For over 40 years, we’ve brought artful living and highly-curated design to diverse client spaces around the country—first as Architectural Ceramics and now as Architessa.
Certified Women-Owned and family-operated since our founding, Architessa brings generations of knowledge, passion, and experience to our ever-evolving industry.
We are a comprehensive tile and stone company that works with homeowners, designers, architects, and more to find the perfect tile for every project.
The road to tile and design selection can be tough to traverse for both businesses and homeowners but with our renowned Concierge Service, we take every step with you. We are Architessans—tile lovers and experts who walk alongside you, helping you realize your vision through a wealth of options, crafted expertise, fine detail planning, and preparation for the unexpected.
Architessa offers an expansive library of high-quality tile ranging from ceramic, porcelain, glass, natural stone and marble, wood, terracotta and more. We import our tile from all over the world, bringing both domestic and international products to our showrooms in the D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Atlanta metro areas as well as through our national commercial representatives. In addition, we have over 30 specialty vendors which can be custom ordered for your unique project. With thousands of selections available, Architessa works with you to find the best options for you and your space.
Tile is an art rich with history and through it your space can tell a story. Our Architessans use their knowledge of the past and eye for the future to help you craft a timeless, innovative design that speaks for itself—a narrative in tile that elevates your space and evokes emotion. Architessa provides tile and more by embracing the journey and loving the destination.
Read the Architessa Legacy to discover our company history.
Architessa is proud of the community of hardworking, dedicated and caring people it employs. What we do wouldn’t be possible if not for the time and effort that everyone puts in, not just in their workday, but volunteering in the community too.
Founder & CEO
Betty Sullivan
Betty Sullivan started over 30 years ago with the vision to create a company that felt like family and to help clients select the perfect material for their use. Because people matter. Betty has seven children in a diverse blended family. She's an award-winning screenwriter, and the last feature she wrote has over 11 million views on Amazon Prime.
President
David Benson
David has grown from sales rep to President in 17 years, building a strong leadership and sales team while pushing our core values. He enjoys time with his wife and 3 kids amongst being an avid Peloton rider.
Executive Vice President
Kersi Press
Inside Sales Partners
Christy Scaljon | [email protected]
Andy Nielson | [email protected]
Avery Taylor | [email protected]
Kersi Press, a Baltimore native and Architessa's EVP, has been with the company for 15 years, sold over $50M in tile, and manages the Baltimore Commercial Department to drive sales in the region. He values building lasting client relationships and has a strong connection to the community. Kersi and his husband Michael enjoy traveling, being foodies, and sipping margaritas on Mexican beaches.
Chief Financial Officer
Yassin Tucker
Yassin Tucker loves everything Faith, Family, Fashion and Formula. She can be found dabbling in any of the 4 “F’s” outside of her role as CFO and manager of the Accounting department.
A&D Sales, Baltimore
Kersi Press
Inside Sales Partners
Christy Scaljon | [email protected]
Andy Nielson | [email protected]
Avery Taylor | [email protected]
Kersi Press, a Baltimore native and Architessa's EVP, has been with the company for 15 years, sold over 50M in tile, and manages the Baltimore Commercial Department to drive sales in the region. He values building lasting client relationships and has a strong connection to the community. Kersi and his husband Michael enjoy traveling, being foodies, and sipping margaritas on Mexican beaches.
Inside Sales Support
Andy Nielson
Outside Sales Partner
Kersi Press | [email protected]
Andy began in the tile industry working with his brothers as a setter. On the weekends you can find him hiking in the mountains or relaxing on the beach with his girlfriend and his dog Bubba.
Inside Sales Support
Christy Scaljon
Outside Sales Partner
Kersi Press | [email protected]
Christy has been with Architessa for nearly 10 years, and when not managing projects for the commercial team, she enjoys painting, crocheting, interior design, or bingeing The Officewith her husband, daughter and cats.
Inside Sales Support
Avery Taylor
Outside Sales Partner
Kersi Press | [email protected]
Avery is a team player. After completing a B.S. in Business Admin., he continued his development, gaining experience in quality management, logistics, and tile sales. Some of his favorite pastimes are making music, traveling with his wife, trying new restaurants, and going to church.
Commercial Sales Manager, Mid-Atlantic
Jim McCourt
Jim has over 20 years of experience managing commercial sales teams and guiding clients. Outside of work he loves photography, travel, golf, peloton, family time and a well-manicured lawn.
A&D Sales
David Arabe
Washington, D.C.
