Charles G. Stone II
Founder
At age eleven, Mr. Stone’s parents sent him to the Harrisburg Community Theatre, hoping to keep him out of trouble. There, at the stage door, he was transfixed by the Magic of Light: Lekos and Fresnels, colored gel and dimmers –a visual feast. Since that day, Charles has remained focused on the power of light to change and enhance the human experience. His parents continued to worry for another decade that he might not find a career – but he did.
Mr. Stone received an AB in English and a special Certificate for Lighting Design from Princeton University in 1976. He is a Certified Lighting Designer, LEED and NCQLP accredited, a Fellow and Past President of the International Association of Lighting Designers, and has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Edison Report and the ILAS (Mumbai). Charles’s Traveling Light lecture tour features explorations of light and culture and has visited universities and conferences in 25 countries. Mr. Stone is active in education and research as he serves on the Advisory Board for the Architectural Lighting program at Oregon State University, the IESNA Lighting for Outdoor Nighttime Environment Committee, and the Lighting Detectives (Tokyo). Charles joined FMS in 1983, served as President from 2003 to 2025, and has led design teams on hundreds of successful and award-winning projects for loyal and satisfied clients on five continents.
Charles loves to travel for business and pleasure, whereupon he takes pictures and sketches the light, and writes poetry and essays about what he sees, usually on topics provoked by projects in the studios. The topics range widely from sunsets and the green flash, to darkness and shadows, reflections on the history of lighting, how Caravaggio teaches us about light, and many more. Charles swims daily, is a desert hiker, Grand Canyon aficionado, and a Dark Skies Advocate; and when flying, a techno thriller and science fiction junkie. He and his wife, Kimberly, are immensely proud of their twin daughters, now flourishing in careers of their own.
Many hands make light work
Our greatest strength is our team, driven by a passion for light and collaboration.
