SPACE veteran Michelle Hinskey—Account Manager—uses her relationship building skills to help customers feel comfortable working with our team.

What are your responsibilities as an Account Manager?

As Account Manager, I build and maintain relationships with customers who hire SPACE to redesign their interior commercial spaces. In my 20 years here, I’ve been privileged to serve many repeat customers, as they hire us to manage additional locations of theirs. 

I actually started my career in residential design, with an interior design degree. When that job became a difficult work/life balance, I moved to SPACE. I’ve enjoyed growing in new areas—and I truly love what I do!

What was most surprising about joining the SPACE team?

Simply speaking, I had to become bolder. My nature does not lean toward an aggressive salesperson personality. I’m totally non-threatening!

But I’ve learned how to get the job done, while also helping my customers feel comfortable and form a bond of trust.

What are you most proud about throughout your time with SPACE?

I’m proud to be part of a phenomenal team that creates beautiful and functional commercial interiors. Seeing before and after pictures is a joy! And I absolutely love when customers return with another project for us—it shows we did something they loved and they want more.

If I’m allowed to play favoritism, Northwood University is one of my favorite accounts. We’ve built a steady, comfortable relationship over years of multiple projects. As a higher education organization, they qualified for contract pricing. This allowed them to get the best pricing available with pre-negotiated discounts, so their projects for furnishings don’t have to go to bid.

In your perspective, what does the future look like for SPACE?

Our second generation leadership team is ambitiously growing our company, so that’s fun to see. 

And the pandemic has proven that we can successfully do things differently. While working remotely, we’ve still provided beautiful design packages. We’re able to show customers 3D renderings virtually, making changes on the fly. This is only going to help us keep growing and innovating.

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In her free time, Michelle and her husband follow their teenage daughter around to pom competitions and hang out with their Bernese Mountain dog, Bentley, and ten-year-old grumpy cat, Lucky.

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Austin Dingee joined SPACE, Inc. five months ago as a Craftsman. He had heard about SPACE when our team worked on an office for a previous employer of his.

What are your responsibilities as a Craftsman?

My primary responsibilities are to provide leadership and on-site supervision during installation.  I work to ensure jobs are properly planned, resulting in an on-time (and on budget) completion. My goal is to make sure we have a safe and successful install and that our clients are taken care of.  

While I’m relatively new to the role and the industry, I’m enjoying the challenge of figuring out the inner-workings of the industry and how everything fits together.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I absolutely love seeing how excited customers are when they see their new office spaces. They often rush in to check out the new furniture!

What is the future of SPACE, from your perspective?

I think SPACE’s future is bright! Every company wants to create modern and aesthetically-pleasing spaces for their employees and clients. Our work is only beginning.

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When he’s not working, Austin enjoys playing softball and hoping the Detroit Lions will win a game!

Meet John Dybas, Project Manager with our Midland, Michigan office. Driven by innate curiosity and a love for challenges, John oversees the details of many of SPACE’s workplace installations.

How did your path lead to SPACE?

While I’ve always been in operations, I worked in a variety of industries before making my way into furniture in 1989. Within the furniture industry, I’ve collaborated with all the major Midwest companies: Haworth, Steelcase, and Herman Miller. 

I’ve led crews between 1-50 people and have overseen the installation of one office all the way up to 1,500 stations. 

As I was reaching my growth ceiling at a previous company, Kathie encouraged me to join the team at SPACE. I actually said no the first two times, before she convinced me!

What has been the most surprising aspect of your work with SPACE?

I quickly learned that SPACE is more of a family atmosphere than most businesses. Employees and customers are treated with so much gratitude and respect.

I love working with my hands, alongside our crews onsite. It’s amazing to see our designers’ vision come to life as we build workstations and other team environments from the ground up.

What are you most proud about throughout your time at SPACE?

The faith Kathie had in me gave me a foundation to grow—personally and professionally. At SPACE, we have opportunities to learn weekly, if not daily. We’re only limited by ourselves. 

And I’m never bored, which is why I’m still at SPACE 15 years later. Our designers are open minded, always looking outside the box at creative workplace design solutions.

I remember a project where the client had built a new building to merge team members from five separate locations. We took their existing furniture and upcycled them in such a way that the staff had no idea it was their same products! This was actually one of the earliest iterations of what became SPACE Anew.

Fun facts about John:

John enjoys projects and challenges—in both his professional and personal life. You can often find him camping, hunting, or fishing.

John’s personal design style: Rustic and industrial

Meet Andrea Diaz, Interior Designer with our Washington D.C. office. Creative and bright, Andrea brings stylish and functional solutions to every client she impacts.

How did your path lead to SPACE?

I earned my bachelor’s degree in interior design from Florida State University. My first professional roles were in residential firms. 

As I began dreaming of a new challenge at a larger scale organization, I found SPACE’s website. The clear signs of innovation and the belief that what’s good is never good enough quickly drew me in.

What has been the most surprising aspect of your work with SPACE?

In my eight months with SPACE so far, I’m pleasantly surprised at how well our team works together as a whole. A mistake is never placed solely on one person’s shoulders. Instead, we fix it together. 

I’ve never experienced that before in my design career. And this aspect of our culture allows us to accomplish goals we never thought possible.

