Derrek joined the Tufenkian Portland staff in June 2011. He obtained his M.A. in Interior Design from Washington State University, Spokane where he wrote his thesis on place attachment and material culture in North America. He also has a B.A. in Interior Design from California State University, Fresno. Derrek has a broad knowledge of art, design, color and space planning. He will use his extensive interior design skills and over fifteen years of personalized sales experience to delight long distance clients across the Nation and abroad.

A solid design background, a commitment to customer service and a strong appreciation for the Tufenkian core values have guided Merridy in our Portland Showroom since 1997. Merridy’s design aesthetic and knowledge of the hundreds of Tufenkian carpets is invaluable to her many new and returning clients as she steers them towards the optimal rug for their particular needs. She weaves easily through large and small scale projects, juggling both intricate custom work, complicated installations and first time buyers. Understanding that a happy client is a return client, Merridy is hands-on from selection thru installation. Treating the rugs like the artwork they are, she revels in explaining the rich history and social responsibility behind the Tufenkian brand and making each client see the multi-faceted beauty of each Tufenkian carpet.

Trent joined Tufenkian in 2011 and has over 6 years experience working with handmade carpet showrooms in the Portland area. He holds an Associates in Professional Music with an emphasis in Audio Engineering from Portland Community College and also studied music at Portland State University.

Kam joined Tufenkian in 2007. For over seven years Kam worked in the Architecture & Engineering industry where he played many different valuable rolls and tasks including contract management, project administration, marketing support and accounting. He holds a Certificate of Accounting from Portland Community College. Kam attended the University of Oregon where he studied theatre arts and music. He is currently back in the academic world and is pursuing an Applied Associates of Science in Business Management and will graduate in June 2013. Kam's diverse skill set in the administrative and operations field makes him a great asset to the Tufenkian team.

Working with Tufenkian since 1997, Dave has a bachelors degree in Sociology and Religious Studies and worked four years in commercial banking and an adventure travel business before joining Tufenkian full time in 2002. Two years later David pioneered the internet businesses of Tufenkian selling closeout rugs via TufenkianOutlet.com, providing the opportunity to work with both interior designers and their clients across the country. In 2007 he developed the concept of the The Tufenkian Archive which in 2011 was renamed the Portland Outlet Store and is currently the only Tufenkian owned store in the country devoted to closeouts and sample rugs. Drawing from authentic, handmade carpets from our Armenian and Tibetan collections, the Portland location also blends in special purchases such as antiques, traditional Gabbeh and Heriz designs from Iran.