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The Spring District’s Block 13 Pre-Leased by Meta

Wright Runstad

Wright Runstad & Company (“Wright Runstad”) and Shorenstein Properties (“Shorenstein") today announced they have pre-leased their planned 213,000 square foot Block 13 project in the Spring District to Meta. It is the fifth building in the Spring District to be leased by Meta, bringing its total leased area in the neighborhood to over 1.4 million square feet. The Block 13 project will be located between Block 20, the former REI headquarters which was purchased by Meta in 2020, and the University of Washington’s Global Innovation Exchange. The Block 13 project was designed by NBBJ and will be constructed by BN Builders as the general contractor. Construction will commence in 2022 and completion is expected in 2024. “The successful pre-lease of the Block 13 project further exemplifies the considerable demand for commercial space in the thriving Spring District,” said Greg Johnson, CEO of Wright Runstad. “We look forward to providing our tenants with the unique and industry-leading amenities they have come to expect from us.” The transit-oriented and sustainable Spring District is Bellevue’s most exciting new neighborhood. In addition to Meta’s significant presence, it is also home to the Global Innovation Exchange, which opened in 2017. It also features over 800 residential units and Bellevue Brewing Company’s new location which is scheduled to open in 2022. More information about The Spring District can be found at www.thespringdistrict.com. About Wright Runstad & Company: Seattle-based Wright Runstad & Company develops, acquires, manages and leases high-quality commercial office and mixed-use buildings located primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The company is in its fifth decade as one of the region's premier real estate development and operating companies, delivering outstanding property performance and superior investment returns. Wright Runstad & Company maintains an exceptional reputation among tenants and institutional investors for its demonstrated commitment to integrity and high levels of quality and service. For additional information visit: www.wrightrunstad.com About Shorenstein Properties: Founded in 1960, Shorenstein Properties LLC is a privately-owned, real estate firm that owns and operates high-quality office, residential and mixed-use properties across the U.S., with offices in San Francisco and New York. Since 1992, Shorenstein has sponsored twelve closed-end investment funds with total equity commitments of $8.8 billion, of which Shorenstein committed $723.5 million. The firm uses its integrated investment and operating capabilities to take advantage of opportunities that, at the particular time in the investment cycle, offer the most attractive returns. Investments have included ground-up developments, asset repositioning and stabilized assets; investment structures have included asset acquisitions, mezzanine loans, preferred equity investments and structured joint ventures. More information is available at www.shorenstein.com. Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://thespringdistrict.com/

December 06, 2021 12:00 PM Pacific Standard Time

QX Global Group is now a proud member of the BDO Alliance USA

QX Global Group

QX Global Group, a leading knowledge process outsourcing company with a growing presence in North America, today announced its membership with the BDO Alliance community, America’s foremost association of independently owned local and regional accounting, consulting, and financial services firms with aligned client service goals. This alliance strengthens and further extends QX’s award-winning and acclaimed industry experiences in enabling transformation of their clients' internal business operations to streamline and simplify their processes. QX will draw upon the knowledge, expertise, and resources of the BDO Alliance to support the transformation and growth of accounting firms in the US by leveraging its vast pool of highly qualified talent consisting of accountants, tax professionals, and consultants. Commenting on the development, Mr. Ravi Kurani, Country Head, North America, said, “This alliance opens up whole new possibilities for QX and our accounting clients in the US. We bring to the alliance community cost-effective, professional and secure outsourcing services to help them resolve talent gaps, extend their service offerings, and thereby increasing both margins and profits." QX brings to the financial community outsourcing solutions that adds value to accounting firms especially in a time when the profession is faced with a severe shortage of skilled staff. “We believe the professionals of QX Global Group share BDO’s commitment to exemplary client service and we want to welcome them into the BDO Alliance USA,” said Michael Horwitz, BDO USA, LLP Partner and Executive Director of Alliance Services. QX continues to build on its rich legacy of providing enhanced outsourcing services in accounting practices, primarily around tax preparation, accounting and reengineering projects. About QX Global Group QX Global Group is a leading provider of business process management services. With over 17 years of accounting and recruitment process outsourcing experience, we help our clients unlock business value by improving process efficiencies and automation in the accounting and recruitment function to enable business transformation. We are based out of the UK with offices in the USA, Canada, Australia, and India. About BDO Alliance The BDO Alliance USA is a nationwide association of independently-owned local and regional accounting, consulting, and service firms with similar client service goals. The BDO Alliance USA presents an opportunity for firms, by accessing the resources of BDO USA, LLP, and other Alliance members, to expand services to their clients without jeopardizing their existing relationships or their autonomy. The BDO Alliance USA was developed to provide member firms with an alternative strategy for gaining a competitive advantage in the face of a changing business landscape. Participants in its Vendor Marketing Program include non-member firms that serve as vendors providing additional products and services to member firms and their clients. The BDO Alliance USA is a subsidiary of BDO USA, LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. Contact Details QX Global Group Vishal Kurani +1 646-693-9693 vishal.kurani@qxglobalgroup.com Company Website https://qxglobalgroup.com/

