Emil Lendof

EMIL LENDOF

Current job: Managing Photo Editor, The Wall Street Journal

3 things you can’t live without: A camera, a good book, Google Maps

What’s your superpower? Finding parking in NYC

What do you listen to while creating? Latin Synth Pop

Favorite TV show: The Sopranos

What (or who) inspires you? My mom

Advice for young creatives? Take on your goals one step at a time! Things are always easier to tackle if you break them down into smaller pieces.

What’s on your bucket list for the next year? Seeing Oasis :)

Brian Lutz

BRIAN LUTZ

Current job: Illustrator, Adjunct Professor, University of Hartford

3 things you can’t live without: Family, Graphite, Positivity

What’s your superpower? I make people happy with drawings.

What do you listen to while creating? Full albums on repeat. Dinosaur Jr. and more.

Favorite TV show: Seinfeld/Curb Your Enthusiasm

What (or who) inspires you? Family, friends, students, mentors, culture, you.

Advice for young creatives? Always look on the bright side of life! Show up. Make things no one asks you to make. Don't wait for permission. Be nice to each other!

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Leveling up on the bass guitar.

Carrie Mifsud

Carrie mifsud

Current job: Homescreen Art Director, The New York Times

3 things you can’t live without: My family. My vinyl records. My sketchbook.

What’s your superpower? X-ray vision into the heart of stories (and hopefully editors, lol).

What do you listen to while creating? Cassette tapes from shows I recently went to. On a walkman.

Favorite TV show: The Golden Bachelorette. Get it girl.

What (or who) inspires you? Bowie. Saul Bass. Maira Kalman. Milton Glaser. Nina Simone.

Advice for young creatives? Find a way to set yourself apart from everyone else. Tap into what makes you YOU and the work will shine.

What’s on your bucket list for the next year? Writing a book, getting a stamp in my passport, doing that work-life balance thing better.

Chin Wang

CHIN WANG

Current job: Vice President, ESPN Creative Studio

3 things you can’t live without: 1) Dinner with friends 2) Weekends in the garden 3) Alone time with a book

What’s your superpower? I can keep a secret! (And I won’t judge what you tell me).

What do you listen to while creating? Nothing. Let’s call it multitasking meditation.

Favorite TV show: Killing Eve, Fleabag, Veep

What (or who) inspires you? This young generation of creatives – unapologetic and fearless.

Advice for young creatives? Things that feel big to you now won’t be later. Make space for all the bumps along the way.

What’s on your bucket list for the next year? Finishing the screenplay I started during Covid.

Keisha Dean

Keisha Dean

Current job: Executive Director, SPD

What’s your superpower? Being a Jedi.

3 things you can’t live without: My mom (don’t tell her I just referred to her as a thing), television, and bacon.

Name an inspiring Instagram feed: I don’t have time for IG :-)

Favorite streaming TV show: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Walking Dead series, and The Peripheral

What's your advice for young creatives? Join SPD!

What (or who) inspires you? Kick-ass, bone-crushing, sharp-tongued female leads in TV & film.

Chelsey Lamwatt

Chelsey Lamwatt

Current job: Communications Director, SPD

What’s your superpower? I have a good memory for people.

3 things you can’t live without: Family, my phone, and a good book.

Name an inspiring Instagram feed: Collage artist Sharlene Kayne - @skaynedesigns and Punk History - @punk_history

A mistake you made early in your career: Not being confident enough in my skills and what I bring to the table.

Favorite streaming TV show: The West Wing and Criminal Minds

What's your advice for young creatives? The importance of networking: talk to people and continue to stay in touch with colleagues throughout your career.

What (or who) inspires you? My friends who are fearless in chasing after their dreams; they inspire me to do the same.

Meet The Board: 2023-2024

Each year, the members of the Society vote on the officers and directors of the SPD Board. We’re excited to welcome six new board members this year (Carrie, Davian-Lynn, Emily, Karen, Rashida, and Zara) and congratulate our new officers (Emily, David, Chuck, Dennis, and Taylor). Special thanks to our outgoing board members for serving on the board.

Get to know the 2023-2024 Board of Directors and SPD HQ by clicking on each photo below!

