Four leaders in the design industry have been named to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) 2013 College of Fellows and will be honored on June 21 at Celebration, the society’s annual awards ceremony held at Dwell on Design in Los Angeles.

The title of Fellow, the highest honor a member can receive from ASID, is given in recognition of outstanding service and contributions to the Society, the profession and the interior design industry. Here is a look at the 2013 Class of Fellows:

Clockwise from top: Barry, Schulte, Thoma-Holec and Peluso

Recognized as a contemporary design legend, Barbara Barry’s “authentic American design point of view” has launched an empire of famed interiors and best-selling product lines. An ASID member for more than 20 years, Barry has been an active presence in the California Los Angeles chapter, donating generously of her time to promote and encourage the success of both the chapter and her colleagues within the community and in 2012, she was given the chapter’s Lil Chain Award for Promotion of Design Excellence. Barry has a long list of publications and accolades to her name, including 2005 ASID Designer of Distinction, 2005 Elle Décor Designer of the Year, member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame and winner of several Best of NeoCon Awards from Contract magazine.

Julie Schulte’s longstanding passion for professionalism is particularly visible in her role as an active member since 1986 of the Florida Coalition for Interior Design where she played an integral role in the passage of favorable legislation in the state. She currently serves on ASID Foundation Board of Trustees and has served on the ASID national board, the National Nominating Committee and the Education Training and Advisory Council, and represented ASID on the IDEC board. She has also maintained an active involvement in the ASID Florida North Chapter. A huge proponent of professional and educational advancement, Schulte speaks frequently to student audiences and serves on the Florida State University Interior Design Advisory Board. She is also active in social causes, particularly a church effort to rehabilitate indigent housing projects throughout the country.

Since designing her first independent assisted living community in 1994, LuAnn Thoma-Holec has become a leader in this increasingly relevant specialty, designing more than 60 communities throughout the United States and Canada. Driven by her abiding passion to make the lives of the aging easier, more enjoyable and more active, Thoma-Holec has received numerous awards for her work, including more than a dozen ASID Design Awards of Excellence from the Arizona North chapter for hospitality and senior living designs, and multiple awards from the NAHB 50+ Housing Awards, the NationalCouncil on Senior Housing, and Design Environments on Aging. An ASID member for more than 30 years, she represents the Society and the profession of interior design in a positive light before many of the nation’s aging and gerontology organizations, including as a former board member of the Assisted Living Federation of America. Throughout her career, Thoma-Holec has been an exceptional presence within the ASID Arizona North Chapter, serving as chapter president, board member and committee chair on several occasions. She has also served on several national committees, including the National Ethics Committee, the ASID Aging in Place Council and the national board.

Since joining ASID as its director of finance in 2003, Rick Peluso has undertaken various roles within the organization, including associate executive director and, for the past year, CFO. Like so many organizations,both within the interior design industry and outside of it, ASID has faced economic challenges in recent years. However, due in large part to Peluso’s tireless work, the Society was able to weather the Great Recession largely unscathed, and with financial reserves intact. Under his guidance, ASID has received stellar reviews in its annual financial audits for the past decade, while growing its financial reserves and increasing its commitment to member services. Peluso’s diverse job description includes working closely with the ASID Chapter Support Team, overseeing the development and implementation of crucial organizational infrastructure such as the member database and website, and guiding ASID through myriad crucial governance and financial decisions.