Inside Sales Partners
Joanne Washington | 804.223.1011 | [email protected]
Dana Omdahl | 240.672.1118 | [email protected]
David has been with Architessa for 11 years and enjoys using his experiences and expertise to better serve his clients. When he's not at work, you can find him at home with his wife, 2 year old son, and newborn daughter.
A&D Sales
Joey Caponiti
Maryland
Inside Sales Partners
Joe Mathew | 301.251.3534 | [email protected]
Joey’s exceptional knowledge of the tile industry and interior design are the predominant forces for his success with Architessa. His personalized attention and dedication to each project results in the highest level of quality and client satisfaction.
A&D Sales
Tia Maxie
Northern Virginia
Inside Sales Partners
Joe Mathew | 301.251.3534 | [email protected]
Tia Maxie is determined to win and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is fun-loving, energetic and magnetic. Her children call her the best mom in the universe!
A&D Sales
Dave Menez
Inside Sales Partner
Connor Williams | 703.965.6462 | [email protected]
As a veteran of the tile industry with 15+ years of sales experience, Dave prides himself on building strong client relationships and providing top notch care to customers. Dave is a musician and in his free time enjoys writing and performing music, plus spending time with his wife, two daughters and two cats.
A&D Sales
Phil Purgason
Southern Virginia
Inside Sales Partners
Matthew Ohan | 301.217.8555 | [email protected]
Ashland Faunce | 804.650.0344 | [email protected]
Phil has over 20 years of commercial interior architectural design experience, and is a creative and passionate sales professional. He finds rejuvenation through the outdoors.
Inside Sales Manager
Chris Hill
Chris Hill has committed the last 10 years with the inside commercial sales team to build a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and responsibility. He enjoys playing competitive soccer with a rec league in Baltimore.
Inside Sales Support
Ashland Faunce
Southern Virginia
Outside Sales Partner
Phil Purgason | [email protected]
Ashland Faunce has a B.S. from High Point University in Interior Design, which she uses passionately for her role as Commercial Inside Sales in Richmond. Her favorite thing to do is take trips with her son and puppy to the OBX.
Inside Sales Support
Joe Mathew
Maryland, Northern Virginia
Outside Sales Partners
Joey Caponiti | 301.512.5737 | [email protected]
Tia Maxie | 703.299.6686 | [email protected]
Joe Matthew has committed 5+ years as a member of our commercial sales team. Joe is a proud husband and father of 2 boys and brings the same level of commitment, loyalty, and integrity that he has for his family to his team at Architessa.
Inside Sales Support
Matthew Ohan
Southern Virginia
Outside Sales Partner
Phil Purgason | [email protected]
Matthew Ohan inside and out is a "carefree type" person. When he is not providing samples and pricing to our clients for our Atlanta branch, you can find him spending as much time as possible with his family.
Inside Sales Support
Joanne Washington
Washington, D.C.
Outside Sales Partner
David Arabe | 301.520.7590 | [email protected]
Inside Sales Support
Connor Williams
Outside Sales Partner
Dave Menez | [email protected]
During the pandemic, Connor dove into the Architessa rebrand, learning the ins and outs of the industry. Now, he's the go-to in the NJ/PA territory, ensuring clients experience the top-tier concierge service Architessa is celebrated for, from quick quotes to premium samples. When he's not elevating client experiences, Connor is traveling with his girlfriend, staying active, or spinning tracks as a local DJ in Richmond.
A&D Sales
David Arabe
National Hospitality, Washington, D.C.
Inside Sales Partners
Joanne Washington | 804.223.1011 | [email protected]
Dana Omdahl | 240.672.1118 | [email protected]
David has been with Architessa for 11 years and enjoys using his experiences and expertise to better serve his clients. When he's not at work, you can find him at home with his wife, 2 year old son, and newborn daughter.
Inside Sales Support
Dana Omdahl
Outside Sales Partner
David Arabe | 301.520.7590 | [email protected]
Dana comes from the construction world and enjoys all things design. During the weekends you can find her at a Hopkins football game or bouncing around Baltimore's hole-in-the-wall bars, restaurants, and music venues.
VP of Strategic Accounts & Business Development
Monica Meade
Monica Meade, VP at Architessa, is a seasoned interior design professional with 20+ years of expertise. Formerly at Marriott and Leo A. Daly, she's known for her commitment to clients' visions. Leading Architessa's commercial design team, Monica sets new standards, weaving beauty, innovation, and timeless elegance into every project.