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OFFICERS

Emily Kimbro
PRESIDENT
Creative Director
Texas Monthly

Music you listen to while creating: my favorite radio station out of New Orleans, WWOZ

READ MORE…

David Cooper
VICE PRESIDENT
Illustrator + Photo Director

What’s your super power? I know how to make a few pencil marks on paper look like a thing.

READ MORE…

Chuck Kerr
VICE PRESIDENT
Creative Director
Entertainment Weekly

What (or who) inspires you? Albums with zero skippable tracks. 

READ MORE…

Dennis Huynh
SECRETARY
Product Design Director, Editorial
GoodRx, New York NY

What’s your super power? Secretly knowing how to work a spreadsheet or Airtable

READ MORE…

Taylor Le
TREASURER
Design Director
Los Angeles Times

3 things you can’t live without: Iced soy lattes, spas, cats

READ MORE…

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DIRECTORS

Carrie Mifsud
Art Director
The New York Times

Three things you can’t live without: My family, My vinyl records, My sketchbook

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Jeanne Graves
Director of Photography
Fast Company

What’s your super power? Going warp speed at the 11th hour.

READ MORE…

Rashida Morgan-Brown
Creative Director
Rashidasdesigns.com

3 things you can’t live without: Family, peace of mind, creativity

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Davian-Lynn Hopkins
Senior Designer
Pentagram

Advice for young creatives? Trust your gut!

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Emily Furlani
Art Director
Brooklyn, NY

Three things you can’t live without: Laughter, hugs, good moisturizer

READ MORE…

Jana Meier-Roberts
Design Director
Sports Illustrated Germany

3 things you can’t live without: My family, books, the outdoors

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Josue Evilla
Creative Director
Fortune Design

What’s your super power? No coffee — I'm ready to go!

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Haley Kluge
Creative Director
Variety

Album you listen to while creating: Any original Broadway cast album

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Zara Katz
Photography Director
NBC News Digital

What’s on your bucket list for 2024: Travel outside of the U.S. Not spontaneously combusting during the 2024 election.

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José Reyes
Founder, Executive Creative Director
Metaleap Creative

Advice for young creatives: Stay curious, ask great questions, follow through

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Karen Frank
Freelance

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Reinvention

READ MORE…

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SPD HQ

Keisha Dean
Executive Director
SPD

What’s your superpower? Being a Jedi.

READ MORE…

Chelsey Lamwatt
Communications Director
SPD

3 things you can’t live without: Family, my phone, and a good book.

READ MORE…

Emily Kimbro

EMILY KIMBRO

PRESIDENT

Current job: Creative Director, Texas Monthly

What’s your super power? Making a decent cocktail out of just about any ingredients you put in front of me.

Music you listen to while creating: usually streaming my favorite station out of New Orleans, WWOZ

Favorite streaming TV show: Currently down the Sopranos rabbit hole (for the first time!)

What (or who) inspires you? All of you wonderful people!

Advice for young creatives? Go places! See things!

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Going places! Seeing things! And hopefully a little downtime for making (mediocre) pottery for my friends :)

David Cooper

David Cooper

VICE PRESIDENT

Current job: Illustrator and Photo Director

3 things you can’t live without: My life, my love and my kids. 

What’s your super power? I know how to make a few pencil marks on paper look like a thing. 

Album you listen to while creating: Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis

Favorite streaming TV show: Andor

What (or who) inspires you? The human condition. 

Advice for young creatives? Stay even keeled in life. If someone likes the work you're doing, cool; if they don't, cool, just keep it moving. 

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? To finish illustrating four picture books. 

Dennis Huynh

Dennis Huynh

SECRETARY

Current job: Product Design Director, Editorial — GoodRx, New York NY

3 things you can’t live without: Coffee, bagels, candles

What’s your super power? humor and airtable

Album you listen to while creating: The Calm playlist on Apple Music!

Favorite streaming TV show: Schitt's Creek

What (or who) inspires you? Gen-Z's desire for a better work future

Advice for young creatives? Being patient and try to enjoy the uncomfortable growth phase

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Hiking trip internationally

Haley Kluge

Haley Kluge

Current job: Creative Director, Variety

Three things you can’t live without: Diet Coke, TSA Precheck, my Kindle

What’s your super power? Enthusiasm

Album you listen to while creating: Any original Broadway cast album

Favorite streaming TV show: The Newsroom

What (or who) inspires you? All the creatives out there sharing their work

Advice for young creatives? A work ethic and good attitude will get you far.