The encouragement and positivity is so motivating. Recently, two people “graduated” — our phrase for moving on to new professional careers — and leadership celebrated them with beautiful send-offs. All of this makes me love getting up for work.

What are you most proud about throughout your time with SPACE?

Coming from the residential world, I’m pleased with how well I’ve been able to adapt and move past my comfort zone. I’m surprised by how much I’ve been able to accomplish so far. 

We’re wrapping up a large federal government project, where I helped project manage and spoke with clients, architects, and vendors with confidence and leadership. I can’t thank the SPACE team enough for helping me grow in these ways!

In your opinion, what is the future of design—and how will SPACE be able to help?

With the high cost of real estate, companies are realizing the benefits of hybrid work. I see the future of work as having more physical “touchdown stations” instead of set desks and workstations. 

We’re equipping organizations with multi-functional workspaces, so they’re adaptable for whatever the future holds. Meeting rooms must help remote employees communicate, collaborate, and work efficiently with each other — so top-notch technology is essential.

Fun facts about Andrea:

Andrea’s creativity shines inside and outside of work. She loves making art and remodeling her house. She has two dogs: a husky and a border collie — Milo and Bandit.

Andrea’s personal design style: “A modge podge of styles, you could call it eclectic farmhouse. I love patterns and bright colors. Recently, I’m into Portuguese or Mediterranean-style vibrant ceramics.”

What design trend needs to go: “Pastels.”

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Meet Jessica Criqui, Interior Designer with our Washington D.C. office. Driven by a desire to enhance the lives of those she serves, Jessica brings her passion and skills to commercial clients.

How did your path lead to SPACE?

I earned my bachelor’s degree in interior design from Kansas State University, before working in residential design. 

I’ve always wanted to explore everything the design world has to offer, so eventually I looked for a professional change. The messaging on SPACE’s website clearly depicted fantastic relationships with clients, staff longevity, caring leaders, and an investment and involvement with local communities. 

At the end of my interview process, both SPACE and I felt comfortable working together.

What has been your most surprising aspect of your work with SPACE?

Echoing others, I love the strong connection between our two offices: Central and East. We feel like a small family that comes together to accomplish mutual goals.

Kathie, Jenni, and Paddy — our leadership team — truly want us to grow and find a strong fit here.

What are you most proud about throughout your time at SPACE?

I came from a residential background, with little knowledge of furniture selection or the commercial design world in general. I’m grateful that the SPACE team recognized that I didn’t know everything right away, but took a chance on me — offering ongoing training to help me grow. 

Our leadership team understands that the design world is always changing. That’s why they empower us to keep up with trends, education, and industry events. We have yearly goals to conduct research, and the design team attends an annual conference with many vendors and dealers.

Fun facts about Jessica:

Originally from Kansas, Jessica moved to Virginia/Washington D.C. four years ago. She and her husband love travelling, snowboarding in Colorado, and exploring their still-new home.

Jessica’s personal design style: “A combination of industrial and southwestern. I love warm and cozy textiles, contrasted with brick, iron, and earthy elements. Nature and big windows are a must.”

What design fads she hopes never come back in style: “Tile countertops and carpeted bathrooms.”

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Meet Saharnaz Pena, New Business Developer and Acting Team Lead for our Washington D.C office. Uber smart and always professional, Saharnaz focuses on maintaining existing accounts while building new relationships with federal government agencies.

How did your path lead to SPACE?

Originally, I studied Architecture and Planning at Virginia Tech and landed at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), where I worked for eight years as a Project Manager. Along the way, I met SPACE, as they provided design and furniture services to the department and to most of my projects. 

At the same time that I reached a stalling point with my professional growth at DHHS, Kathie and SPACE graciously opened their doors to me — and I came on board to help develop business opportunities and teams for our Washington D.C location.

What are you most proud about throughout your time with SPACE?

Together, we’ve built a unified culture that understands our mission and brings their best selves to work each day. Our East team works very closely with HQ and is never isolated from SPACE’s Midland headquarters.

I remember one project where we helped a government agency fix their workplace design problems within a very short timeframe. We listened to their concerns and presented a timeline. Within just one week, we sent a designer on site, conducted a series of interviews with customers, and completed more than 90% of the design concept. 

I’m constantly impressed by the way our team comes together to expedite large-scale projects for government agencies with aggressive funding deadlines.

What has been the most surprising aspect of your work with SPACE?

When I joined SPACE, I happily discovered that my existing relationships — people I used to work for and looked up to — could be maintained. Now, I get to introduce our capabilities statement and open the door for them to receive incredible workplace design services.

I’m grateful for our leadership team’s openness to listen and willingness to adopt new ideas. In my short 18 months with the team, they’ve provided me with the tools and platforms I need to execute ideas, learn lessons, try and fail.

In your opinion, what is the future of government design — and how will SPACE be able to help?

The future is so bright for our SPACE East team. We’re looking forward to opportunities to expand our business, compete on higher bids, and work with so many different government agencies. 

The solutions we offer exactly fit government agencies’ challenges:

• Designing workplace layouts
• Reusing existing inventory
• Maintaining a healthy workplace

Fun facts about Saharnaz:

Saharnaz’s personal design style: “Minimalistic and white. My house is always clean!”

How she maintains a work/life balance: “To me, running is meditational. I try to run a 5k each day.”

Below, Saharnaz is pictured with Piggybear, her cat, and Jason, her husband.

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