November 30, 2021 11:14 AM Eastern Standard Time

A second significant deal for Nofar Energy in Poland’s renewable energy market

Ivri PR

In line with its strategic plan and following its entry into Poland’s renewable energy market, Nofar Energy (NOFR) today announced a second significant deal in Poland. Nofar reported it had purchased a portfolio of solar projects with a total capacity of 185 megawatts. Earlier this week, the company said it had signed an agreement with Electrum SP. Z O.O, a leading player in Poland’s renewable energy market. Under the contract, the two companies will jointly own a corporation devoted to initiating, developing, managing, and maintaining photo-voltaic (PV) and wind energy projects in Poland with a capacity of up to 1,250 megawatts. The expansion of Nofar’s operations in Poland adds to the projects, companies, and development platforms that Nofar already owns in the USA, Spain, Romania, Italy, and Israel. Under the new deal, Nofar Europe (90%) inked an agreement to buy a portfolio of solar projects in Poland with a total capacity of 185 megawatts, which are in different stages of construction and development. The projects are acquired from Paged Real Estate, which will develop them until RTB. The company plans to connect the projects to the power grid in 2023-2024. The portfolio comprises 14 projects with capacities ranging from 1 to 68 megawatts. The projected construction cost of all the projects in the portfolio is € 96.6 million, and their projected annual revenues are estimated at € 11.7 million with a yearly EBITDA of approx. € 7.8 million. Nadav Tenne, CEO of Nofar Energy, said, “the current deal and the partnership with Electrum, which we announced earlier, adds to Nofar’s development momentum in the USA, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Israel. Anchored in the global organizational infrastructure that we built over the past year, including initiation, development, funding, construction, and management in the said markets. Nofar’s unique business model, organizational scheme, and global presence allow it to develop additional growth platforms in profitable growth. At the same time, the company invests in its current operations to ensure continued rapid growth.” Poland’s renewable energy market In February 2021, the Polish government adopted the Polish Energy Policy for 2040 (PEP2040). The policy stipulates that by 2030, coal-based electricity will be reduced from 66% to 56%, CO 2 emissions will be reduced by 30%, and the rate of renewable energies in power generation will increase from 13% to at least 23%. These milestones will be implemented concurrently with constructing marine power generation facilities and increased power generation from nuclear energy. Furthermore, the Polish government has also undertaken to shut down all the coal mines in the country by 2049. Poland’s renewable energy market is projected to grow substantially over the next few years, among others, to comply with the policy objectives. An independent consulting company estimated that 11.3 gigawatts of new power generation projects from renewable sources (solar and wind) will be built by 2025. By 2030, the capacity would increase by 25.7 gigawatts compared with today’s power. Of this capacity, 10.3 gigawatts will be generated from solar plants, 9.4 from land-based wind energy facilities, and the balance from wind energy facilities located in the sea. Thus, by 2025, electricity from renewable sources is expected to account for 21% and 42% by 2030, compared with 13% in 2021. Contact Details nofar-energy Dikla Ivri Pardnoy +972 52-380-4085 Dikla@ivripr.com Company Website https://www.nofar-energy.com/

November 25, 2021 01:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

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REALTORS® Reveal Buying and Selling Tips for a Competitive Real Estate Market

