Accomplished membership and communications professional to lead member engagement and organizational growth initiatives
NEW YORK—The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) today announced the appointment of Carolyn Woods as Director of Membership. Woods began her role on December 1 and will lead strategic initiatives to enhance member engagement, retention, and growth as IES advances its 2026-2028 Strategic Plan focused on lasting, scalable growth.
Woods brings more than a decade of association management expertise to IES, with a proven track record in membership development, strategic communications, and volunteer leadership support. Most recently, she served as Director of Communications and Ministry Care at Accounting Beyond Borders, where she led stakeholder engagement strategies and spearheaded new fundraising initiatives that resulted in significant donation increases.
Prior to that, Woods spent nearly five years as Senior Membership Manager at the American Society for Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition, where she led membership growth initiatives and managed a diverse network of local chapters as well as specialty-specific groups. She has consistently demonstrated the ability to empower volunteer leaders, analyze data to inform strategic decisions, and implement engagement strategies that enhance member satisfaction.
“We are thrilled to welcome Carolyn to the IES team,” said Colleen Harper, CEO and Executive Director of IES. “Her extensive experience in membership management, combined with her strategic approach to community building and her passion for fostering meaningful connections, makes her ideally suited to lead our membership initiatives as we execute our new strategic plan. Carolyn’s expertise will be invaluable as we work to grow membership by expanding renewal options, engagement pathways, and support for local sections while energizing our members and modernizing our structure.”
Woods holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Messiah University and completed the Certified Association Executive (CAE) course through the Michigan Society of Association Executives. Beyond her association work, she is an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded a successful photography business and authored a children’s book.
“I’m excited to join IES and contribute to an organization with such a rich history and important mission,” said Woods. “I look forward to working with the talented IES team and our dedicated volunteers to create engaging experiences that support our members throughout their careers and strengthen our global lighting community.”
About the IES
Established in 1906, the Illuminating Engineering Society is the recognized technical and educational authority on illumination. Our mission is to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public. We provide a variety of professional development, publications, networking and educational opportunities to our membership of engineers, architects, designers, educators, students, contractors, distributors, utility personnel, manufacturers and scientists in nearly 60 countries. Through our American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited process, we publish and maintain the Lighting Library®, with over 100 standards written by subject matter experts in our technical committees. In all our efforts, we strive to improve life through quality of light. To learn more about us, visit www.ies.org.