Spotlight on Diversity March 2023
In Conversation with Past Women Presidents
Honoring past IESNYC women presidents: with gratitude for their thoughtful leadership and collaborative spirit in celebration of Women's History Month.
IESNYC President Megan Carroll suggested we honor the women who have served as president of IESNYC. The IESNYC is pleased to offer a snippet of the contributions made by these remarkable women, and their reflections on how the times they are a-changin’. We offer them gratitude for their thoughtful leadership and collaborative spirit.
Kelly Seeger, Signify
88th IESNYC President, 2009/10–2010/11
Kelly recalls her time as President as an engaging, fast-moving swirl of new events, activities, and opportunities. She is most proud of creating the annual student Thesis Prize, an award recognizing excellence in lighting design and/or research, and supporting the launch of the Control This! Tradeshow and Lecture Series, which later became LEDucation. During her first term, the IESNYC Nightseeing Map, “Lights, Camera, WALK. A Night Walking Guide of the Most Spectacular Lighting Designs of New York City,” was published and became a huge hit with the community.
"I think a strong current of mentoring runs through the IESNYC, from the Board, to members, to committee chairs, and this has led to the success and growth of women in leadership roles."
Bonny Ann Whitehouse, Light Plan Design
87th IESNYC President 2007/08–2008/09
Bonny was instrumental in merging the Mid-Hudson Section of the IES into the IESNYC, creating one of the largest sections of the Society. She also helped institute the annual holiday party in December, which has expanded to include DLFNY, IESNYC, WILD, and IALD. Bonny believes in empowering IESNYC Board Members to pursue the programs they’re passionate about. This philosophy produced the IESNYC Brilliance Award, which recognizes contributions to the NYC lighting community.
"Today I see increased opportunities for women in lighting. It’s especially gratifying to see male-dominated architectural firms treating women as equals."
Patricia DiMaggio
85th President 2003/04–2004/05
Patricia volunteered with IESNYC for most of her 20 year career with Osram. She transformed the IESNYC’s Lumen Awards presentations into the Lumen Gala we enjoy today and instituted the After Glow post-awards party. She also helped found the IESNYC Student Lighting Competition, which introduces hundreds of local young people to the lighting industry annually.
Patricia lost her long battle with cancer in 2014. The Patricia DiMaggio Memorial Fund honors her life and lasting contributions to the industry. Please contribute to this program, which supports lighting mentorship, education, and research.
Clara Powell, Cooledge Lighting
84th President 2001/02–2002/03
Unfortunately, 9/11 happened a few months into Clara’s first term. The lighting community, like the rest of the New York Metro population, was in shock. The IESNYC Board and committees made tremendous efforts to connect members during this chaotic time. Another heartbreak was the illness and passing of Clara’s valued Vice-President Tim Pike. She recalls how the rest of the Board provided tireless support and helped keep the Section on a sound financial footing. She feels strongly that active members deserve to be heard and trusted to lead.
"I’m proud to say that I never felt any gender-related tensions when I was President. We were just a group of individuals passionate about lighting and wanting to make a difference for our industry. Around this time, the early ad hoc WILD gatherings were great opportunities to informally share and learn from other women. I’m so glad there are now structured opportunities for women to share and mentor."
Addison Kelly, US Lighting Consultants
80th President 1993/94–1994/95
During her terms as Frank Conti’s Vice President and then two terms as President, Addison spent a great deal of time working with the IALD and AMC Management on LightFair issues. She is most proud of developing a good communication “ecosystem” amongst the IESNYC Board Members, and a mentorship regimen for new committee members.
"Back in the 1990s, most of the women in lighting were designers; but now there are more opportunities for women across all sectors of the industry. I certainly encountered attitude during my career, but never related to the IES. I’m so grateful that the women I’ve known in lighting are universally supportive, colleagues rather than rivals."
Sara Schrager, Retired
78th President 1989/90–1990/91
During Sara’s term as President, LightFair was just gaining momentum. The first LightFair events were sponsored by IESNYC and IALD, and she helped to bring in the IES as a partner.
"Even back in the last century, there was greater representation of women in our industry than in many others. My peer group included quite a few women (though there were fewer female role models than now), including Leslie Wheel, Joanne Lindsley, and Rita Harrold."
Gloria Koch
77th President 1987/88–1988/89
Gloria (Koch) Leonidas was IESNYC President when Lighting World became LightFair, an important partnership for IESNYC and for the lighting industry as a whole. The Nuckolls Fund was established during her tenure, and the Section became a founding contributor. Also, the Richard Kelly Memorial Scholarship became the Richard Kelly Grant, a joint venture between the Section and IES. She was a vital booster for educational outreach, which continues to this day, and was honored with the Seattle Section Meritorious Service Award in 2011.
While she was working in the Seattle area in 2012, a gunman killed four people and then murdered Gloria in a related carjacking. In 2014, the IES Seattle/Puget Sound Section renamed the local lighting design awards ceremony “The Gloria Koch Leonidas Illumination Awards” in recognition of a friend who contributed so much to the chapters she belonged to in Texas, New York, and Seattle. The Gloria Koch Leonidas Memorial Scholarship helps students and emerging professionals attend lighting conferences. Reach out to [email protected] to support this program and honor her contributions.
Joanne Lindsley, Lindsley Consultants Inc.
75th President 1984/85–1985/86
As the first woman to take the presidency, Joanne credits Sonny Sonnefeld for recruiting her and recounts a delicious victory over a former president during her second-term election. She has a few outstanding recollections of her term. The first lighting show, Lighting World, premiered, and IESNYC events were usually small, “folding chair” events for new lamp demos. She treasures the friends and colleagues she discovered while volunteering and calls on them still for feedback and advice.
"During my early years, I was often the only woman in the room. Times certainly have changed."
