April 24, 2026 — One of the remarkable rewards of serving as a volunteer Best of NeoCon juror is the path it can create to finding the next facility management or interior design firm position. Most jurors have the opportunity to serve as a juror up to three times. When the Best of NeoCon team is recruiting year to year, they discover that someone has a new position. “Over the decades of recruiting FMs and designers to join the jury, we are delighted when we hear of the friendships and jurors who joined a design firm after serving with a fellow juror,” says Eileen McMorrow, director of the Best of NeoCon since 1990. “It is not unusual to learn about the professional networking after juror service that leads to recommendations and career options for a fellow juror.” With approximately 45 jurors each year, that’s a significant networking opportunity while serving the noble cause of evaluating the best new products at NeoCon and making their recommendations. In essence, Best of NeoCon is a career-builder.
Continuing a 36-year legacy of honoring innovation in the built environment, commercial interiors event NeoCon has assembled its 2026 jury for Best of NeoCon — the commercial design industry’s premier awards program. This year’s multidisciplinary cohort brings together approximately 45 architects, designers, facility managers (FMs) and end-users from leading firms and organizations, including CannonDesign, Gensler, HDR, HKS, HOK, Marmon Mok, Northwestern Mutual, Shepley Bulfinch, State Farm and Walgreens, among others, for rigorous, in-person evaluations at The Mart. The 2026 program spans hundreds of entries within 46 categories, with expanded lighting classifications introduced alongside the debut of Illuminate at NeoCon, a dedicated exhibition spotlighting lighting innovation.
Eileen McMorrow, Director of the Best of NeoCon program, explains:
We personally invite the most respected practitioners because their ability to evaluate products through the lens of real-world application is central to maintaining the program’s credibility and relevance. We strive to diversify the jury across project types, firm sizes, areas of specialization, and geographic regions. Both designers and facility managers are sourcing solutions for substantial, complex projects, and that breadth of perspective is critical.
Jury grounded in real-world impact
Jurors are currently specifying for major projects across the country, including corporate headquarters, healthcare campuses, higher education facilities, and large-scale mixed-use developments ranging from 90,000 to over 1 million square feet. From global financial institutions and Fortune 500 workplaces to hospitals, research labs, and academic buildings, these projects demand high-performance, durable and human-centered solutions. Facility manager jurors are likewise overseeing workplace transformations, campus-wide upgrades, and specialized environments — ensuring products are evaluated not only for design excellence, but for long-term functionality and operational impact.
Pictured, row by row, left to right, the jurors with facility manager-related titles include:
- Amy Chavez, NCIDQ, Interior Designer / Technical Project Manager at Los Alamos National Labs
- Stefani Fichtel, Project Lead / Interior Designer at Los Alamos National Labs
- Lisa Haugen, Director of Spec Services at Kimiko Designs
- Ariel Hemke, WELL AP, Senior Facility Planning Specialist at Northwestern Mutual
- Aubrie Jones, Facility Planning Specialist, Northwestern Mutual
- Jeehee Lee, Facility Planner, GDC Global Facilities-Americas Facility Planning at Abbvie
- Jennifer Leighty, Manager, Workplace Experience at Walgreens
- Tiffany Liem, Vice President, Design at Brookfield Properties
- Sarah McGing, Manager, Corporate Facilities at American Medical Association (AMA)
- Misha Peterson, Furniture Group Lead at Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Kristi Zook, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED Green Associate, Interior Designer/FM at State Farm
Juror perspectives
To ensure a well-rounded review process, the jury includes both returning and first-time participants representing diverse disciplines and markets. During on-site evaluations, jurors engage directly with manufacturers to better understand product development, materiality and intended use.
Paola Contreras, Senior Interior Designer at HDR with 20 years of experience across healthcare, justice and behavioral health environments, states:
I value the opportunity to understand how products are developed and brought to market, especially those that support clarity, safety and dignity for the people using these spaces. Being a part of the jury process offers a chance to learn from manufacturers first-hand and see how new ideas are being translated into real solutions.
Returning juror Jennifer Leighty, who is in her 24th year at Walgreens, managing workplace experience for the company’s corporate environments, adds:
As someone who attends NeoCon regularly, having a behind-the-scenes look at how products come together is incredibly valuable. Hearing directly from the teams about their inspiration, the challenges they’re solving, and how their designs function in practice adds a level of understanding you can’t get anywhere else.
Jessica Maples, Design Director at Gensler with more than two decades of experience designing workplace interiors, notes:
Serving on the jury offers a unique vantage point into emerging manufacturers, sustainability innovations, and creative partnerships. It’s a chance to stay informed, connect great design and products with our clients, share that insight with our teams, and help inspire the next generation of designers.
Business Impact, honors and awards ceremony, and People’s Choice returns
Returning for its fourth year, the Business Impact Awards will once again recognize products that drive organizational performance, from efficiency and cost savings to improved use of space. Finalists advance to a second round of on-site review by a panel of business journalists from outlets including Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, The New York Times and Wirecutter.
Awards for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability and Business Impact, along with the program’s highest distinction — Best of Competition — will be announced during the official ceremony on Monday, June 8, at The Mart, kicking off NeoCon 2026. Following the ceremony, attendees will once again be invited to participate in the People’s Choice Awards. This digital and on-site voting initiative empowers the broader design community to select their favorite standout products from this year’s winners. Voting will be open through Tuesday, June 9, with five winners announced at the BIFMA Breakfast and across NeoCon’s social media channels on Wednesday, June 10.
Submissions accepted through May 20
For more information on the program or to submit entries, visit the Best of NeoCon. Eligible products must have entered the U.S. market since June 2025 and be on display at NeoCon 2026.
NeoCon is open to trade, C-Suite executives, and other industry-related professionals, and registration is free for all attendees.