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/McIbClV5apA Drive down any street in America over the past two years and one thing is obvious: the real estate market is booming. How hot is it? Nearly 9 out every 10 homes (86%) sold in September 2021 were on the market for less than a month. Existing-home sales jumped 7% in September as each of the four major U.S. regions witnessed monthly sales increases. The median existing-home sales price climbed 13.3% from a year ago. So, what is the real estate outlook for 2022? The National Association of REALTORS® weighs in. “All markets are seeing strong conditions and home sales are the best they’ve been in 15 years,” said Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist of NAR. “The housing sector’s success will continue, but I don’t expect next year’s performance to exceed this year’s.” Additionally, Yun predicts that mortgage rates will see an increase of 3.7% in the coming months, a rise attributed to persistent high inflation. Home prices rose an average of 12% in 2020 and 2021, while inflation rose 3%. While NAR has a good idea of what to expect nationally, nobody knows your neighborhood better than a REALTOR® who lives and works in your community. They wade through complicated, data-heavy volumes of information about local markets to help consumers navigate what is the most complex and important transaction of their lives. In fact, while most buyers begin their home search online, 9 out of 10 still choose the assistance of a trusted real estate agent to guide them through this infrequent, complicated transaction. For more information, visit https://www.realtor.com/ About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

November 22, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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DealCloud’s New Relationship Intelligence Insights Leverage Dealmakers’ Networks to Drive Growth

Intapp

Intapp (NASDAQ: INTA), a leading provider of industry-specific, cloud-based software solutions that enable connected professional and financial services firms, today announced expanded relationship intelligence functionality within its DealCloud solution, helping firms grow business and improve outcomes using the power of professional networks. DealCloud relationship intelligence uses AI and predictive insights to help dealmakers improve deal sourcing, business development, fundraising, and related functions using the reach and strength of their personal networks and those of professionals across the firm. DealCloud relationship intelligence identifies who knows whom and establishes relationship scores based on the volume, recency, and type of engagements by passively harvesting metadata from Microsoft Exchange emails and events. The tool provides a new layer of insights that helps users find the clearest and most influential path to opportunity with other firms and dealmakers — with zero data input required. Key benefits of using DealCloud for relationship intelligence include: Sourcing deals through personal and professional networks — By relying on a deeper layer of relationship insights, deal professionals can intelligently scan their firm’s network for lucrative referrals and generate warm introductions at target companies. Maintaining and develop key relationships — With relationship intelligence, deal professionals can track the strength of relationships and nurture them to maintain or improve the effectiveness of their network through new business development initiatives. Reducing key-person risk and institutionalize knowledge — Relationship intelligence helps firms manage and monitor relationships, minimizing loss or damage to the firm by determining which relationships might be at risk due to employee attrition and transitioning those relationships to other professionals. DealCloud relationship intelligences uses dashboards and network diagrams to help firms visualize relationships, showing who maintains relationships with parties of interest, how strong those relationships are, and how long they’ve existed. By combining contact and relationship data with the DealCloud platform’s client and engagement lifecycle data, firms can achieve a competitive advantage resulting from data-driven business development and stronger collaboration. “Deal professionals often struggle to understand who knows whom at target companies and firms, especially across geographies, industries, and deal teams,” said Ben Harrison, President of Financial Services at Intapp. “Considering that a significant majority of deals are generated through a dealmaker’s professional contacts, this can pose a considerable challenge to business growth. DealCloud relationship intelligence helps dealmakers instantly understand the clearest and most influential path to a target company’s leadership while other firms are still cold calling.” For more information on DealCloud relationship intelligence, please visit our website or contact us for a personalized demo. About Intapp Intapp makes the connected firm possible. We help professional and financial services firms better connect their people, processes, and data through AI-powered software solutions. Trusted by more than 1,900 of the world’s premier private capital, investment banking, legal, accounting, and consulting firms, Intapp offers an end-to-end solution purpose-built to help modernize these firms. Intapp facilitates greater team collaboration, digitizes complex workflows to optimize deal and engagement execution, and leverages proprietary AI to help nurture relationships and originate new business. Intapp helps firms increase profitability and investment returns, operate more efficiently, and better manage risk and compliance. For more information, visit intapp.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Intapp) and LinkedIn. Contact Details Intapp Ali Robinson +1 612-232-0062 ali.robinson@intapp.com Company Website http://www.intapp.com

November 02, 2021 09:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Monarch Apartment Homes Reaches Milestone and Breaks Ground in Palm Springs

