"I was born to do this." Meet IIDA Member of the Year Dani Sheley
Hillary Simon
June 19, 2023
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Dani Sheley will tell you interior design work is like a big puzzle, and in 7th grade, she was given her first “puzzle” as a class assignment to build a model home.
After that experience, Dani thought she had fallen in love with architecture, but years later, discovered what she really loved was interior design. From space planning to strategy, she loves everything about the discipline, especially the spirit of collaboration it fosters.
Fast forward to 2023, Dani Sheley, an interior designer in our St. Louis office, was awarded the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Member of the Year, an incredibly prestigious award that recognizes her out of all the IIDA members in the organization.
“My heart was pounding when I received the call that I won. I couldn’t believe it,” she explained.
To win this recognition, an IIDA member must shine in three clear ways: dedication toward mentorship in their career, demonstrating volunteer service, and advancing IIDA’s mission. Dani hit all those qualities and, according to jury members, stepped the game up for future candidates.
Dani became an IIDA member in 2017 and after a short two years, joined the IIDA Gateway Chapter Board of Directors. Soon after that, she became the chapter president. She is currently the immediate past president through June 2023. During her presidency, she created the Impact Committee and through that started the Inaugural Give Back Day in 2022. Last year’s event was incredibly successful—establishing six volunteer opportunities, all maxed out with designers, reps, vendors and individuals.
“Now that I’m taking a step back as a past-president, I feel like I’m wearing this ‘proud mama role’," explained Sheley. "It’s amazing to see everything going so well in the Gateway chapter and know I was a part of that success.”
Mentorship is huge to Dani for a big reason. When she first joined the workforce at other firms, she said there were times she felt alone and wondered if she made the right career choice. Fortunately, she was able to persevere and find people she can lean on for advice. Because of that moment in her career, she finds it valuable to mentor young designers, and make sure that lonely feeling doesn’t happen for them.
Volunteering came natural to Dani, and putting hours into giving back has never felt like a chore or an after-thought. “I truly get joy out of volunteering—It’s not a burden at all,” said Sheley. In conjunction with the CannonDesign St. Louis office, Dani volunteers at the Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls and works with aspiring designers. Other volunteer opportunities have been with her alma mater, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Interior Design program, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, her local church, and numerous IIDA events.
Testimonials
As if all of that wasn’t keeping Dani busy enough—she is in full blown wedding planning. Her fiancé popped the question early this year and even though Dani has a full schedule filled with work, IIDA, her church, and other volunteer commitments, she found time to choose a date for the wedding, September 30. Two weeks before the big day, she will be at the event she founded, IIDA Gateway’s Give Back Day. She chose her wedding date methodically, so that she could still help plan and attend that event—there’s nothing she can’t handle.
Get to know Dani more by watching the video below:
