(December 4, 2025—Washington, D.C. — The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) announced the recipients of its 2025 ASID Lifetime Membership Awards, recognizing members whose long-standing dedication, leadership, and service have made a significant and lasting impact on the interior design profession and the ASID community. 

This year’s honorees represent decades of achievement and contributions that have advanced the industry, mentored future generations, and strengthened ASID at both the chapter and national levels. 

ASID’s 2025 Lifetime Membership Award recipients are: 

• Duval Acker, FASID, CMKBD – ASID Carolinas Chapter 
• Donna Kirby, FASID – ASID Florida North Chapter 
• Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, FASID, CID, LEED Fellow – ASID Minnesota Chapter 
• Leslie Shankman-Cohn, FASID, NCIDQ, RID, CAPS, CGP – ASID Tennessee Chapter 
• Ed Starr, FASID – ASID Carolinas Chapter 

 
“The 2025 Lifetime Membership Award recipients exemplify the highest standards of our profession,” said Khoi Vo, chief executive officer, ASID. “Their commitment to design excellence, leadership, and service has elevated ASID and strengthened the broader design community.” 

 

Duval Acker, FASID, CMKBD 
ASID Carolinas Chapter 

Duval Acker has been an active and devoted member of ASID for nearly 40 years. After beginning her design career in 1980, she joined ASID in 1986 and later passed the NCIDQ in 1999—a milestone that launched her deep engagement with the Society. Acker credits ASID with shaping her professional growth, offering leadership opportunities, and providing a community of peers who became lifelong friends. Through chapter service and volunteer leadership, she has built a legacy grounded in mentorship, dedication, and a deep appreciation for the profession. Acker continues to champion the value of ASID, recognizing it as the foundation that helped her reach “goals loftier than her own.” 

 

 

 

Donna Kirby, FASID 
ASID Florida North Chapter 

Donna Kirby joined ASID in 1975 at the encouragement of colleagues and earned professional status after passing the NCIDQ in 1977. Her long career is defined by leadership, service, and a deep commitment to community. Kirby has served on both chapter and national boards, where she strengthened member engagement and built lifelong friendships. ASID also helped guide her career into education, where she taught licensing exam preparation courses, held national educational roles, and embraced public speaking—a professional chapter she had not anticipated but came to love. Kirby values ASID most for the personal and professional growth it fostered, noting that the organization opened opportunities and experiences that shaped who she is today. 

 

 

Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, FASID, CID, LEED Fellow 
ASID Minnesota Chapter 

A nationally recognized leader in workplace design, sustainability, and human health, Rachelle Schoessler Lynn devoted more than 30 years to advancing interior design through innovation, advocacy, and mentorship. Her pioneering approach to sustainability helped shape industry standards and influenced the creation of healthier interior environments. Schoessler Lynn served as national chair of ASID, received the ASID Designer of Distinction Award, and was inducted into the ASID College of Fellows. She co-founded the USGBC Minnesota Chapter, served on the CIDA Board of Directors, and became a USGBC LEED Fellow, designing the first LEED-certified restaurant and commercial geothermal building in Minnesota. A respected collaborator, keynote speaker, author, and educator, her advocacy efforts helped shift policy, elevate research, and expand the profession’s impact nationwide. 

 

 

Leslie Shankman-Cohn, FASID, NCIDQ, RID, CAPS, CGP 
ASID Tennessee Chapter 

Leslie Shankman-Cohn is a registered interior designer, certified aging-in-place specialist, certified green professional, and partner at JHID in Memphis. A longtime leader within ASID, she is a past president of the ASID Tennessee Chapter and the Tennessee Coalition of Interior Designers and has served on the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners. Her design work has earned numerous state and national awards, including ASID Tennessee Gold, Silver, and Best in Show recognitions, as well as the NAHB “Homes for Life” award. She was honored with the Kenneth C. Kimbrough Award of Excellence and was recently named an ASID 50 Honoree at GATHER 2025. Shankman-Cohn has advised organizations such as the Plough Foundation on aging-in-place initiatives and serves as principal to the ICC A117.1 Accessibility Codes Committee. Her work has been widely published, and she continues to present CEUs, write, and lecture on design, accessibility, and universal design. 

 

 

Ed Starr, FASID 
ASID Carolinas Chapter 

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Ed Starr is regarded as a foundational leader in the history of ASID. He began his career after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in interior design in 1966 and became deeply involved with AID early on, serving as the last AID Carolinas president. Starr was one of two members selected to count the votes for the proposed 1974 and 1975 mergers between AID and NSID—ultimately leading to the formation of ASID, where he became the first president of the ASID Carolinas Chapter. He went on to serve on the ASID National Board of Directors, Ethics Committee, Nominating Committee, and the National Council of Fellows, and was a founding member of the team that developed the STEP Program. Elected to the ASID College of Fellows in 1998, Starr is also an ASID 50 Honoree. His commercial and residential work has been published in 11 magazines and earned multiple ASID Carolinas Excellence in Design awards. Starr continues to consult, attend chapter events, and mentor the next generation of designers, leaving a legacy rooted in service, leadership, and dedication to the profession. 

 

For more information about ASID awards and recognitions, visit asid.org/resources/awards.