MKDA Promotes John Giuseffi and Daniel DeSiena to Executive Vice Presidents
Lon Skidds and Ari Weisfelner Promoted to Senior Vice Presidents at the Firm
New York, NY, December 8, 2010—MKDA, a corporate space planning and interior design firm with offices in New York City and Stamford, CT, is pleased to announce that it has promoted four associates at its New York office. John Giuseffi and Daniel DeSiena were promoted to executive vice presidents and Lon Skidds and Ari Weisfelner were promoted to senior vice presidents.
“In looking towards our future, it is important to have leaders in place that will continue to build upon the strengths of the firm,” said MKDA President Michael Kleinberg. “These individuals consistently work towards fulfilling our mission of offering superior interior design services with an emphasis on client support.”
John Giuseffi, executive vice president and senior project director,joined MKDA in 1991 as a project director. He was previously senior vice president. In his current role, Mr. Giuseffi provides senior-level project oversight with significant expertise in corporate and facilities planning, scheduling, budgets, computer-aided graphics and streamlined construction documentation.
Mr. Giuseffi oversees both corporate and landlord projects at MKDA. His experience includes DeWitt Stern, Duff & Phelps, Willis Group, Monday Properties, Boston Properties and Bloomindale Properties, among others.
Mr. Giuseffi received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1985 from Pratt Institute. He passed his architectural licensing exam on the first attempt—an accomplishment that just seven percent of national candidates achieved in 1989.
Daniel DeSiena, executive vice president and director of design,joined MKDA in 1983 as a designer. He was previously senior vice president. In his current role, Mr. DeSiena oversees design development on an array of corporate interior projects, ensuring strict adherence to all predetermined budgets and design standards.
Mr. DeSiena’s expertise has been applied to projects in numerous markets, including Duff & Phelps, Lukoil, Harvest Partners, Rockefeller Philanthropy, Willis Group, Lowenstein Sandler and China Construction Bank, to name a few.
In his spare time, Mr. DeSiena is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Encompass New Opera Theater, a Board Member of the Global Change Foundation, and a Design Watch Member of The Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
Mr. DeSiena holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from The State University of New York (SUNY). He studied law at Cleveland State University’s School of Law and interior design at the prestigious Parsons School of Design.
Lon Skidds, AIA,senior vice president and project manager, joined MKDA in 2004 as a project manager. In his current role, Mr. Skidds provides management of corporate and landlord interior projects with an emphasis on producing timely and budget conscious results that are in line with the original design concept.
Mr. Skidds has overseen projects on behalf of GE Monogram, Springs Global, Epoch Investment Partners, XE Capital, Lexington Partners, The Durst Organization and Vornado Realty, among others. His previous work has been recognized with two A.I.A. Chapter Archi Awards for Excellence.
Mr. Skidds holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from New York Institute of Technology.
Ari Weisfelner, senior vice president and project manager, joined MKDA in 2005 as project manager. In his current role, Mr. Weisfelner manages corporate and landlord projects and contributes substantially to the firm’s work with New York City organizations such as the New York City Board of Elections.
Additional experience includes Tawil Mayfair, Marcraft, Ventura, Blackstone, Equity Office Properties, UJA-Federation, Moinian Group, Sterling National Bank, Kepler Equities and Calvin Klein, among others.
Mr. Weisfelner received an Associate in Architectural Technology in 1994 from The State University of New York (SUNY) Delhi and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Architecture from The New York Institute of Technology.
ABOUT MKDA
MKDA is a leading corporate space planning and interior design firm with offices in New York City and Stamford, CT. Since its inception in 1959, the firm has earned a reputation as one of New York’s most respected and renowned interior architectural design firms. Its success is largely due to its intimate knowledge of the real estate market and long-running experience working with landlords and brokers throughout New York. Clients have included Silverstein Properties, Vornado Realty Trust, Capstone, Westbrook, Durst Organization, Rockefeller Philanthropy, Eze Castle, Heineken, GE Monogram, Harvest Partners, AICPA, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Lowenstein Sandler, and Wachovia, among many others. Additional information on MKDA may be found at www.mkda.com.
