September 4, 2025
Uncontested Election Points to Likely Future IES President
Above: Scotty Hutto Image Credit: LinkedInBoard of Directors vote opens alongside proposed updates to Society bylaws.
In a message sent to its full membership this week, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) announced that voting is now open for its 2025 Board of Directors election and a set of significant bylaw amendments. While the process reflects a routine step in the Society’s annual governance cycle, the structure of the election—and the slate itself—continues to stir familiar questions about inclusivity and member agency within the organization.
The most consequential development in the current election cycle is the elevation of Scotty Hutto, Business Development Manager at SESCO Lighting’s Atlanta office, who is the sole nominee to serve as Vice President in 2026 and, barring any disruption, ascend to the presidency in 2027.
Hutto’s appointment would continue the Society’s established presidential succession structure, in which each VP serves a one-year term before transitioning into the top leadership role. Jared Smith, the current Vice President, is expected to succeed Wilson Dau and become President in 2026. Hutto, a longtime lighting agent would follow in 2027 if the voting proceeds as anticipated.
The IES announcement also includes a broader slate of candidates to fill board roles:
At-Large Directors (vote for 3):
- Javier Villaseñor – Independent Lighting Consultant, Mexico City; formerly VP at Acuity Brands
- Robert White – Senior Lighting Designer and Principal at Illuminart (a Peter Basso Associates division), Detroit.
- Chris Wolgamott – Principal Product Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), Portland.
Regional Directors (Northeast & Midwest)
- Northeast: AJ Hetzke, General Manager, IlluminFx Lighting Systems, Rochester, New York.
- Midwest: Marian Perez, Director of Lighting Design, Osborn Engineering, Cleveland, Ohio.
The Debate About Uncontested Nominees
Each year, when IES announces its Board slate, the questions arrive on cue. Why are there no contested races? Who gets to decide which names make the ballot? And is this truly a democratic process or just the appearance of one?
Informal feedback from IES leadership over the years paints a picture of a nomination process built more for calibration than competition. Nominees are drawn from a mix of self-nominations, open submissions and proactive outreach to individuals whose experience, geographic representation, and sector background align with specific Board needs. From there, a Nominating Committee, composed of non-Board members (as mandated by the Society’s bylaws) conducts structured interviews and deliberations to select the slate.
Supporters of this process also argue it avoids turning leadership selection into a popularity contest, where visibility might outweigh merit.
But that rationale hasn’t quieted critics. For many IES members the structure can feel opaque, even performative. Award-winning lighting designer and longtime IES volunteer Ardra Zinkon voiced concern on social media this week:
“I received my IES ballot today and was once again disheartened to see no contested seats… With IES facing serious challenges, the absence of choice in leadership feels like a step backwards. Leadership should be earned, not assumed.”
The IES does offer members a mechanism for challenge: the write-in line. But earning election visibility against a vetted nominee — especially without a significant industry-wide publicity campaign — is a steep climb.
Certain Bylaw Updates Proposed
Alongside the Board slate, IES members are also being asked to approve a suite of bylaw amendments that aim to clarify governance and modernize procedures. Here’s a snapshot of the proposed changes:
- Membership Category Restructuring: Eliminates the Associate membership category entirely, with remaining categories re-lettered. Adds two new categories:
- Distinguished Members, for highest award recipients, who are exempt from dues and retain all Society privileges including voting and office-holding rights.
- Allied Organization Members for non-lighting professionals in related fields.
- Emeritus Membership Age Raised: Members would now need to be at least 62 years old (up from 60), while retaining the requirement of 30 consecutive years of dues with at least 15 years at the Member or Fellow level.
- Reduced Member Qualification Requirements: Lowers experience requirements for full Member status from 10 years to 5 years of active engagement, and reduces LC holder requirements from 8 years to 5 years.
- Emerging Professional Enhancements: Adds automatic transition to Member status after 5 continuous years as an EP, and expands restrictions to prevent serving as officers on Section Boards of Managers.
- Honorary Member Privilege Changes: Removes voting rights and office-holding privileges from Honorary Members while maintaining reduced-rate access to materials and events.
- Allied Organization Member Limitations: Restricts participation to technical committees only, excluding other committees and leadership roles at Section or Society levels.
These proposed changes were reviewed and approved by the Board and now await full member ratification.
Looking Ahead
Voting is open until October 15, 2025, with ballots to be cast electronically or by proxy. The results will be confirmed during the IES Annual Membership Meeting on October 22, held at the Society’s New York headquarters.
While many of the proposed changes reflect standard governance housekeeping, the election format continues to invite scrutiny. Whether members see the unopposed ballot as a safeguard against factionalism or a barrier to fresh ideas, the structure remains a key element of IES’s internal culture—one that invites debate but rarely disruption.
