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

June 2025

Scott Hershman
Director of Design, LPA Lighting

Q: How did you first get started in the lighting industry?
I started performing on stage in an orchestra when I was in elementary school. At concerts I found myself distracted, glancing into the wings at the two or three people operating the long console of levers on an autotransformer lightboard. It wasn’t long before I found my way backstage, studying technical theater, and eventually working as a theatrical lighting designer.

I was introduced to architectural lighting while designing nightclubs in the early eighties. In a quest for a more dependable paycheck, I went to the Yellow Pages (yes, it was a big, thick book) and called (yes, on the phone) every office listed under lighting design. Posing as a developer, I soon had prospectuses from the major firms.

In reading through the CVs, I saw that many of the designers had studied at Parsons School of Design. And because my job search was progressing slowly, I reached out to Parsons and learned about their nascent master’s program in architectural lighting. I entered the program, and thanks to the contacts I made there, I had a job in a design office before the first semester was over. I spent the next 19 years as an architectural lighting designer at Domingo Gonzalez Associates and Fisher Marantz Renfro Stone (as it was known then); before switching my focus to product design, eventually founding LF Illumination with Jack Zuckerman and Loren Kessel. I have been on the manufacturing side for the past 21 years.

Q: How did you first get involved in the IESNYC?
I joined the IES as a Student Member to take advantage of LD+A magazine and the Journal of the IES (as it was called then). But it didn’t take long for me to discover local programs by the IESNYC. The main events during my early years were Lighting World (the precursor to Lightfair) and, of course, the Lumen Awards. I found that project tours and social events were the most beneficial, because they gave me opportunities to meet contemporaries and principals from other design offices. You also have a chance to interact with other players in the lighting industry in a social setting, which gives a better understanding of the big picture – all the elements required to realize a project.

Q: How do you see your role as a member of the IESNYC?
I continue to take advantage of the IESNYC’s social opportunities. I have done musical performances at the Lumen Awards Gala and at Moonlighting. (It’s always fun to see what lighting people are up to when they are not doing lighting.)

In terms of leadership, I’ve served on the Richard Kelly Grant Committee (applications due June 30!) for the past 9 years, and I will continue to support this important cause. Lastly, my tenure in the industry and the variety of roles I have undertaken, make me well suited to mentor less-experienced members. I have mentored in both structured and unstructured programs and often find I get as much as I give. 

Q: In your opinion, what are the best assets of the IESNYC?
The premier asset of the IESNYC is truly the members themselves. We choose to work in this small, quirky industry, so finding people with similar interests outside this organization is rare. The other advantage the IESNYC has over all other sections is The City itself. We all know that  the best way to really experience light is to see it with our own eyes. Few other cities have such a density of top-quality, innovative, award-winning projects that can be visited in-person. And for us lucky members of the IESNYC, we may even have the design team as a tour guide.