Commencement 2025

David Kleinberg is one of the most respected and celebrated names in interior design. Over a 35-year career with projects reaching around the world, Kleinberg has created a body of work that is wide-ranging in style, yet always modern in sensibility. Whether boldly inspired or carefully nuanced, Kleinberg’s interiors are above all clean-lined, sophisticated and highly attuned to each client’s lifestyle.

After graduating from Trinity College in 1976, Kleinberg explored the New York design world while working first at Denning & Fourcade and then at Mara Palmer. His talents were further honed during his 16-year tenure at the venerable Parish-Hadley Associates, beginning in 1981. Kleinberg left Parish-Hadley in 1997 to start his own firm David Kleinberg Design Associates, which today employs 20 people.

Kleinberg is a member of the Interior Design magazine Hall of Fame and has been honored with the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award by the New York School of Interior Design. He was first named to Architectural Digest’s AD 100 list in 2012 and has been a member of Elle Décor’s A-List since 2011. Kleinberg has participated in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House throughout his career and his work is published internationally. He published his monograph Traditional Now: Interiors by David Kleinberg in 2011, and a new book, David Kleinberg Interiors, was released in March 2025, both with The Monacelli Press.

Kleinberg lives in New York City and East Hampton, NY. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New York School of Interior Design.

Stellene Volandes is an editor, author, and cultural leader who has worked across journalism, design, and the arts. Since 2016, she has been the Editor in Chief of Town & Country, where she has shaped the brand’s voice around heritage, philanthropy, and cultural relevance. She previously served as the magazine’s Executive Style Director and Jewelry and Accessories Director. In 2020, she was named Editorial Director of ELLE Decor, and in 2025, she added the role of Brand Director. She has since guided the celebrated design publication with a vision rooted in style and innovation.

Additionally, Volandes is the author of two books: Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design (2016), a celebration of jewelry designers and the evolution of their work, and Jewels That Made History (2020), which explores the cultural and historical resonance of iconic pieces of jewelry and their impact on world events. A recognized authority in the field, she has shared her expertise through a conversation and lecture series at New York’s 92nd Street Y. She also serves on the board of Lincoln Center Theater and has been a longtime champion of New York's theater scene.

Born in Brooklyn, Volandes graduated from Poly Prep School, and went on to Vassar College, where she studied English Literature. She later received an M.A. from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature.