It is my honor as Immediate Past-President of the Society to serve as the Chair of the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee. This role gave me an opportunity to learn more about our dedicated volunteers and connect with some outstanding LES members as we considered candidates for the open leadership positions. I would like to extend my gratitude to the other participants of the Committee: Chair and President— Mike Perham, Chair-Elect and President-Elect— Mihaela Bojin, and at-large LES members Joseph Casino and Joseph Yang for their thoughtful contributions, as well as all members of the Society and the Board of Directors who submitted recommendations for new Directors and Officers.

After careful deliberations, the Nominating Committee proposes the following slate of candidates for election to the 2026-2027 term:

  • As President-Elect and Chair-Elect: Steve Holzen
  • As Secretary – Michele Riley
  • As Treasurer – Jennifer Vanderhart
  • As a Director – Eric Gottschling
  • As a Director – Chitra Kalyanaraman
  • As a Director – Sam Wiley

These candidates have been advised of their nomination and have agreed to serve their term if elected.

LES recognizes the following Directors as active contributors to the organization; they bring innovative ideas and diverse perspectives to the management of our Society. I encourage all of you to vote for this 2026-2027 slate when the LES email link arrives later this month.

Current and Standing Directors and Leadership of LES USA & Canada Board of Directors:

  • Amélie Côté
  • Steven Ferguson
  • Efrat Kasznik
  • Arpi Siyahian
  • Nicki Kennedy
  • Kannan Krishnaswami
  • Jack Lu
  • Jennifer Souter
  • Mark Shelley
  • Legal Counsel: Rachel Kreppel

My term as the Past-President ends in October 2026, and in accordance with the Bylaws, I will be retiring from the Board. I remain committed to LES’ critical role in the innovation ecosystem and look forward to continuing to support our society.

Respectfully submitted,

Evelyn Chen

Chair, Nominating and Leadership Development Committee

LES USA & Canada leadership, the 2025-2026 Board of Directors: From left: Mark Shelley, Chitra Kalyanaraman, Arpi Siyahian, Amélie Côté, Nicki Kennedy, Jennifer Souter, Rachel Kreppel, Evelyn Chen (Past-President and Chair), Michael Perham (President and Chair), Mihaela D. Bojin, Steve Holzen, Michele Riley, Efrat Kasznik, Sam Wiley, Jack Lu, Steven Ferguson. Absent: Eric Gottschling and Kannan Krishnaswami.

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