Meet Our Member

The IESNYC spotlights a member each month whose volunteerism, perspective or personal story helps advance our goals, piques our curiosity, and makes the IESNYC become a more vibrant and diverse lighting community. We value their expertise and thank them for volunteering their time and energy for the betterment of the section and NYC Lighting Community. #the_iesnycmom

July 2026

David Seok
Associate, Studio Leader
The Lighting Practice

Q: How did you first get started in the lighting industry?
While studying architecture at Drexel University, I started to look for a job in the midst of a financial crisis. Unable to find a position at an architecture firm, I worked as a receptionist at the offices for the Philly AIA. The AIA was on the first floor of an 8-story building that shared a lobby. So, while I was hired through the AIA, I greeted everyone that came into the building, directing folks to the Quaker bookstore on the 2nd floor, the urologist on the 5th floor, the architects on the 8th floor, etc.

I guess everyone that needed to go to the 3rd floor already knew where they were going, because I never realized that there was a lighting design firm in the building. I didn’t even know that lighting design was a profession.

Then one day, a gentleman came up to ask if I knew CAD. He introduced himself as John Sarkioglu, and said that I should come upstairs and work for him at Lighting Design Collaborative. They had just landed a 3 million sqft project across more than 30 buildings on a university campus. I learned the basics of lighting design by walking through every single room of those 30+ buildings with my project manager, Rochelle Spahn. She pointed out and taught me the different lighting fixtures and sources. Over that 6 month process, I think I saw every kind of lighting fixture and source there is, from incandescent, mercury vapor, metal halide, fluorescent, to early LEDs. 

Q: How did you first get involved in the IESNYC?
After starting my career in lighting in the City of Brotherly Love, I moved back home to start The Lighting Practice’s NYC office. I realized quickly that the lighting community in NYC is much bigger than Philly’s, and that if I wanted to get to know the players I needed to get involved. I started with the IALD, but through all the events and lots of collaborations between the IESNYC, IALD NY Chapter, DLFNY, and WILD NYC, I found myself running into many of the same people.

Q: How do you see your role as a member of the IESNYC?
I see myself as an active participant and contributor. I do my best to take advantage of all that the IESNYC has to offer, like attending webinars, social events, and reading the monthly highlights (like this one!). A firm believer that you get as much as you give, I’ve been trying my best to stay engaged and participate in programs, including the IESNYC mentorship program.

Q: In your opinion, what are the best assets of the IESNYC?
In the 14 years I’ve been in this industry, I’ve met so many incredible people who are not just competitors, reps calling on me personally, or manufacturers trying to sell me products. The longer I’m in lighting, the more I understand just how special this industry is.

A few months ago, while hanging out with an industry colleague, I met one of their friends who was not in lighting or design. I started to talk about how all the lighting folks know each other. This “outsider” was intrigued to learn that, though my colleague and I had never worked together or gone to school together, we were friends.

In this day and age when discussions of “work/life balance” have become ubiquitous, I truly appreciate that so many of us in lighting are friends – we don’t just work in the same field. I’ve joined Matt Dacey for a foursome for the IESNYC Golf Outing, and then we became golf buddies that met on the weekends. A casual conversation about board games with Rob Van Antwerp during the Lighting Industry Holiday Party became a game night.

I sat with Gary Wong during the Lumens, and we decided to start The Asian Lighting Community. Together, we have poured our time and effort into the ALC, trying to create space and mutual support for ourselves and our colleagues. Yun-Hsuan Tsai, my mentee in the IENSYC Guiding Lights Circle mentorship program, and I have decided to start a book club.

The IESNYC provides so many valuable educational resources, but just as important (to me) are  opportunities to connect and build relationships. Some say that life is all about who you know. As big and exciting as the NYC lighting community is, it isn’t too big for us all to get to know each other a little – if we really want to. The IESNYC makes it so easy, and I encourage everyone to take full advantage.