The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced its 2025 board of directors officers. The officers, who comprise the VES board executive committee, were elected at the January 2025 board meeting. Kim Davidson was re-elected as the board chair and is the first board member from outside the US.
The 2025 officers of the VES board of directors are:
- Chair: Kim Davidson
- 1st Vice Chair: Susan O’Neal
- 2nd Vice Chair: David Tanaka
- Secretary: Rita Cahill
- Treasurer: Jeffrey A. Okun
Davidson said, “It is my privilege to serve as chair of our worldwide community of visual effects artists and innovators. Since I joined the society 18 years ago, I have seen the VES grow from a California-based organisation to a global society with 16 regional sections and members in more than 50 countries. As the first chair elected from outside the United States, I am representative of our thriving globalisation, and I look forward to further championing our expansion worldwide. The leadership on our board brings enormous commitment, expertise and enthusiasm to their volunteer service and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
VES executive director Nancy Ward said, “Our society is fortunate to have strong leadership represented on our executive committee. I am honoured to work alongside these exceptional, dedicated professionals, especially amidst this time of dynamic change. We appreciate their commitment to further advance the Society’s global initiatives and impact.”
About the board of directors:
Davidson: He 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. Davidson was the first chair of the VES Toronto section and has served on the Toronto section board for eight years. He has served on the global VES board of directors for seven years, on the membership committee for seven years, as well as a number of VES ad hoc committees. He has been a VES mentor and played an active role in the society’s recent strategic planning process.
O’Neal: She 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 second vice chair in 2022 and 2023 and first vice chair in 2024. She has served as the chair for the legacy global education committee and currently chairs the membership committee. She was honoured with the VES Founders Award for meritorious service to the society. O’Neal is currently a recruiter for BLT Recruiting and has worked as an operations manager at The Mill, operations director at Escape Studios in Los Angeles, and as an account manager at SideFX. She started her career in visual effects at Digital Domain in 1993, where she worked in finance and operations before turning to production.
Tanaka: He is an editor, producer and creative director. For 15 years he worked at Industrial Light & Magic in VFX production and VFX editorial on films including Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump and the Star Wars saga. He currently holds a VFX editor position with Tippett Studio in Berkeley, California. Tanaka has worked on streaming shows like Locke & Key, The Orville: New Horizons, The Resort, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Secret Invasion. He has served three terms as chair of the VES Bay Area Section, as well as two previous terms as the second vice chair on the global board of directors, in 2021 and 2023. 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.
Cahill: She 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 an executive producer on a number of international projects. She was a founding board member of the Mill Valley Film Festival/California Film Institute and remains on the institute’s board of directors. It is her ninth term as a secretary on the global board of directors. She also served as a chair or co-chair of the VES summit for eight years.
Okun: He has been creating visual effects for film and television for over 30 years, with another ten years experience in various industry capacities. 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 television programs such as Cosmos: Possible Worlds, The End Is Nye and The Good Lord Bird. He is a VES fellow and recipient of the VES Founders Award. He created and founded the VES Awards, in its 23rd year. As VES board chair for seven years, he fostered a global community, focused attention on bringing business and creative education. He also served as chair of the Los Angeles section of the VES for two years and as first vice chair and treasurer on the global board of directors for several years.