National Sales Manager
Lisa O'Donnell
Material Bank
Inside Sales Partners
Kelin Petersen | 301.979.7138 | [email protected]
Lisa O Donnell has supported Architessa for over 20 years as family members and part owner. Currently, she serves as a national commercial sales rep. Her favorite activity is trying new restaurants with clients.
Inside Sales Support
Kelin Petersen
Outside Sales Partner
Lisa O'Donnell | 301.447.0082 | [email protected]
Kelin is an interior designer with a passion for animals, farming, and people. She's a prayer warrior, DIY-er, city girl turned farm girl, and dreams of traveling the world.
Commercial Sales Manager, Southeast
Juan Pablo
Inside Sales Partners
Jake Mathew | 301.957.4668 | [email protected]
With over 20 years in the tile industry, I bring deep expertise in business development, design trends, technical specifications, and team building. My experience spans driving growth, and building high-performance teams, all with a focus on delivering quality and value.
I enjoy traveling, dining, working out, watching soccer (Big Barcelona fun) and taking long walks with my lovely dogs, Mila and Honey.
A&D Sales, Atlanta
Sarah Mattison
Inside Sales Partners
Deborah Webb | 404.220.9215 | [email protected]
After 7 years in the Industrial Overhead Crane Industry, working with over 142 sales reps across 4 countries, I am excited to tap into my more creative side! When I am not at work, I love spending time at my Pilates studio, dining on Caesar salads, fries, and a nice glass of wine with friends!
Inside Sales Support
Kim DeLay
Kim Delay found her passion for tile 13 years ago, and has grown her knowledge by hands-on experience in the tile industry. She loves her new role with the SE team, and outside of work you can find her playing golf or watching movies with her son.
Inside Sales Support
Jake Mathew
Outside Sales Partner
Juan Pablo Bejarano | 404.710.1202 | [email protected]
Gene Teston | 813.797.6300 | [email protected]
Jake Mathew leaves no stone unturned and is solutions oriented and driven here in commercial sales. Outside of work, he's a tech junkie who loves guitars, cars, and making folks laugh.
Inside Sales Support
Deborah Webb
Outside Sales Partner
Sarah Mattison | 404.220.9215 | [email protected]
A&D Sales, Tampa
Gene Teston
Inside Sales Partners
Jake Mathew | 301.957.4668 | [email protected]
Tampa, Florida
Multiline Sales Representative
Jeromy Adler
Jeromy is a multiline sales representative serving Southern California. His company, JW Adler Interiors, reps Architessa to the hospitality & commercial sector with an emphasis on responsiveness, transparency and accountability. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Cecilia (Moore & Giles) and their Miniature Schnauzer, Bruce, who is very much a good boy.
Residential Sales Manager
Kimberly Hubert-Mejia
With 20+ years experience in the design/flooring industry, Kimberly has seen it all. She is usually watching scary movies or the Washington Capitals with her fur-babies and spending quality time at local vineyards with her husband.
Internet Sales
Diana Benesh
Diana Benesh holds a degree in Interior Design and has 10+ years of tile experience at Architessa. When she's not creating beautiful spaces for her clients, she's traveling with her family.
Sales Support
Cristian Cerate
Christian Cerrate is very proud of the monthly goals that his department has recently achieved. When outside the workplace, you can find him with friends, talking about sports, gaming, or doing college homework.
Sales Design Consultant
Cerrissa Fitz
With an extensive background in Law, Education, Personal Training, and Design, Cerrissa Fitz has done it all. Before opening her design firm in 2018, she was a designer and stager for a well-known DC firm. Cerrissa creates layered and timeless designs and loves meeting new clients and getting to know them personally.
Sales Design Consultant
Anne Hollwedel
Anne Hollwedel has worked in the design & architecture industry over the past decade. In her free time, she enjoys design, knitting, gardening, and spending time with her daughter.
Senior Sales Design Consultant
Kristen Howard
Kristen Howard has committed over 19 years to the residential sales department. She works with designers & builders, who she has built long-term relationships with. In downtime, she travels the world with her husband.
Sales Design Consultant
Marie Page
Marie turned her passion for interior design and art into a career. Traveling the world and daily nature walks with her family are just a few sources for her design inspiration.
Sales Support
Blanca Sullivan
Blanca Sullivan has worked in customer service and retail for over 5 years, and has 1 year of retail management experience, during which she was awarded “Budget Crusher of the Year”. She enjoys writing poetry, singing, and finding other ways to use her creativity.
