After a comprehensive search by the VES Board of Directors, the organization’s previous Program and Development Director and Interim Executive Director steps into the official role following the retirement of Eric Roth.
The Visual Effects Society (VES) has selected Nancy Ward as its new Executive Director. Ward, who joined the Society in 2014 as the organization’s Program and Development Director, was appointed Interim Executive Director upon the retirement of Eric Roth in September 2022. The appointment, effective immediately, comes after a comprehensive search by the VES Board of Directors, led by VES Chair Lisa Cooke.
“Nancy has a passion for the VES and a vision to further uplift the Society and bring it to the forefront of the global entertainment community,” shared Cooke. “She has earned a tremendous reputation among the Board, staff, Sections, worldwide membership, and industry partners, and we are confident that the VES will achieve new heights under her leadership. I am thrilled to have someone of Nancy’s caliber to helm our next chapter.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Executive Director of the Visual Effects Society,” said Executive Director Nancy Ward. “It’s an enormous privilege to connect, educate, honor, and celebrate the hardest working - and probably most underappreciated professionals - in entertainment, around the world. The VES is a beacon of creative and technological innovation and excellence, and it is my intention to further grow the Society into a powerful resource that is recognized and respected in all corners of the globe. I look forward to building on the strong foundation created by Eric Roth and helping the Society cement its position as a leading voice at the epicenter of the entertainment industry.
The Search Committee included 1st Vice Chair Emma Clifton Perry, VES Secretary Rita Cahill, and Chair Emeritus Mike Chambers, VES.
Source: Visual Effects Society
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
