Susan Grant Lewin - President
Susan Grant Lewin is an authority on marketing, public relations, brand-building and image enhancement for all aspects of the design industry. Throughout her career as a journalist, corporate communications executive, and public relations consultant, Ms. Lewin has consistently pushed the boundaries of creative marketing at the highest levels of design excellence. Since it’s founding in 1996, Susan Grant Lewin Associates has served some of the world’s most prestigious designers, architects and corporations. Central to her success as a marketing communicator, is her belief that an effective public relations strategist must be much more than a liaison to the press. Lewin and her firm work as marketing partners with clients, exploring a broad, conceptual identity, building dynamic perceived-value contexts, achieving success in highly competitive global markets. As Global Creative Director for Formica Corporation, Ms. Lewin received worldwide recognition for repositioning the century-old company as a design leader in trade and consumer markets. One outstanding example of her imaginative approach was the award-winning Surface and Ornament exhibition. Hailed as the “benchmark of all design competitions” by The New York Times, it featured Frank Gehry’s celebrated ColorCore Fish, which receives accolades to this day. Ms. Lewin was with Formica for over 12 years, during which the company’s net worth more than tripled. Ms. Lewin’s experiences as Senior Editor for Architecture at House Beautiful and Design Editor at Home Furnishings Daily are crucial to her success in generating press coverage and public attention for her clients. Her relationships with former colleagues afford exceptional access to key publications. She understands what editors want and how they work, as her close ties to the titans of design and architecture keep her on the cutting edge. She continues to write for America’s leading shelter magazines. Susan Grant Lewin has received numerous awards, including honors from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and the Institute of Business Designers (IBD). She is the author of Formica and Design: From Countertop to High Art (Rizzoli, 1991) and One of a Kind: American Art Jewelry Today (Harry N. Abrams, 1995).
Dan Schwartz - Vice President
During his 15 years as a media specialist, Dan Schwartz has cultivated strong professional relationships with top members of the national and international press. His media results for clients total countless column inches in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Architectural Record, and Artforum, among others. Before joining SGLA, Dan was a senior account executive at Trent & Co., and worked at BlumHelman Gallery.
Michelle Dilello - Vice President
Michelle DiLello possesses a decade of media and account relations experience building strategic communications programs in the U.S. and abroad. Her background includes media tours, press conferences, art & design fairs, design competitions, exhibitions and special events. At SGLA, she has managed public relations campaigns for Dyson, Design Miami/, The Design Trust for Public Space, Clinique La Prairie Spa in Montreux, Switzerland, Vojtech Blau, Dacra Development, and the Miami Design District. She handled the launches of Fendi Casa and the Calla highchair by Yves Behar, and the re-launch of Cambridge Architectural Mesh. Prior to joining SGLA, Michelle implemented public relations programs for a range of clients, such as 4Kids Entertainment, Danskin, the Jim Henson Company, American Film Institute, and “Between the Lions,” the award-winning PBS/CTW children’s show.
Ian Volner - Account Executive
Ian Volner comes to Susan Grant Lewin Associates with a background as a writer and historian, having received his undergraduate degree from Columbia as well as a Masters degree from NYU in the history and theory of architecture. Ian has been a frequent contributor to Architectural Record, ID, The Architect's Newspaper, and his critical and creative work has appeared in n+1 and the New York Sun among other publications. He's also been recognized for his writing by the Academy of American Poets and the Poetry Society if America, and he helped guide the literary and architecture programs at downtown NYC events space, The Accompanied Library. At SGLA, Ian has worked on public relations campaigns for Rafael Viñoly Architects, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, Martha Schwartz Partners, and numerous other prominent architecture and design practices.
Ricky Lee - Account Executive
With over 15 years experience in media and the arts, Ricky Lee is a public relations specialist consulting for artists, designers, foundations, museums, galleries, and publishers. A former writer and editor, Lee has developed and maintained strong and reliable personal and professional relationships with decision makers at major local, national and international magazines and newspapers. His placements for clients include articles and features in Art & Auction, Artforum, Art Review, Frieze, Interview, The Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wallpaper, The Wall Street Journal, Whitewall, among others. From 2001 to 2004, Lee was the Associate Publisher of Scalo, the Zurich-based art and photography book house. He has also directed the PR campaigns for publishing companies such as Harry N. Abrams, Phaidon Press, and The Vendome Press.