Meet Your IDA Council
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Alan Antioquia - President
My current position is the Associate Professor and Chair of Interior Design at Mount Royal University. I hold a Masters of Architecture, a Bachelor of Applied of Interior Design, and a Bachelor of Biological Science. As an interior designer, my design experiences include office, retail, retail tenant coordination, and restaurant design. My architectural experiences focused on low-rise multi-family housing and affordable housing projects. Both my practice and teaching are influenced by a steadfast interest in the building systems that create the built environment and the shaping of human experiences through interior design and architecture.
I have been an IDA member since 2004 and in 2015 joined the council as the CIDQ Representative. My involvement with the council keeps me connected to the profession and the many designers and allied professionals in our industry. I believe the IDA is a place for interior designers to come together to learn and grow professionally. This is a critical time for Interior Designers in Alberta. The profession is growing in the province and the IDA is positioned to be the voice and champion for the Interior Design community.
As the current president, I am excited for new changes and offerings to our members in the upcoming year. This cannot be completed without the dedication of our current IDA council and committee volunteers. I am also looking forward to growing the membership and ensuring that the organization is relevant to current practices and is a positive advocate for the profession of Interior Design.
Louise Aroche - Past President
I have a new position as the Leader of Workplace Solutions, Programming and Planning at the City of Calgary. I am really passionate about workplace design and solving challenges in this field. In my over 20 years of commercial interior design experience, I have worked on a variety of project types including offices, healthcare, post-secondary, libraries, and retail.
I completed the Interior Design program at Mount Royal University back when it was a college. I believe my legacy project will always be the Calgary Central Library. It was a thrill to work on such an amazing endeavor and now I get to see it every day as it is across the street from my new office.
I joined the IDA council as the Vice President in 2020, then moved into the President role a year later, and moved into the Past President role in June. Despite the challenges of leading our association during the pandemic, we were responsive and able to maintain a steady presence. I am currently working to improve and expand our Urban Encounters tradeshow, as well as collaborating with Buildex organizers to create the first annual Groundbreaker’s lunch. Both events are going to be fantastic this year!
Angélique de Pennart - CIDQ Delegate
Born in Paris, France, I found inspiration at a very young age. Paris filled me with a sense of wonder, curiosity and an appreciation for architecture and design. In Paris I graduated with a Masters Degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design in 1990. In 1994, I made the choice to live, design and raise a family in Calgary. I return to Europe each year for a dose of creative inspiration.
I am a registered interior designer and I have been practicing interior design for more than 30 years in Calgary, Paris and New York. I started my own interior design practice in 2020.
I have been an IDA member for the past 2 decades. I joined the IDA council in 2021 as the CIDQ representative to provide advocacy for our profession, and pass on my legacy to the new generation of designers.
Gale LeBlanc - Industry Representative
My current position is CGC Architectural Ceilings Solutions Representative with CGC Inc, a National Wallboard and Ceilings Manufacturer. I have a Bachelor of Interior Design Degree from University of Manitoba, and graduated in 1982. I practiced design for approximately 6 years then took a sabbatical and sailed off shore in the South Pacific for 2.5 years. I worked as an independent designer in Vancouver, wrote the NCIDQ exam, moved to Toronto, started a family, then settled in Calgary where I owned and operated a retail import furniture business for 10 years, prior to taking on my current role as a manufacturer rep. with CGC for the past 12 years.
I have been on the IDA council as an Industry Member for approximately 4 years. I am personally hoping to help increase recognition of the IDA and the Mount Royal Interior Design program by collaborating with other industry members to launch another successful 2023-24 Interior Design/ Architecture Student Competition. I am honored to be part of a great team of Interior Designers and the IDA.
Justice Kong - New Student Representative
I currently work at Arts Commons and I have been there for 5 years now. I love working in the arts industry where I am always exposed to new creative ideas that inspire me and my work. By joining the IDA Council I hope to gain industry knowledge and experience that will help me in my career and that I can share with my fellow classmates.
My inspiration to pursue an education in interior design came from my grandmother Shirley, who is an interior designer. I grew up watching her design and admired her impeccable taste and wanted to be just like her.
