A BD Studio Collection, a portfolio started and led by Melissa Banko, consisting of four interior design firms – Banko Design, Eleni Interiors, Warner Design Associates (WDA), and Midwest Interiors – and a procurement agency, Red Pen Procurement, is honored to announce that Kelly Miller has joined the leadership team as Director of Portfolio Operations and Integration.
Melissa Banko and Kelly Miller were introduced by a well-respected industry partner, who knew both women individually. He described the two as like-minded, similar in leadership styles and of like energy. And boy was he right. Kelly will be vital in effectively scaling this already powerhouse of a portfolio alongside an amazing and talented team.
Kelly will work intimately with ownership, the portfolio studio directors, and Red Pen Procurement to continue and improve processes and communication throughout the portfolio, including business development, marketing, and philanthropic strategies.
Kelly Miller has focused her career on creating dynamic teams and working alongside the best of the industry’s developers in the multifamily, student housing, senior living, and boutique office arenas coast to coast. She received her Bachelor of Interior Design from The Art Institutes, Chicago and practiced in the Greater Chicago area in a dual role as Director of Interior Design and Director of Business Development until relocating to Atlanta in 2016. To sharpen her focus on luxury multifamily, she worked with Preston Partnership, where she refined her skillset for managing diverse projects and multi-faceted teams.
“A hustler at heart, I was seeking an arena where I could be in the trenches, leading a team on the most complex and notable interior design projects in the nation. It was here I sharpened my talent for front end design and placemaking. My phone still rings today with clients saying, ‘No one can figure this out, so I’m calling you’. I love a challenge, and there’s plenty of designers that can handle mediocre. When you design alongside the industry’s best partners and unfold a destination and a community versus just another building, it’s a high like no other.”
Kelly’s talent for placemaking and creative leadership launched her on a journey with Dwell Design Studio. There, as Director of Interiors, she led a talented team of interior designers and architects to relentlessly reject boring and create transformative environments.
“In this role, my strongest muscle was applied to scaling the interior design business unit from a few key projects to a thriving, multi-market, coast to coast creative monster machine.”
In her free time, Kelly is an all in “boy mom” to her young son, teaches scuba diving, and volunteers as a rescue diver when the need arises, and if you call her on Saturday afternoon, chances are you’ll find her miles deep into a hike in the north Georgia mountains.
Melissa Banko set out to build something different and outside of the industry norm just seven years ago, and she has done just that. A BD Studio Collection is ecstatic about the experience that Kelly brings to the table to continue to elevate this portfolio as a leader in the design and procurement industry and also as a great place to work!
Welcome Kelly Miller!
