IES26 Presidential Awards Honor Service, Leadership and Industry Impact

DENVER — The IES President’s Reception at IES26 celebrated four individuals whose contributions range from lighting controls and the Illumination Awards to public outreach and rebuilding local IES sections. Among the highlights this year were the prestigious IES26 Presidential Awards, recognising exceptional service within the IES community.

Sponsored by Cooper Lighting Solutions, the reception also served as a reminder that much of the work that keeps IES moving forward is performed by volunteers.

Shelly Prew, an IES member for more than 30 years, kicked off the evening with a humorous look at how much the lighting industry has changed during her career. She recalled a time when PowerPoint was revolutionary and LEDs were something the industry debated rather than specified every day.

Today, of course, the conversation has moved to artificial intelligence. Shelly joked that AI may be able to perform many tasks, but she’d like to see it survive a three-hour IES committee meeting.

While technology has changed dramatically, Shelly said one thing has remained constant: the people who make up IES.

She recognized the section leaders, committee members, conference presenters, reviewers, board members and others who contribute countless volunteer hours to the Society.

Shelly also touched on something I have witnessed throughout my own career in lighting. We may compete with each other during the workday, but gatherings like The Lighting Conference bring the industry together.

“We become colleagues, collaborators and, most importantly, friends,” she said.

She then introduced Jared Smith, current IES President, who thanked Cooper Lighting Solutions for hosting the reception and began the awards presentation. Jared also recognized Immediate Past President Wilson Dau before turning to the four recipients of the 2026 Presidential Award.

Eric Lind Recognized for Four Decades of Contributions

The first Presidential Award went to Eric Lind, who was unable to attend the reception.

Jared recognized Eric for his contributions to lighting and lighting controls during a career spanning more than four decades. His work with IES, Lutron and the broader industry has helped strengthen relationships with manufacturers while promoting science-based lighting practices.

At a time when the industry is navigating rapidly changing technologies and increasingly complex questions about light, Jared emphasized the importance of that science-based perspective.

“Your work has made a real and lasting difference,” he said.

Jana Owens Honored for Illumination Awards Leadership

The second Presidential Award went to Jana Owens for her leadership of the IES Illumination Awards.

The program is one of IES’s most visible initiatives and recognizes outstanding lighting projects across the profession. Jared credited Jana with helping hold the program together, expand it, and establish the policies and procedures needed to operate at its current level.

Much of that work, he noted, occurred before the program had the institutional support it enjoys today.

Jana appeared genuinely surprised by the recognition. “When I got the letter, I was completely speechless—which never happens!” she joked. She recalled attending IES events earlier in her career and watching respected industry leaders, including Chip Israel, walk onto the stage to receive awards.

“I remember thinking, ‘I will never do anything that puts me up here. I will never reach that level,’” Jana said.

Recognition, however, was never the reason she volunteered. Her motivation was much simpler. “I just wanted to make it better,” she explained.

As a former designer who now works for a manufacturer, Jana said she especially enjoys seeing the projects submitted to the Illumination Awards. For her, the program remains about celebrating the work being created throughout the lighting design community.

Addie Smith Brings Lighting Design to a Broader Audience

The third Presidential Award went to Addie Smith for her volunteer work establishing and developing the IES partnership with America by DESIGN.

The partnership gives IES an opportunity to put lighting design before a much broader audience. Instead of speaking primarily to people already within the lighting community, the program can introduce the profession to architects, interior designers and, importantly, the general public.

Addie identified that opportunity very clearly. “I think a lot of people in the world don’t know that lighting designers are a thing,” she said.

That may sound like a simple observation, but it highlights a continuing challenge for the profession. The general public experiences professional lighting design every day without necessarily understanding that someone intentionally created that experience.

Addie wants to change that. She hopes the partnership will help explain how lighting designers contribute to architecture, interiors and the overall visual environment. Building basic awareness, she argued, can eventually lead to more sophisticated conversations about lighting and its effect on people and spaces.

“I’m excited about the future and just getting more lighting on the show,” she said.

Stephen Zhou Helps Rebuild Sacramento and Looks Toward China

The fourth and final Presidential Award went to Stephen Zhou for two very different contributions: helping rebuild the IES Sacramento Section and working to expand the Society’s relationships in China.

Local sections are where many lighting professionals first encounter IES. Reviving a section that has lost momentum requires the kind of behind-the-scenes work that may not attract much attention but is critical to the Society.

Jared recognized Stephen for helping the Sacramento Section regain members, activity and momentum. At the same time, Stephen has been helping IES develop relationships in China, one of the world’s most significant lighting markets. Jared credited him with opening doors and helping lay the groundwork for greater international engagement.

Stephen told the audience that he has worked in lighting for 28 years but didn’t discover IES until around 2010. His deeper involvement came even later, following the pandemic.

His first IES conference was in New Orleans, where he joked that he also got COVID for the first time. Despite the unusual introduction, he stayed involved.

Stephen said there are now big plans for Sacramento, with former presidents and other members supporting the section’s rebuilding efforts. He ended his remarks with perhaps the simplest line of the evening: “Lighting is fun.”

Recognizing the People Behind IES

The four Presidential Awards recognized very different contributions. Yet there was a common thread: service.

None of these efforts happens simply because someone holds a title. They happen because people decide to devote their time and expertise to something they believe will strengthen the profession. But professional societies ultimately depend on people.

After more than 30 years in IES, Shelly said she remains proud to support an organization that makes the entire lighting industry stronger.

The four Presidential Award recipients offered good examples of exactly what she meant.

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