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Cheering on Michigan State basketball in the Final Four

José Reyes

José Reyes

Current job: Founder, Executive Creative Director, Metaleap Creative

3 things you can’t live without: Negroni's, the outdoors, and my wife.

What’s your super power? Listening

Album you listen to while creating: Afrobeat

Favorite streaming TV show: Severance

What (or who) inspires you? A great interview, regardless of the subject matter

Advice for young creatives? Stay curious, ask great questions, follow through

What’s on your bucket list for 2024? Try running the business—remotely from another city—for a month

Meet The Board: 2022-2023

Each year, the members of the Society vote on the officers and directors of the SPD Board. We’re excited to welcome five new board members this year (Chuck, Josue, Jeanne, Taylor, and Jana) and congratulate our new officers (Emily, Natalie, David, Emem, and Dennis). Special thanks to our outgoing board members for serving on the board.

Get to know the 2022-2023 Board of Directors and SPD HQ by clicking on each photo below!

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OFFICERS

Emily Kimbro
PRESIDENT
Creative Director
Texas Monthly

Music you listen to while creating: 90% jazz, 10% funk

READ MORE…

David Cooper
VICE PRESIDENT
Illustrator + Photo Director

What’s your super power? I know how to make a few pencil marks on paper look like a thing.

READ MORE…

Natalie Gialluca
VICE PRESIDENT
Senior Visuals Editor
Vanity Fair

What’s your super power? Finding items in the house others deem missing 

READ MORE…

Dennis Huynh
SECRETARY
Director of Editorial Product Design
GoodRx, New York

What’s your super power? Secretly knowing how to work a spreadsheet or Airtable

READ MORE…

Emem Offong
TREASURER
VP, UX Design Lead
JPMorgan Chase & Co

Advice for young creatives? Follow your interests. Be kind to your colleagues.

READ MORE…

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DIRECTORS

Katie Belloff
Art Director
The New York Times T Brand Studio

What’s your super power? Forgetting where I put all my Pilot Precise V7 pens

READ MORE…

Jeanne Graves
Director of Photography
Fast Company

What’s your super power? Going warp speed at the 11th hour.

READ MORE…

Taylor Le
Design Director
Los Angeles Times

3 things you can’t live without: Iced soy lattes, spas, cats

READ MORE…

Lauren Brown
Senior Visual Editor
Allure and Glamour

Advice for young creatives? Find your voice and go
all in

READ MORE…

Chuck Kerr
Creative Director
Entertainment Weekly

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? A proper, unplugged vacation.

READ MORE…

Jana Meier-Roberts
Design Director
Sports Illustrated Germany

3 things you can’t live without: My family, books, the outdoors

READ MORE…

Josue Evilla
Art Director
Fortune

3 things you can’t live without: Pretty sure it'll have chocolate on top.

READ MORE…

Haley Kluge
Art Director
Netflix

Album you listen to while creating: Any original Broadway cast album

READ MORE…

Ryan Mesina
VP, Creative Services
Martha Stewart Living

3 things you can’t live without: There is only one thing....PRINT MAGAZINES

READ MORE…

José Reyes
Founder, Executive Creative Director
Metaleap Creative

What (or who) inspires you? People who show up as themselves

READ MORE…

Corliss Elizabeth Williams
Creative Director + Stylist
The Lowry Estate Premier Vintage + Resale Boutique

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? I’ve always wanted a tattoo. Just have no idea of what. Maybe it’ll hit me in 2023!

READ MORE…

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SPD HQ

Keisha Dean
Executive Director
SPD

What’s your superpower? Being a Jedi.

READ MORE…

Chelsey Lamwatt
Communications Director
SPD

3 things you can’t live without: Family, my phone, and a good book.

READ MORE…

Emily Kimbro

EMILY KIMBRO

PRESIDENT

Current job: Creative Director, Texas Monthly

What’s your super power? Making a decent cocktail out of just about any ingredients you put in front of me.

