The National Council for Interior Design Qualification [NCIDQ] presented the Louis S. Tregre Award to Laura McDonald Stewart during the 2009 Annual Council of Delegates Meeting this past November in San Antonio, Texas. The award recognizes an individual for outstanding volunteer service at the grassroots level in support of NCIDQ’s mission to protect the health, life safety and welfare of the public by establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design.

The award was created in 1991 to honor the memory of Louis Tregre, a founding director and first president of NCIDQ. He worked tirelessly, beginning in the late 1960s until his death in 1991, to form an independent, autonomous organization to develop standards and guidelines for determining competency in the practice of interior design.

Stewart is the founder of PLiNTH & CHiNTZ, an online magazine and newsletter that educates readers on the profession and industry of interior design. She started Plinth & Chintz as a way to educate, entertain and connect readers to the interior design community. PLiNTH & CHiNTZ has been a unique partner with NCIDQ, publishing NCIDQ&A articles and helping to spread the word about the value of the NCIDQ Certificate and the path to professionalism for interior designers.

“One of my goals for the magazine has always been to expose the public to the depth of the industry, revealing the vital part that interior designers play in society, “says Stewart. “I strive to inspire both current and future design professionals to explore their talents and continually add to their skill sets and knowledge base as this is the most assured method of finding one’s niche and reaching one’s full potential.”

“I am incredibly honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Louis S. Tregre Award. So many industry members across North America devote their valuable time to promote the NCIDQ message of excellence within the interior design profession, and I am simply one of them. Passing the NCIDQ Examination is one important stepping stone along that long career path, and as the industry continues to expand and evolve, its role will become even more important.”

About NCIDQ®

NCIDQ® is an organization of regulatory boards and provincial associations in the United States and Canada whose core purpose is to protect the health, life safety and welfare of the public by establishing standards of competence in the practice of interior design. More information about the organization may be found at ncidq.org.