Community Housing Opportunities Corporation

The first affordable housing complex in Palm Springs in more than 12 years is moving forward. The Monarch Apartment Homes, a 60-unit affordable housing community located in Palm Springs, CA, officially broke ground on October 28. Under development by the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC ), an organization dedicated to expanding affordable housing, the complex serves as an excellent example of how the affordable housing challenge can be solved in cities throughout the state. The CHOC Monarch Apartment Homes is expected to be completed in 2023. “It has been stated that housing is a human right,” said Manuela Silva, CEO of CHOC. “Affordable housing allows residents to live in cities that they would not otherwise have been able to afford. As a result, residents have better school choices.” Dignitaries present at the groundbreaking included California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege, City Councilmembers Lisa Middleton and Dennis L. Woods, Lift to Rise CEO Heather Vaikona, 4 th District Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and CHOC CEO Manuela Silva. Heather Vaikona was the event’s master of ceremonies. “Governor Gavin Newsom has allocated $500 million of state low-income housing tax credits over the last three fiscal years. That is significant in making projects like this,” said California State Treasurer Fiona Ma. “It also has made our bonds competitive because the state tax credits need to be combined with the bonds.” In partnership with the city under a Disposition Development Agreement (DDA), CHOC will develop the land with rental apartments consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The project is financed by California Municipal Finance Authority (CMFA), the City of Palm Springs, the County of Riverside, Flagstar Bank, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC), California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTAC), and California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC). “The full city council has unanimously supported this project and our partnership with CHOC includes donating this beautiful and valuable piece of land we are standing on today to the developer appraised at $840,000 contributing an additional $1.8 million of city funds to get this project done,” said Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege. “We covered $250,000 in permit fees so the total contribution of nearly $3 million to cover the gap to support CHOC to get this done.” “Like many of our cities, the area is heavily reliant on hardworking, low-income workers that are the backbone of many industries here, yet they often have to choose between paying for housing versus other necessities such as childcare, food, and healthcare,” adds Silva. “This is the first new affordable housing property in 12 years and there is more to come. I am proud of Riverside County, the City of Palm Springs, the mayor and our council members,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. The $31 million complex includes sloping rooftops that mimic the monarch butterfly, and natural desert plants to blend in with the surrounding communities. The development sits on a 3.62-acre vacant parcel of land owned by the City of Palm Springs Successor Redevelopment Agency. The property is located at the Southeast corner of N. Indian Canyon and San Rafael Drive in the Upper Westside One Palm Springs Neighborhood. In partnership with the city under a Disposition Development Agreement (DDA), CHOC will develop the land with rental apartments consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. All units will have balconies or patios with a community building for a computer classroom, a rental office, and a community lounge that can be used for group functions. Amenities include a dog park, a Monarch Park splash pad – which is a water feature with a deck area that is integrated into the main open space adjacent to a children’s play area as well as two BBQ areas. Designed under the direction of Maria Song, AIA, LEED & AP, principal with the Palm Springs-based architectural firm Interactive Design Corporation, (IDC) and HKIT Architects, the complex will blend in with the surrounding neighborhood, which is known for its mid-Century modern design influence. The property will be constructed by davisREED Construction, Inc., whose breadth of national experience ranges from five-star resorts to public works and other hotels including the Kimpton Rowan in Palm Springs, which was named among the Condé Nast Best New Hotels List. ### About The Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC): Founded in 1984, the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC) is a non-profit, affordable housing developer based in Fairfield, California with offices in Palm Springs, creates and manages equitable communities for individuals, families, seniors, and those with special needs. CHOC believes that economically integrated affordable housing is key to self-sufficiency and is achievable with enriching, supportive programs that give pride to residents, stabilize families, and improve local economies. Visit www.chochousing.org to learn more. Contact Details The Hoyt Organization Cinnamon Thompson +1 310-933-6836 cthompson@hoytorg.com Company Website https://www.chochousing.org/

October 29, 2021 12:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Named Finalist in Computing Security Excellence Awards 2021

