NEW YORK— The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) announced a new management agreement with the National Lighting Bureau (NLB), effective September 1, 2026. Under the agreement, IES assumes administrative, operational, and financial management of NLB, with day-to-day administrative and operational functions handled by Tom Butters, NLB’s current Executive Director. NLB retains its own Board of Directors and full independence over its programming and strategic direction, consistent with the shared management model IES already uses with the National Council on Qualifications for Lighting Professions (NCQLP) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES).
The agreement builds on a shared history between the two organizations: IES has long been represented on the NLB Board, and the two groups have collaborated for decades to advance lighting education for the benefit of the public and the industry. Formalizing this management relationship gives NLB access to IES’s operational infrastructure while preserving its own mission and governance.
“This closer partnership between IES and NLB gives both organizations an opportunity to broaden their reach and deliver more content focused on consumers and the public—something IES has long been interested in doing,” said Colleen Harper, CEO and Executive Director of IES.
Founded in 1906, IES is the recognized technical authority on illumination, publishing lighting standards, technical guidance, and educational content used throughout the design and construction industries. IES already provides management services to both NCQLP and AES under a similar arrangement, reflecting a broader strategy of extending its operational strength to allied organizations in service of the wider lighting and technical communities.
NLB exists to create demand for High-Benefit Lighting® – lighting designed to optimize human performance, health, safety, and commerce – through educational programs such as the Annual Lighting Forum, the Tesla Awards, and the Lighting Transformation Awards. NLB provides its educational materials to the public free of charge and is sponsored by professional societies, trade associations, manufacturers, utilities, and government agencies.
“This agreement gives the National Lighting Bureau the best of both worlds: the strength and resources of IES’s operational infrastructure while preserving NLB’s independence, mission, and strategic direction,” said Mary Beth Gotti, Chair of NLB. “As the lighting industry continues to change rapidly, NLB has an important role to play in connecting the benefits of good lighting with the people who make decisions about the built environment. With IES providing the infrastructure and organizational strength to help broaden our reach, NLB can remain focused on developing innovative programs and initiatives that serve both the lighting industry and the broader public.”