JDG Associates Retained by SPIE to Lead CEO Search
October 6, 2026 – Rockville, MD-based executive search firm JDG Associates has been selected by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, to lead its search for a new CEO. The Bellingham, WA-based society, the premier global organization advancing light-based research and technologies, seeks a strategic, globally minded executive to succeed CEO Kent Rochford, who will depart in February 2027.
Reporting to the board of directors and working closely with its executive committee, the new CEO will lead all aspects of the society’s operations, including its conferences and exhibitions, scholarly publishing, industry programs, continuing education, career development, advocacy, and community outreach. The incoming leader inherits a financially strong organization that has outperformed many of its peers, came through the pandemic without layoffs, and has recently paired its long record of organic growth with a deliberate acquisition strategy and a multi-year artificial intelligence initiative.
SPIE is seeking a successor, not a turnaround leader, according to JDG Associates. The next CEO will protect nearly a decade of financial strength and momentum while setting a clear multi-year direction for growth. Success will require a leader who can bridge worlds: technical enough to earn the trust of a global scientific community, commercially sound enough to run a complex enterprise with multiple product lines, and entrepreneurial enough to pursue opportunities in adjacent markets. This leader must also position SPIE ahead of major shifts in its environment, including artificial intelligence, changes in science funding and public policy, and the growing importance of optics and photonics to industries such as space, semiconductors, data centers, defense, and health.
To fulfill this mandate, the search calls for three core capabilities. First, the next CEO must be a strategist and business leader, partnering with the board to develop and execute a multi-year strategic plan with measurable goals, and applying strong financial acumen to evaluate new markets and integrate acquired businesses and programs. Second, this leader must be a global ambassador and advocate, representing SPIE before government policymakers, industry and academic leaders around the world with the humility and cultural respect that international diplomacy demands. Third, and equally important, the CEO must be a servant leader and culture steward. Listening first, earning trust, and empowering a talented, long-tenured staff while holding the organization to clear, measurable outcomes.
Established in 1955, SPIE partners with researchers, educators, and industry to advance light-based research and technologies for the betterment of the human condition. The society represents more than 25,000 members, serves a community spanning 166 countries, and employs a staff of 177.
JDG Associates has been providing executive recruitment services to Fortune 1000 corporations, associations and non-profits, federal, state, and local governments, research and consulting firms, and defense contractors since 1973. The firm’s research-intensive process and personal approach have resulted in more than 4,000 senior-level searches across a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines in the Washington, D.C. region and nationally.
Darren DeGioia serves as president of JDG. He conducts senior-level search assignments for research and consulting organizations as well as the public sector. His areas of expertise include information technology, accounting and finance, the quantitative sciences, operations/general management, marketing, and communications. Prior to joining JDG, Mr. DeGioia spent four years in the hospitality industry with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Sheraton Hotels.
NCART Search
JDG Associates was also recently selected by the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) to lead its search for a new executive director. The position is remote and may be based anywhere in the United States, with proximity to the Washington, D.C. area considered a plus.
NCART stands at a pivotal moment, with active, high-stakes policy fights underway and a clear mandate to become an even more effective voice for the CRT community. Reporting to the president of the executive committee and board of directors, the executive director will provide strategic leadership, direct advocacy and government affairs activities, cultivate stakeholder relationships, oversee organizational operations, and serve as the Association’s primary spokesperson.
NCART is a national membership association representing the suppliers and manufacturers of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), the individually configured wheelchairs, seating, and positioning systems that people with significant disabilities rely on for mobility, independence, and quality of life. Through federal and state advocacy, coalition building, and policy leadership, NCART works to protect and expand access to this essential technology and to strengthen the long-term viability of the industry that provides it.
Related: Why the Best Job Offer Is About More Than Salary
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
