Kim Davidson, ChairDavidson is the President and CEO of SideFX, a company he co-founded in 1987. He has received three Scientific and Technical Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2018, he accepted, on behalf of SideFX, the Academy Award of Merit for the creation and development of Houdini. In 2015, Davidson was co-recipient of the Canadian Digital Media Pioneer Award, and in 2019 he and other SideFX team members accepted a Technology and Engineering Emmy award in the Cost-Effective Crowd Simulation Tools category. Davidson was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Ontario Winner; received the J. Wesley Graham Medal in Computing and Innovation from the University of Waterloo; andSusan ONeal, 1st Vice ChairONeal joined the VES in the late 1990s and has served as a member of its global Board of Directors in multiple roles, including service on the Executive Committee in 2016 as Treasurer, and as 2nd Vice Chair in 2022 and 2023 and 1st Vice Chair in 2024. For many years, she served as the Chair for the legacy global Education Committee and currently Chairs the Membership Committee. She leads the bi-annual membership review and approval process. In 2019, ONeal was honored with the VES Founders Award for meritorious service to the Society.David H. Tanaka, VES, 2nd Vice ChairDavid H. Tanaka, VES is an Editor, Producer and Creative Director with experience ranging from visual effects and animation to documentary and live-action feature filmmaking. For 15 years he served at Industrial Light & Magic in VFX Production and VFX Editorial on films including Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump and the Star Wars saga. He then went on to Pixar Animation Studios as a Special Projects Editor for 10 years, contributing to such productions as Cars, Ratatouille, WALLE, Up, Toy Story 3 and Monsters University. Tanaka currently holds a VFX Editor position with Tippett Studio. He is an active contributor to the VES Archives, Outreach, and Work From Home Committees, as well as the VES Handbook of Visual Effects publications. In 2022, Tanaka was honored with both VES Lifetime Member and VES Fellow distinctions.Rita Cahill, SecretaryCahill is an international business and marketing/PR consultant and has worked with a number of US, Canadian, UK, EU and Asian companies for visual effects and animation projects. She is a partner in MakeBelieve Entertainment, a film development company and serves as Executive Producer on a number of international projects. This is Cahills ninth term as Secretary on the global Board of Directors. She also served as Chair or Co-Chair of the VES Summit for eight years. In 2021, Cahill was honored with the VES Lifetime Member distinction and the VES Founders Award.Jeffrey A. Okun, VES, TreasurerOkun is known for creating organic and invisible effects, as well as spectacular tent-pole visual effects. Okun has delivered wide-ranging effects in award-winning films including The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Stargate, Deep Blue Sea, The Last Starfighter, and Meet the Ricardos and acclaimed television programs such as Cosmos: Possible Worlds, The End Is Nye and The Good Lord Bird.Okun is a VES Fellow and recipient of the VES Founders Award. He co-edited the VES Handbook of Visual Effects, an award-winning reference book on visual effects techniques and best practices, as well as the newly released and acclaimed VES Handbook of Virtual Production. He also created and founded the VES Awards, now in its 23rd year.Our Society is fortunate to have strong leadership represented on our Executive Committee, said Nancy Ward, VES Executive Director. I am honored to work alongside these exceptional, dedicated professionals, especially amidst this time of dynamic change. We appreciate their commitment to further advance the Societys global initiatives and impact.Source: Visual Effects Society