Chicago-based Mary Cook Associates (MCA), a national, award-winning commercial interior design firm, announced the promotion of Josh Kassing from vice president, design development to senior vice president.
In his new role, Kassing will focus on leading the firm’s continued growth, together with MCA Founder and President Mary Cook. This includes working to enhance and develop MCA’s design practice while also cultivating and winning business opportunities through existing and new client relationships across national markets.
Kassing joined Mary Cook Associates in 2017 as creative director. The following year he was promoted to vice president, the youngest in MCA’s 37-year history. In 2020 Kassing became the first head of MCA’s Concept Studio, which he helped envision as an organizational structure to synthesize business development and design strategy during the earliest stages of a project. He has also been integral to MCA’s business development efforts, helping to expand work with current clients to encompass additional business divisions and geographic markets, as well as identifying and landing opportunities with new clients in a variety of sectors and product types.
Throughout his tenure with MCA, Kassing’s expertise has guided the design of projects across the country, including work in East Coast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern markets as well as several Southeast and Southwestern states. Kassing’s ability to grow business relationships with clients has allowed MCA to expand into new markets and build a diverse client roster that features 30+ firms including Toll Brothers, M/I Homes, CIM Group, Golub & Company, BNE, Lombardo Homes, and others. To help reach existing, new and potential clients in non-conventional ways, Kassing was instrumental in drafting a series of white papers to share trends, ideas and insights via the firm’s website, social media and email marketing.
Originally from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Kassing received his Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Fine Arts in interior design from Iowa State University, where he also served as a studio instructor for the College of Design. Before joining Mary Cook Associates, Kassing worked at global architecture and design firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and The Gettys Group, a global design firm with a hospitality focus.
