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The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) North America has elected Sam Allen as new president of the IGS and Edoardo Zannoni as vice president, making him IGS’s first vice president from South Africa. Allen, Zannoni and eight newly elected council members will begin their terms this September and serve until 2026. Outgoing IGS President Chungsik Yoo will continue on the council as past president. Also elected as council members were Dimiter Alexiew (Germany), Eric Blond (Canada), Mikio Kubo (Japan), Patricia Guerra-Escobar (UK), Erol Tutumluer (USA), Amir Shahkolahi (Australia), Chiwan Wayne Hsieh (Taiwan), and Nicola Moraci (Italy).
“It is my highest honor to be elected to lead the IGS,” Allen said. “I have benefitted by learning from an esteemed group of IGS leaders, colleagues and experts that have given their time and talents to the society, and feel fortunate to have this opportunity to embrace our exciting future. There is much to accomplish. As humankind encounters substantial challenges, the IGS and our products are an integral part of the needed solutions. We will communicate the amazing benefits of geosynthetics in new state-of-the-art platforms and present the IGS as a responsible member of our global community in building a more sustainable and resilient future. The IGS has a brilliant and urgent future. I look forward to working with our gifted IGS Council and our talented global membership to realize continued success for the IGS.”
“It is a privilege to be elected through one of the highest turnouts in IGS election history,” Zannoni said. “It is a vote of confidence in the IGS as an organization that is leading the way in addressing challenges such as sustainability, credentialling and growing our presence beyond our sister societies, establishing a direct communication with cross-discipline societies, and adapting to a fast evolving world and membership. I look forward to working with Sam, our new council and the wider membership in continuing to develop the IGS to benefit the growth, impact and innovation of geosynthetics around the world.”
IGS members voted from April to June for their favorite candidates to lead the next IGS Council. This year saw a record 22 candidates spanning 16 countries. It was also the highest ever voter turnout of 26.9%. The IGS Council will vote on who will be the next secretary and treasurer at its next meeting. Committee chairs are expected to be decided during the IGS Council meeting at EuroGeo7 in Warsaw, Poland, on September 8. Read more about the newly elected Council members here.