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced that it has been chosen as a finalist in Computing’s Security Excellence Awards 2021 for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Security Solution Award. Computing celebrates the achievements of the IT industry's leading security companies, solutions, products, and personalities that keep every other part of the industry operating. Award categories include product- and project-related recognition, organizational achievements, and accolades for outstanding individual success. Computing selected Cyvatar for its cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) platform, designed with SMEs in mind. SMEs are increasingly at the mercy of ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and other cyber threats, but unlike larger orgs, most SMEs don’t have the budget or expertise to invest in comprehensive in-house security programs. Moreover, they struggle to show value from the security tools they do buy. Cyvatar CSaaS democratizes cybersecurity, making the best protection accessible and affordable for any SME regardless of budget, even if they have no cybersecurity expertise in-house. Customers can select the membership and pricing that meet their desired business outcomes in seconds; a freemium model ensures they can achieve tangible results fast with no out-of-pocket costs--an industry first. And they can cancel anytime--another industry first. “We don’t throw technology over the wall and expect our customers to figure it out themselves the way many product companies do,” said Corey White, Cyvatar co-founder and chief executive. “We deliver all three pillars of cybersecurity—the teams, technology solutions, and best practices—to SMEs that would not otherwise be able to implement them. Our subscription model ensures they don’t end up buying solutions they can’t use or don’t need, and our platform lets them see at a glance what’s going on in their environment to give them the best cyber prevention available.” Cyvatar offers its proprietary ICARM™ (install, configure, assess, remediate, maintain) methodology to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions, allowing SMEs to achieve security compliance and cyber-attack prevention faster and more effectively. ICARM ensures SMEs won’t get crushed under the weight of too many products, and guaranteed outcomes mean they get maximum value from their technology spend. Choose the Cyvatar membership with the best outcomes for your business today. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert practitioners, market-leading technologies, and proven best practices to guarantee business results. Our approach is rooted in a proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack prevention, all bundled into a fixed monthly subscription that members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California, with locations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at cyvatar.ai and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar Dan Chmielewski +1 949-231-2963 dchm@madisonalexanderpr.com Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

October 28, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DealCloud Transforms Real Estate Investment Management with All-in-One Deal and Pipeline Platform

Intapp

Intapp (NASDAQ: INTA), a leading provider of industry-specific, cloud-based software solutions that enable connected professional and financial services firms, today announced expanded functionality of its DealCloud solution specifically focused on meeting the complex and unique needs of real estate investors. With enhanced visualization of pipeline and properties, map-based property discovery, and streamlined analysis, DealCloud real estate investment software provides the most comprehensive management solution available. Key enhancements to DealCloud for real estate include: Partnership with Esri — Using map data from this market leading provider, users can now evaluate properties and deals alongside location-based geographic and demographic intelligence within the DealCloud platform. When combined with a client’s proprietary data, the customizable dashboard serves as an all-in-one location to find pertinent property information. Card-Based Widget View — Desired information for each property or cluster of properties now appears in a card-based format that helps users visualize and organize properties in the pipeline, tasks for due diligence and execution, results and revenues for investor reporting, and the myriad of interconnected relationships required to source and finalize any deal. Users can now easily organize every property or deal under evaluation by stage or status, and move deals through the process with a simple drag-and-drop interface. Map-Based Discovery — Users can complete a full analysis right from the map without having to access each entry’s detail page. New features include a map-pin design and clustering mechanism to facilitate exploration and discovery, updated map pin pop-up windows that provide summary information and an image, filters that narrow properties by entry characteristics, and maps driven by latitude and longitude values to allow deeper exploration of properties and plots of land. AI-Assisted Relationship Intelligence — This tool centralizes and organizes a firm’s relationship network and helps firms maintain current relationship information without manual data entry. Given the complex nature of relationships in the real estate market, this technology brings clarity to the matrix of contacts, including brokers, intermediaries, contractors, staffers, and consultants who present opportunities for the firm and bring insight to pre-market deals. These and other enhancements to the DealCloud solution help real estate investment clients source pipeline opportunities, increase workflow efficiency, and ease diligence and reporting across all property types and professionals in various geographical locations. The solution also features third-party integrations that let users pivot data and aggregate information in different formats through different lenses. In addition to the Esri partnership, databases include FactSet, Pitchbook, Preqin, PrivCo, SourceScrub, Dun & Bradstreet, SPS, and S&P Global Intelligence. “Our real estate investment and brokerage clients need extensive mapping, geographic data, and imagery to efficiently execute investments and provide clients with the best outcomes on dispositions,” said Ben Harrison, President of Financial Services at Intapp. “When a firm’s proprietary information database automatically aggregates multiple third-party resources and lets investors process information from any device, deals move faster, more efficiently, and with better insight. This functionality is lightyears faster than juggling Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and disparate databases.” For more information on DealCloud real estate investment software please see the resources below or contact us for a personalized demo: Blog Post: Three Must-Have Property Management Software Features for Real Estate Investors Case Study: Kairos Investment Management Company Case Study: Kayne Anderson Real Estate Blog Post: Build Strong Deal Pipelines Using Real Estate Fund Software About Intapp Intapp makes the connected firm possible. We help professional and financial services firms better connect their people, processes, and data through AI-powered software solutions. Trusted by approximately 1,600 of the world’s premier private capital, investment banking, legal, accounting, and consulting firms, Intapp offers an end-to-end solution purpose-built to help modernize these firms. Intapp facilitates greater team collaboration, digitizes complex workflows to optimize deal and engagement execution, and leverages proprietary AI to help nurture relationships and originate new business. Intapp helps firms increase profitability and investment returns, operate more efficiently, and better manage risk and compliance. For more information, visit intapp.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Intapp) and LinkedIn. Contact Details Intapp Ali Robinson +1 678-909-0703 ali.robinson@intapp.com Company Website http://www.intapp.com