Sales Design Consultant
Dominick Szabo
Dominick Szabo has general construction background with experience in tile and stone installation. He spent a decade in property management and multi-family housing remodeling. He enjoys open water and competitive swimming, as well as spending time doing anything with his 3 children.
Sales Design Consultant
Brittany Elouai
Brittany, a graphic designer with a passion for creating meaningful designs that make a lasting impact, which she also provides to her clients as the sales/design consultant in the Baltimore showroom. In her free time, Brittany loves to be with her family, hiking, listening to live music and reading books.
Sales Support
Nicole Rodriguez
Nicole Rodriguez, with 16 years in Fine Dining Hospitality as a Sommelier & Wine Buyer, brings a concierge mindset to the luxury tile industry. A creative writer with a Napa Valley fellowship, her East Baltimore roots shape her artistic style. Nicole loves fashion, interior design, and traveling to explore food and wine destinations.
Sales Design Consultant
Desiree McCrorey
Desiree McCrorey is a DMV native with an eclectic design sense - loving to mix textures, styles and patterns. When she is not in the showroom, you can find her with her two rottweiler fur babies, Thor and Phoenix.
Sales Design Consultant
JT Christensen
JT Christensen has been in the tile industry for nearly 15 years, and loves using natural material with dramatic variation in his projects. He has a feisty schnauzer named Yoshi and is an avid contemporary art museum goer.
Sales Design Consultant
Judi Simon
Judi Simon has worked in the design field for many years. Originally from California, she brings creativity & originality to her work. She's a people person who enjoys connecting with clients, friends & family.
Sales Design Consultant
Jo-Jo Reyna
There is no project too large or too small for Jo-Jo. She is vibrant, very committed to her clients and is a force to be reckoned with. With an eye for fashion, you'll never catch her in the same outfit twice!
Sales Support
Qway Sharp
Qway works as Sales Support in the Alexandria Showroom and has been in the home improvement industry since 2021. On weekends she runs a freelance photography business where she gets to meet and interact with new people every week.
Sales Support
Colleen Durant
Colleen Durant is the sales support for Architessa's Vienna showroom. She is a traditionally trained artist with a degree in Illustration. In her downtime, she enjoys painting, gardening, and rearranging her furniture for a fresh look.
Sales Design Consultant
Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia has worked in Luxury Design for 20 years. When he is not working at Architessa Vienna, you can find him on the local community theater stage or performing arts center.
Sr. Sales Design Consultant
Marianna Ouzdanova
Marianna loves working with clients spending a lot of time designing beautiful areas in their homes. When she is not in the showroom she does yoga, reads a lot and cooks delicious meals for her family!
Sales Design Consultant
Isaiah Sharp
With a background in the luxury automotive industry, Isaiah brings a keen eye for design and a commitment to excellence. As a sales/design consultant, Isaiah is dedicated to delivering unparalleled quality and sophisticated aesthetics to clients.
Sales Design Consultant
Brittney White
Brittney White is a VCU art grad with 6 years of experience in project management & design sales, during which time she has built great relations with contractors. In her free time, you can find her painting, exploring the outdoors, or traveling with her 2 children.
Sales Design Consultant
Corporate Training Specialist
Reyna Bernardini
Reyna Bernardini has worked in several positions at Architessa including Customer Service, Sales Support, and Sales. Now she is facilitating the ongoing training with current and new hires. She enjoys visiting her family in Florida, and planning adventures with her two
children!
Customer Service Manager
Eliza Chan
Eliza Chan has been with Architessa for over 5 years and built the CS team based on our 4 core values. She enjoys downtime when possible with an energetic and active 12-month-old.
VP of Operations
Laura Collins
Laura Collins has lived in the tile world for almost 20 years with Architessa, wearing every hat imaginable. She currently steers the helm of our product team, but her favorite role is wife and mom of 3 daughters with one crazy pup tagging along.
Purchasing Agent
Kris Conti
Kris Conti has decades of experience working in the tile industry. She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking.
Customer Service Rep, Commercial
Steve Gibbs
Steve Gibbs has been in the tile industry since 2007, working in both sales and order management. He enjoys watching sports, including the Atlanta Braves and, most importantly, Florida State football.
Marketing & Creative Specialist
Alexia Gonzales
Alexia is a lover of all things art. Fitting to her role in the marketing team, she strives to incorporate creativity into all things produced.
