FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY

The Fabric of Our Society editorial is a platform for industry thought leaders to provide experience-based opinions and reflections on various topics. Diverse perspectives are respected and most welcome. Want to contribute? Email [email protected]

March 2025

The Legacy of Richard Kelly: Seeking the Next Generation of Lighting Innovation  

Stephen Bernstein 
Principal, Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design

Richard Kelly was a founder of the (still-young) lighting design profession, but it’s the coming generations who will reexamine its tenets and explore its frontiers. That’s why Stephen Bernstein serves on the Kelly Grant Committee. "Having served on the Richard Kelly Grant Board and jury for the last number of years, I've witnessed firsthand the evolution of this prestigious award." MORE >

February 2025

There’s a Hero in Each of Us 

Matthew Tirschwell
CEO/Founder, Tirschwell & Co., Inc.

Award-winning lighting designer Matthew Tirschwell made the news when he jumped onto the subway tracks and saved the life of a man struck by a train. This dramatic rescue reinforced his belief that we all have a duty to help the stranger in need. MORE >

December 2024

Advocating for Accessible Lighting 

Nicole Calise
Marketing/Spec Sales Assistant
Enterprise Lighting Sales

Though she’s an industry veteran, a new friendship brought fresh perspective to how Nicole Calise sees the built environment and the lighting within it. Low vision is not a one-size-fits-all condition and requires truly universal lighting design and technologies. MORE >

November 2024

#themoreyouknow 

Sara Schonour
Owner/Creative Catalyst, Luxsi
Director of Education, Business of Light
Mentorship Committee Chair, Women in Lighting + Design

Overall, Sara Schonour sees a lack of training on lighting design project management skills and product pricing maneuvers. But digital tools and educational programs are available to better arm those less-experienced in the battles of value engineering. MORE >

October 2024

DALI Update at NYControlled: Interoperability in the Digital Age 

Carol Jones
NA Market Development Manager, DALI Alliance

Lighting controls expertise is a differentiator for specifiers. And DALI’s advances into product certification and wireless value propositions are game-changers. Carol Jones, NA Market Development Manager at DALI Alliance invites the community to both NYControlled and the first-ever North American DALI Summit, October 29 and 30. MORE >

September 2024

Reps at the Hub    

Melissa Deutsch Stein
Owner, Stan Deutsch Associates

We’ve heard it 100 times: “Once you are in lighting, you’re stuck in it forever.” But why is there a pejorative tone? Melissa Deutsch Stein thinks we undervalue our community. And she finds longevity in the industry to be an asset. “I think our NYC niche of the spec lighting community is quite special.”   MORE >

August 2024

Build Human Relationships, Build Your Career    

Manny Feris
Retired, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

Self-assurance is the key to building close, professional relationships and learning from each new person and experience. Everyone knows something I don’t know…or more about something I thought I knew.  Every member of the team has their own priorities that skew their view of any possible solution. And they're almost always right – from their point of view. Figuring out a solution that meets the primary concerns of multiple team members is the most satisfying part of the job!   MORE >

July 2024

AI: A Beacon of Creative Exploration    

Josh Miller
Senior Manager of Strategic Visualization, Acuity Brands

AI tools offer designers opportunities for iteration: a chance to claw back the time to fulfill our fundamental need to create, to mold something out of the intangible.  MORE >

June 2024

Building Control Systems - Legrand North America    

Gary Meshberg
Market Development Specialist, Legrand

To educate both professionals and customers on the benefits of advanced lighting controls we need knowledge-sharing, education, and accessible marketing. Together, we can overcome technology and marketplace obstacles and encourage widespread adoption in homes, businesses, and public spaces.  MORE >

May 2024

First They Came for the Socialists

Alana Shepherd
Founding Principal, Intangible Light
Founder, North American Coalition of Lighting Industry Queers
Lecturer of Design, Theatre Arts Department, University of Idaho

With so much injustice in the world, you feel like it will never end. But it’s time for the lighting industry to rally: to speak, donate, and lobby on behalf of our queer peers.  MORE >

April 2024

Museum Lighting: The Art of Collaboration

Eileen M. E. Pierce
Founding Principal, Pierce Lighting Studio

Working with museum teams can present competing interests and visions. But by defining core values, and with long-term success at the heart of each individual, the opportunities are boundless. MORE >

March 2024

Lighting System Cybersecurity in the Age of AI

Michael Mehl
Director, LightBox Studios

Lighting systems face escalating cybersecurity threats, from international bad actors and new avenues of digital access. But even in the face of AI, analog technologies and close collaboration with experts can safeguard your clients’ building systems.  MORE >