Susan S. Szenasy, Editor In Chief, METROPOLIS

Susan S. Szenasy is Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, the award-winning New York City-based magazine of architecture, culture, and design. Since 1986 she has lead the magazine through years of landmark design journalism, achieving domestic and international recognition. She is internationally recognized as an authority on sustainability and design.

Susan sits on the boards of the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER), FIT Interior Design, the Center for Architecture Advisory Board, and the Landscape Architecture Foundation. She has been honored with two IIDA Presidential Commendations, is an honorary member of the ASLA, and the 2008 recipient of the ASID Patron’s Prize and Presidential Commendation as well as the SARA/NY medallion of honor. Along with METROPOLIS Publisher Horace Havemeyer III, Susan was a 2007 recipient of the Civitas August Heckscher Award for Community Service and Excellence. Susan holds an MA in Modern European History from Rutgers University, and honorary doctorates from Kendall College of Art and Design, the Art Center College of Design, and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. She lives in New York’s East Village in a small loft designed by Harry Allen, where she moved in 2001 to reduce her ecological footprint.


Brian Kane, Kane Design Studio

Brian Kane graduated from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design. He worked for several New York City design studios and spent a year in Milan, Italy, working for Architect Silvio Coppola. His projects included the design of seating and casegoods for such companies as Mobil Italia Spa. and Bernini Spa.

After returning to the U.S. he worked in New York for Atelier International (A.I). Work involved special contract furniture design projects, showroom design, and the start-up of U.S. production of Italian designs. Kane joined the design staff at Metropolitan Furniture Corporation (Metro) design in January, 1977. Less than three years later, he became one of four partners assuming ownership of the firm, and took on the responsibilities of Vice President of Design and Product Development.

In 1987, Metropolitan was acquired by Steelcase. For the next two years, Kane maintained his position as Vice President and was responsible for all aspects of Metro’s design, including products, showrooms and graphics.

In March of 1989, Kane established Kane Design Studio in San Francisco. The firm has been involved in the design and development of products for Metropolitan Furniture Corp., Steelcase Inc., Turnstone, Landscapeforms, Bernhardt Furniture Co., Martin/Brattrud Inc., Interprofil Gmb. (a German manufacturer), R.M. Wieland Furniture Co., Tuohy Furniture Co., OFFI and Co., Howe Furniture, Halcon, and Stelter Partners. Kane’s designs have won over 80 design awards and have been exhibited at the Whitney and Brooklyn Museums in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.


Charrisse Johnston, ASID, LEED AP, CID

Charrisse Johnston is an interior designer at Gensler’s Los Angeles office, designing corporate offices. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Columbia Business School, with a BA in Behavioral Sciences and an MBA in management and marketing, Charrisse worked as a strategic planning executive on Wall Street before turning to interior design at UCLA Extension. She served on ASID’s National Student Advisory Council from 2006-2008 and is now a Director-at-Large on ASID’s National Board of Directors.