Mr. Benya’s career began with the Smith Group in Detroit

where he won his first lighting design awards. He took

over Luminae Lighting Consultants in San Francisco in

1983, establishing the West Coast’s seminal lighting design

practice and winning the Edison Award an unprecedented

5 times between 1984 and 1992. In 1995 he established

Benya Lighting Design in Portland, Oregon, winning the

2003 and 2009 Edison Awards of Environmental Design

and the 2009 Edison Award. He recently was awarded a

special AIA recognition for his pro bono work on the San

Antonio Haven for Hope project.

In 2010, James joined Deborah Burnett in a special

consultancy to address the emerging health and light field.

In addition to lighting design awards in several

international programs, James has received a number of

significant honors in his career. Included is being elected

Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (1991) and

the International Association of Lighting Designers (2005).

Consulting Practice –

Mr. Benya provides expert and educational consulting

services including expert witness and testimony, product

design and development, class development and teaching,

technical writing and codes and standards development.

He is a past member of ASHRAE 90.1 and 189.1

committees and serves as principal consultant to the

California Energy Commission. He has been contributing

to Architectural Lighting Magazine since 1987.

Community –

James is a Fellow of IES and has served as chair of the

Energy Committee, the Education Committee, and the

Certification committee in over 35 years of active

participation. He is a Fellow of IALD and has served on its

Board and as Director of Education and External Affairs.

He is a Board member of the International Association of

Lighting Designers. As a public speaker, he is in demand

throughout the world, including a record of 51

presentations at LightFair International and as co-leader of

the Velux International Daylighting Conference in Europe.