Purchasing Agent
Kelsey Grant
Customer Service Rep, Residential
Denise Grullon
Denise is an Army Veteran that has been with Architessa for over 10 years. Very dependable and always there when you need her.
Product & Merchandising Graphic Specialist
Nicole Isenberg
Nicole has a background in fashion and hard surface flooring that gives her a creative edge in the industry. On the weekends you can find her on a hike listening to audio books and antiquing.
Marketing Manager
Courtney Knoerlein
Courtney Knoerlein champions marketing efforts by keeping the website running smoothly and leading creative content as Architessa’s Marketing Manager. She spends her free time performing in local community theatre productions.
Staff Accountant
Prasanna Kumara
Marketing Specialist
Austin Meyer
Austin is specialized in email marketing, photography, copywriting, SEO, and graphic design. He appreciates and advocates creativity, and outside of work can be found photographing homes, weightlifting, or working on cars.
Customer Service Rep
Nisha Mills
Tanisha has been in the tile game for several years and found her niche in customer support. She thinks outside the box and gets great accomplishment from getting the best results out of every situation. Nisha plays pool in her free time and is a great shot caller and an even better shot.
Accounts Payable Specialist
Bonnie Perry
Bonnie Perry is the charitable type who gives to those in need. When not working as AP Specialist at Architessa she enjoys museums, volunteering and watching Lifetime movie marathons.
Product & Merchandising Manager
Product Data Specialist/SFDC Admin
Craig Rowin
Chief Innovation Officer
Julie Taury
Julie Taury has spent two decades in the tile industry, building an unparalleled skill set to navigate it's many unpredictable surprises. She's a coffee enthusiast who enjoys the outdoors, and resides in NZ.
Collections Accountant
Anthony Vincente
Anthony Vincente is the patient type and loves to help others. When not collecting money for Architessa he enjoys traveling, shopping and watching good movies.
Product Fulfillment Specialist
Dustin Byrd
Dustin recently moved to Maryland from Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in Information Technology. Dustin is a cat-lover, and loves talking about music, games, movies, and cars.
Product Fulfillment Manager
Ernest Carlton III
Ernest Carlton always enjoys working with clients and coworkers alike! As our samples fulfillment manager, he takes great joy in getting our clients their desired samples quickly and correctly.
Product Fulfillment Specialist
Taiwan Chisholm
Samples Warehouse Packer
Nelson Crowell
Logistics Coordinator
Marlon Elliott
Marlon Elliott has 15 years experience in warehousing, distribution, and freight forwarding. At Architessa, he coordinates our nationwide logistics. In his free time, you can find him playing or watching soccer and listening to music.
Warehouse Counter
Milton Guevara
Milton Guevara likes working in the warehouse serving customers. During the week he is going to our showrooms making sure he meets their samples needs.
Warehouse Packer
Kevin Langhorn
Warehouse Counter
Jose Lazo
Jose is a very helpful person. When he's not at the service desk, he's assisting the customers in the warehouse.
Samples Warehouse Packer
Kevin Parker
Product Merchandising Specialist
Eric Pinkney Jr.
Eric brings a wealth of merchandising experience from the grocery industry where he was a top performer and fostered positive team building. In his spare time, he enjoys basketball, hiking, and games of strategy.
Regional Warehouse Manager
Chuck Poole
Chuck Poole has been with Architessa since 2016. He started as the samples dept. manager and advanced to the regional warehouse manager. He enjoys all DMV sports and quality lawn care.
Samples Fulfillment Specialist
Chuck Poole Sr.
Warehouse Receiver
Howard Williams
Howard Williams is a fun, happy, loving person. When he's not at work, you can catch him home playing videogames or spending time with friends and family.
Product Fulfillment Specialist
Corey Williams
Product Fulfillment Specialist
Cortez Williams
As part of Architessa's commitment to the Core Value of Community, we partner with Washington Cares. Architessa CEO, Betty Sullivan, founded Washington Cares in 2005 to provide disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina victims.During this relief effort we assisted over 400 dispersed people in finding new jobs and housing in the DC Metro Area. Our desire is to help in emergency situations with assistance that includes clothing, first aid kits, food, water, blankets and cleaning supplies.Washington Cares is a non-profit, 100% volunteer based supported by donations and Architessa. Washington Cares is a faith based organization that delights in serving the community just as our Savior served. Washington Cares also has an ongoing recovery support system that helps displaced families relocate and start over with new jobs. Please let us know how we can serve you!