I t is hard to believe it’s been a year since LD+A’s Editor I Michele Zimmerman asked me to write my first “President’s Perspective,” which was published in January 2025. It’s true that time flies when you’re having fun.
I would like to start my final column by thanking all the people who contribute daily to the betterment of the IES. I wish I could mention each individually, but there is not enough space in the magazine for that: IES Staff, Board of Directors, Advisory panels, Task Forces, District and Section leaders, Technical and Non-Technical Committees, and all our Members, thank you.
“We are diverse, yet we are very much connected”
It has been my honor to preside over the Society this year. The IES continues to evolve and improve, our standards are used around the world, our educational content is unparallelled, and our events continue to be the must-attend events in our industry.
If you have read my columns so far, you might have noticed a common theme: as much as we are a technical society and a standards development organization, at the end of the day, we are way more than that. Our Society is about people: the researchers and experts who share their knowledge with us; the educators that help foster the next generation of lighting professionals; the manufacturers that keep delivering better products to the marketplace; the agents that inform the specification community of new developments; the architects, designers, and engineers who specify products; the distributors who ensure the right products get to site; the contractors who install them; and the commissioning agents that make sure everything works as intended. We are diverse, yet we are very much connected.
With all this in mind, we need to grow our membership. Every member should help the Society grow. From a numbers perspective, a $240/year membership provides over $2,100 in value—it should be a no-brainer to join. However, there is much more offered than just that value, there are also the intangibles mentioned above: having a network of people to rely on for knowledge and connections is not something that can be quantified. The last few years have been hard for attrition, not just for us but for every society and organization. As a result, we have improved and streamlined our systems and processes to make it easier to sign up or renew memberships.
At a recent global lighting summit, which included participation from organizations across the world, a common challenge brought up by multiple participants was that people outside our industry don’t even know the IES exists. We need to change that, and it starts by growing our footprint. Thus, I ask you to engage a non-member or past member who could benefit from membership and help them sign up. If you’re unsure how, please ask. Your section leaders have all the information, and you can also feel free to reach out to me at president@ies.org, I’m happy to help.
I just got home from IES25—what a fantastic conference in every aspect. We had over 500 attendees, every session I attended offered a wealth of information, and the speakers did a fantastic job. The networking events were great—there was definitely a vibe.
I spent a bit of time speaking with the tabletop exhibitors and all were excited about the traffic and the format. The 2025 IES Illumination Awards were truly inspiring, and the afterparty was amazing. I can’t wait for IES26 in Denver.
Before I go, I’d like to be the first to welcome Jared Smith to the role of president of our Society as of January 2026. I have had the privilege of working alongside Jared for 2.5 years, and I can say with confidence that the IES is in good hands.
Finally, as I was checking out IES25-related social media posts, I came across a post from Sogodok Yahya, a first-time EP attendee who co-presented during the paper sessions. Yahya wrote, “I left the conference feeling at home in this community, and while it is sad to say goodbye, I am excited for what lies ahead.” This reminded me of that first article I wrote for the January issue when I closed with: “So, when you see someone new at one of our events, introduce yourself, ask about their interests, and help them find ‘their people.’”
I think we did just that. Thank you!
