Golden Lighting Executives
Meet Our Creative Director - Danielle Dzurik
Golden Lightings’ Design, Product Support, and Marketing efforts are all led by Creative Director, Danielle Dzurik. Danielle started at Golden Lighting as the sole designer more than 10 years ago. As the company grew, so did her team. She now commands a full creative department, allowing her to tackle almost any task in-house.
Her team of Designers fuel the company’s growth with innovative designs and superior merchandising. Danielle says, "To do this, customer’s needs are kept central to everything we do, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve, which drives us and our success."
Danielle grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. She credits her parents with influencing her love of creation and steering her into a career in product design. Armed with a degree in Industrial Design from Auburn University, she started her first job in the lighting industry at Hubbardton Forge in Vermont. There she found a great mentor in the founder, George Chandler, who launched her career path in lighting by exposing her to the ins and outs of lighting design. A desire for the warmth of the Florida sun and the developing Golden Lighting team brought her back home to Tallahassee.
Outside the office, Danielle is devoted to improving the lives of local animals in need. She and her husband have 3 fur-babies of their own, but that does not stop Danielle from regularly volunteering with the animal shelter as a foster parent. She passionately encourages others to open up their homes and hearts to animals in need, "Fostering saves lives! By fostering, you free a kennel and save a life. All you need to provide is love, some time, and a temporary home. Doing so gives these animals a second chance on life and love!"
Meet Our Sales Director - Ivan Parada
Sales Director Ivan Parada is a valued leader of our eCommerce, Sales division, and Customer Service department. Ivan manages a growing team of skilled salespeople, and acts as a point of contact between reps, retailers, and Golden.
Through persistence and excellence, Ivan has worked his way up the departmental ladder. When asked why he gravitated toward a sales-centric career he stated, “Everyone in the world is in sales no matter what position or life stage they are at…”
Ivan’s love for the company, its success, and employees comes as no surprise. He has a passion for personally implementing new strategies and challenging himself. When asked about his key motivators as a leader, Ivan thoughtfully commented on the satisfaction he feels from making customers, partners, and colleagues happy. Much like our President Yuh-Mei, Ivan finds great satisfaction in the improvement of Golden and its people.
When probed further, Ivan admitted that he also loves the fact that Golden has not been stagnant in any way in the 5 years that he has been a team member, “There is always something going on, and I thoroughly enjoy being able to make an impact and appreciate the opportunities that have presented themselves."
Meet Our Finance Manager - Beth Dresner
Golden Lighting’s newest Executive, Beth Dresner, runs a small but efficient team. A powerful troop, the team looks for ways to streamline Golden’s processes and save money. It is not always easy, but, thankfully, Beth loves a challenge and spiritedly tackles any obstacle she sees. She says, “tweaking and experimenting with new procedures while creating more cohesion is key.”
Beth relocated to Florida from New York where she was a Senior Account Manager. Interestingly, she began her career as a pre-med student and worked her way through grad school. She later went back to school, changing her degree to Finance as she saw more opportunities available in the field.
She prides herself on being self-taught and says her thirst for knowledge inspires her to push on. Beth is getting her introduction to the world of lighting here at Golden Lighting.
When asked what drives her as a Finance Manager, Beth responded, “I like challenges, and I like to read. Financial investigating merges both.” Despite a degree change, Beth continues with her love to learn by keeping up with medical articles and journal publications often.
Beth says she’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves. She is an avid DIYer and does her home maintenance and upgrades. She says that she prefers Rustic style homes that are more minimalist. “I like clean lines and easy maintenance.” She added, “I have a lot of wood in my home. I like that kind of style.” She says while browsing our catalogs, the Holmes collection caught her eye.
In her downtime, Beth enjoys scuba diving. She travels around the globe pursuing her passion and has even earned the title of Assistant Instructor. She says she loves the peace and serenity of being underwater. Beth commented that she was drawn to scuba diving because of her desire to continuously learn something new and enhance her skill set. She likes teaching and especially enjoys helping people achieve “a-ha” moments.