Elle is particularly inspired by storytelling and its unique ability to bring new-to-the-world ideas to life. Before joining IDEO, Elle worked in marketing, visual merchandising, retail design, and identity and brand design for such institutions as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and Oilily.

Elle received her Master of Fine Arts in Visual Communications from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she started the School’s student chapter of the AIGA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Vanderbilt University.

Membership Chair
Erin Huizenga
membership@aigachicago.org

Erin is an Account Manager at VSA Partners, Inc. Before VSA, Erin was the Assistant Director of the Chicago Portfolio School. Erin has also worked for Avenue Marketing and Communications, SamataMason, Plan A, and Cagney + McDowell among others. She has led identity and branding directions for clients such as Walgreens, Weber Grills, AFBA, Joffrey Ballet, Loan to Learn, Grainger, Sandro Photography, ShopKo Stores, Northwestern University, and Motorola. Erin is a graduate of the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. She is a recipient of awards from Applied Arts Annual, CMYK, Addy Awards- Atlanta Creative Club, Graphis New Talent Annual, and Atlanta Advertising Club. She is also on the Board of Directors for Art Resources in Teaching, a Chicago area nonprofit that places art teachers in Chicago public schools.

Education and Community Outreach Chair
Richard Zeid
rzeid@rzdesign.com

Richard Zeid is a designer and educator.

As Richard Zeid Design, Richard serves a wide range of clients from not-for-profit theatre companies in Chicago to Fortune 500 companies such as W.W. Grainger, Inc. Prior to his self-named practice, he was the corporate senior designer for Morton International, Inc. His work has been recognized by Creativity, Art Direction Magazine, American Corporate Identity, and Graphic Design USA. Most recently his work has been included in Logos: Making a Strong Mark published by Rockport Publishing.

As an educator at Columbia College Chicago, he has taught throughout both the graphic design and advertising concentrations for the past 12 years. Richard received his undergraduate bachelor's of arts degree in design from Columbia College Chicago and his master's of arts degree from Syracuse University in advertising design.

Richard holds professional memberships with AIGA, the professional association for design, Society of Typographic Arts (STA) The One Club and the Chicago Advertising Federation (CAF).

Electronic Media Chair
Tiffany Farriss
emedia@aigachicago.org

Specializing in information architecture and Web site usability, Tiffany Farriss has over 10 years of Internet and new media consulting and development experience. As the co-owner of Palantir.net, an Evanston-based Web site and Web-based software development firm, she has worked with providing strategic technology solutions for an array of educational, not-for-profit and member-based associations, many in collaboration with Chicago graphic design firms. Tiffany has a BA in Mathematics and Classics from Northwestern University, where she focused on mathematical modeling and human computer interaction.