Chapter Board: Education Chair

Name: Nicole Tingvall
Position: Education Chair
Email: nicole_uw@ymail.com

A head for business. A heart for design.

Nicole has a BA in Business Administration from the University of Washington, spending her final year abroad at the University of Bath in England. Upon graduation, she was employed by Cutter & Buck as a Marketing Assistant, responsible for planning store events and promotions. After the dot-com crash, store events were cut from the company’s budget and she returned to England for an internship program, whereby upon completion, she earned a post-graduate Certificate in International Business Practice from the University of Cambridge.

When she returned to the States, Nicole began to pursue her passion for Interior Design by working as a Design Consultant for La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, followed by Ethan Allen Home Interiors. She was awarded Ethan Allen Rookie of the Year in 2005 and promoted to Senior Designer for sales volume, team spirit and positive client feedback. After 5 years in residential interiors, Nicole wished to transition to commercial interiors and accepted a position as a Sales Executive for BarclayDean, a Steelcase dealership.

Nicole saw the economic downturn as a perfect time for her to return to school for a formal Interior Design education. She is currently a full-time student at Bellevue College and serves as the Events Chair of BC’s Interior Design Student Association. She is also an active member of IIDA, IDCW (Interior Design Coalition of Washington) and NEWH – The Hospitality Network.