October 13, 2021 09:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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IIDA Commercial Interior Design Association Calls on California Legislators to Update Work Regulations to Reflect Critical Role of Those Who Ensure Safety and Efficacy of Public Spaces

IIDA

Did you know that California is the only state utilizing a private board to oversee interior design regulation? The Northern and Southern California chapters of IIDA (the commercial international interior design association) today recommended that a state board oversee the process. That and other joint proposals are part of IIDA’s legislative slate for critical updates to the state’s regulatory process for the commercial interior design profession. In early 2022, the Business and Professions committee of the California Legislature will undertake a sunset review of the regulation of the interior design occupation as established in 1990. The legislature originally scheduled the review in 2021 but deferred it due to the exigencies of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic brought to light greater public awareness about the essential work that commercial interior designers do to ensure that public spaces are designed to support the health and well-being of the people who use and occupy them every day. Commercial interior designers conceive and create the systems and aesthetics around space usage, air quality, surfaces and access in commercial spaces that include office buildings, government buildings, entertainment venues, airports, schools and hospitals. “We know – and the pandemic has shown - that commercial interior design plays a key role in promoting the health, safety and welfare of the public. Design also has the power to heal and bring people together,” said Verda Alexander, president of IIDA Northern California. “California’s regulations and standards for the commercial design profession lag far behind those of other states. The upcoming sunset review is the ideal moment to bring California up to the industry standard.” “With respect to public health, racial equity and climate change, we are living in unprecedented times,” added Meena Krenek, president of IIDA Southern California. “Commercial interior designers use design as a tool for championing social and environmental concerns and they represent the full diversity of California. Their professional standing should be regulated on an equal basis with our architectural colleagues.” Commercial interior designers are trained to identify and apply creative and technical design solutions to the interiors of commercial buildings – from offices and hospitals to restaurants and concert halls. Their goal is to understand the human experience within these spaces, and improve how people use them, while keeping the public safe and healthy. Their work must conform to local and state building and public health codes. Commercial design professionals understand these regulations and follow through to ensure compliance. IIDA recommends the following updates to California’s professional standards: IIDA supports the continuation of a voluntary certification or registration for interior designers, including commercial interior designers who practice in the code-impacted environment. Due to the health, safety, and welfare impacts of commercial spaces, the public’s best interest is served when commercial interior design is recognized and regulated. IIDA advocates for commercial interior designers to be regulated by a state board. IIDA believes regulating the industry by a state board provides transparency and equity for interior designers and the public. The current regulation is overseen by a private board. California is the only state in the country utilizing a private board to oversee interior design regulation. IIDA submits that the qualifying exam for certified or registered commercial interior designers be the NCIDQ exam. The NCIDQ exam is the industry’s national standard, and many states require this for certification or registration. California currently requires a unique exam that is not recognized by any other state. IIDA argues for commercial interior designers’ ability to stamp & seal drawings within a defined scope and for the acceptance of that stamp to be codified in state law to ensure consistent acceptance at building departments throughout California. Currently, Certified Interior Designers do not have codified stamp and seal privileges and experience inconsistencies in various jurisdictions when submitting drawings for review across the state. IIDA recommends that “commercial interior designers” be included in California’s definition of “design professional,” which also includes architects, engineers, landscape architects and land surveyors. Without this recognition, the thousands of commercial interior designers practicing in California are legally excluded, despite their critical role working in code-impacted environments. About IIDA The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) chapters of Northern California and Southern California are not-for-profit philanthropic organizations that represent more than 1,000 commercial interior designers. These IIDA chapters support and promote the commercial interior design profession through education, knowledge sharing, best practices, advocacy and research. The work of commercial interior designers touches the health, safety and well-being of millions of people every day. For information about IIDA Northern California, please visit www.iidanc.org. For information about IIDA Southern California, please visit: https://iida-socal.org/. # # # Contact Details Christina Marcellus +1 310-963-2023 Christina@capitoladvisors.org Company Website https://iida.org/

September 28, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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