Music you listen to while creating: 90% jazz, 10% funk

Favorite streaming TV show: We went alllll in on Better Call Saul (and then rewatched Breaking Bad, someone send me palatte-cleansing recommendations!!)

What (or who) inspires you? All of you wonderful people!

Advice for young creatives? Go places! See things!

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? Going places! Seeing things! And hopefully a little downtime for making (mediocre) pottery for my friends :)

David Cooper

David Cooper

VICE PRESIDENT

Current job: Illustrator and Photo Director

3 things you can’t live without: My life, my love and my kids. 

What’s your super power? I know how to make a few pencil marks on paper look like a thing. 

Album you listen to while creating: Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis

Favorite streaming TV show: Andor

What (or who) inspires you? The human condition. 

Advice for young creatives? Stay even keeled in life. If someone likes the work you're doing, cool; if they don't, cool, just keep it moving. 

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? To finish illustrating four picture books. 

Natalie Gialluca

Natalie Gialluca

VICE PRESIDENT

Current job: Senior Visuals Editor, Vanity Fair

3 things you can’t live without: sleep, a tangible planner, camera

What’s your super power? Finding items in the house others deem missing 

Album you listen to while creating: When creating in the morning, I listen to Adele or John Legend. Come afternoon I change to Taylor Swift or Lizzo for some fun upbeat tunes to get me reenergized! 

Favorite streaming TV show: Favorite current shows are Succession & The Great British Bakeoff

What (or who) inspires you? Looking at old magazine issues

Advice for young creatives? Be kind to every single person in your crew and department.

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? Carried over from 2022's bucket list: To get on an airplane to go literally anywhere for an adult only vacation.

Dennis Huynh

Dennis Huynh

SECRETARY

Current job: Director of Editorial Product Design at GoodRx, New York

3 things you can’t live without: Coffee, Apple Watch, post-its

What’s your super power? Secretly knowing how to work a spreadsheet or Airtable

Album you listen to while creating: Focus playlist on Apple Music

Favorite streaming TV show: The Other Two, The White Lotus, Ring of Power

What (or who) inspires you? The typography in movie title sequences

Advice for young creatives? Bring your whole authentic self to work, don't be afraid to speak up for your ideas, and listen.

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? More international travel

Emem Offong

Emem Offong

TREASURER

Current job: VP, UX Design Lead, JPMorgan Chase & Co

3 things you can’t live without: Music, Coffee, Phone 

What’s your super power? Curiosity

Album you listen to while creating: Assortment of Spotify playlists: Nigerian Pop, Indie Folk, Pop, etc 

Favorite streaming TV show: Abbott Elementary 

What (or who) inspires you? Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York)

Advice for young creatives? Follow your interests. Be kind to your colleagues. 

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Katie Belloff

Katie Belloff

Current job: Art Director, The New York Times T Brand Studio

3 things you can’t live without: My Spotify playlists, my cat Kenny, and kettle corn

What’s your super power? Forgetting where I put all my Pilot Precise V7 pens 

Album you listen to while creating: 3 Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance OR Historian by Lucy Dacus 

Favorite streaming TV show: Over the Garden Wall. I think I watched it 4 times this past fall. 

What (or who) inspires you? Matt Wiley, The New York Times Magazine, Retro advertisements, Risograph printing, Woodtype, old-school photo booth strips, and so much more! 

Advice for young creatives? Be patient with yourself. Everyone moves at their own pace throughout life and through their career. Don't let what your peers are doing make you feel like you're behind/failing. 

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? Finally take a solo trip to Ireland! (COVID and Airlines permitting)

Lauren Brown

Lauren Brown

Current job: Senior Visual Editor, Allure and Glamour

3 things you can’t live without: Camera, friends, movies

What’s your super power? Foresight 

Album you listen to while creating: Currently it’s the new Beyoncé, Sasami and Sextile

Favorite streaming TV show: White Lotus, Abbott Elementary

What (or who) inspires you? Charlie Engman, Harley Weir and Carlijn Jacobs

Advice for young creatives? Find your voice and go all in

What’s on your bucket list for 2023? Trips to Egypt and Brazil