In January 2026, members of the Entomological Society of America will vote on a proposed set of Bylaws amendments that would reshape the size and composition of the ESA Governing Board and its nomination processes. (Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels)

By Michelle S. Smith, BCE-Emeritus

Editor’s Note: In January 2026, members of the Entomological Society of America will vote on a proposed set of Bylaws amendments that would reshape the size and composition of the ESA Governing Board and its nomination processes. This article supports the proposed amendments and is published in conjunction with an article arguing against the amendments.

Dear ESA colleagues,

Throughout my years as an entomologist working in research and development, I came to strongly appreciate the value of innovation in finding different and better ways of doing things. In my time on the ESA Governing Board, it was the same pursuit, and one of the actions we committed to in ESA’s most recent strategic plan was examining in detail our Society’s governance.

Most ESA members probably think a lot less about ESA’s governance than about their disciplines and how ESA supports them. Fair enough! But how a scientific society operates and how it chooses its leaders are important foundations for success, now and into the future.

Governance Re-Examined

As you may know, the Governing Board has spent the last few years studying best practices and gathering member input on governance as part of the Governance Upgrade project. That effort has resulted in recommendations from the Board for amendments to ESA Bylaws, which is why you’re being asked to vote on these amendments in January, and why I’m writing this letter in support of this new step forward for our Society.

The current ESA Governing Board structure has served the Society adequately for decades. But, as I observed during my time on the Board, the existing structure is not without its flaws. As the size of the Board has increased when new affiliations were added, deliberations have at times grown slow as well. Meanwhile, there’s no certainty that the diversity in perspectives on the Board has become any more inclusive of the full breadth of the ESA community, nor that nominations and elections are based on more than name recognition. There also exists a clear tension that affiliate representation creates between serving a constituency (e.g., a Branch or Section) and serving the needs of the Society as a whole.

I had the privilege to participate on one of the volunteer task forces that evaluated new ideas for ESA governance and reviewed member feedback. I was impressed with the robust process that ESA employed with the task force and the Board to develop the proposed new concepts. Member input at various stages was invaluable in guiding and shaping the recommendations into forms that will work for our Society. I’m enthusiastic about this possibility to move ESA’s governing structure forward from adequate status quo to more focused, agile, and efficient.

How ESA Governance Would Change

If you haven’t already read the proposed Bylaws amendments and the supporting information, you’re probably wondering: How will this evolution of ESA governance happen, if members do indeed vote in favor of the amendments? Mainly by reducing the size of the Governing Board while ensuring representation of diverse and well-informed perspectives through both the Board members themselves and through a new Advisory Council. A Nominating Committee will deploy a discerning and transparent process to identify ESA members for Board positions based on the knowledge and skills suited for serving the Society’s needs as a whole, and members will vote on them. The Advisory Council, with representatives from, at minimum, Branches, Sections, Students and Early Career Members, will nominate members to the Nominating Committee and regularly provide input to the Board. These concepts aren’t entirely new and in fact are used by other leading-edge nonprofit organizations, but through many rounds of consultation, task forces, and member input, they’ve been tailored specifically to meet our needs in ESA.

Perhaps the most fundamental concern we heard from members during my time on the task force was that the move away from representative positions on the Governing Board would equate to members losing their voice in leadership of the Society. But it’s important to remember that—just like now—all of the leadership positions will be occupied by us, ESA members, including the Governing Board, which will continue to consist of ESA members who are ultimately chosen via member election. The only difference will be that the Board will no longer have one dedicated seat per group.

Vote for the Future of Your Society

I encourage you to read the proposed Bylaws amendments in full and to explore the further background about the Governance Upgrade and answers to frequently asked questions.

Personally, I am convinced the recommendations we’ll vote on in January are in the best interests of continuing ESA’s success, now and into whatever the future holds. I acknowledge it feels like a lot of change, especially in a time of uncertainty in our country and around the world. Change is, though, an inevitable consequence of improvement.

However you choose vote on the Bylaws amendments in January, as a fellow ESA member I encourage you to also vote in the winter elections for ESA Branch officers. At its heart, ESA is all of us bringing our best!

Michelle S. Smith, BCE-Emeritus, is retired from her role as a technical director at Corteva Agriscience and is a past president (2021) and Honorary Member of the Entomological Society of America. Email: [email protected].