It has been a full 525,600 minutes, and I am at the end of my year as the last single-year Chair of ACM SIGGRAPH. As I sit here writing my final Chair’s Corner, I feel incredibly grateful. Serving as your EC Chair has been a true highlight of my career. Change is never easy, but I have learned so much through this process that I will carry with me in my personal and professional life. I am thrilled to hand things over to June Kim. Her energy and dedication are exactly what SIGGRAPH needs right now, and I look forward to supporting her transition from the background.
Before I close this chapter, I want to be direct about where we are, what we’ve fixed, and the people who made this work possible.
Recognizing Our Leaders: Past and Future
Three of our EC Directors, Courtney Starrett, Alla Sheffer, and Elizabeth Baron, are finishing their terms this year. Most of their work happens behind the scenes in long, difficult meetings. They brought a lot of heart to roles that are often thankless, and I am so thankful for everything they gave to this community.
We also have a few key transitions. Dave Spoelstra is finishing his term as Treasurer but staying on as Past Treasurer. We made this change to keep his institutional knowledge on board in a year without a Treasurer-Elect. It’s even more critical this year while we navigate such a critical financial stretch. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Baron is shifting gears to lead the Industry Relations Advisory Board (IRAB). No one is better suited to bridge the gap between our research roots and the wider world of visual computing. And I’m excited to welcome Sheldon Andrews, Derek Ham, and Victoria Szabo to the EC. I’m looking forward to the fresh perspective they’ll bring.
Governance and the Mandate for Reform
On the bylaws front, I have some news that is both humbling and concerning. Our proposed change to the Chair and Vice-Chair positions, returning them to alignment with the rest of ACM SIGs, received strong support from those who voted. That’s a clear mandate for cleaner, more predictable governance. However, we didn’t hit the mandatory participation threshold (just 10%!) for ratification through membership alone. We clearly need to do more to engage our membership to increase voter turnout in the future.
Thankfully, the ACM SIG Governing Board recognized the strength of your voice and approved the change directly. It takes effect next year, moving us away from the “learning on the job” annually rotating chair model toward the multi-year stability this organization desperately needs.
What We Did, and What We Have to Do
When I started, I made three public promises. Here is an honest look at where we landed.
- Transparency: No More “Tiered” Secrets
We committed to more detailed, fully public committee meeting notes — no more tiered “private versus public” versions. We’ve shared those notes consistently and on time this year, available here.
We also committed to transparency around conference site selection. Now that SIGGRAPH Asia 2027 in Tokyo has been announced, the site selection survey is posted on the Conferences page. While Anaheim for SIGGRAPH 2027 and Vancouver for SIGGRAPH 2028 were selected before this mandate, we will post those shortly to fulfill our commitment to transparency about the data we gather before making decisions. While we know some of you won’t be attending SIGGRAPH Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, I hope this commitment gives you a reason to consider returning to future conferences.
To prevent the kind of rushed, under-informed decisions we experienced with SIGGRAPH Asia 2026’s site selection, we developed an annual decision timeline Gantt chart that gives us clear timelines for the decisions facing us in the year ahead so the EC has adequate time to evaluate options. That timeline is included in the meeting minutes for reference, and I hope future ECs treat it as a living tool rather than a one-time exercise. - Alignment: Budgets Reflecting our Current State
In addition to aggressively reducing organizational expenses and eliminating our dependence on conference returns, we were aggressive with the SIGGRAPH 2026 budget to avoid the kind of loss Denver produced. That work prevented a significant financial loss this year, and the work will need to continue. Going forward, you will see us consolidating and re programs that aren’t demonstrably serving you, using your survey data and attendance to make these calls. If a program you love is changing, please remember that we are following your input in these choices, so filling in survey information is critical.
But it’s not all cuts…we anticipate that cutting programs and services that have outgrown their value will allow us to invest more in the programs that do. And, further, we will continue to use the reserve to support new initiatives that serve our membership overall, hoping to improve your satisfaction and grow your numbers. - Connection: Grounding the Executive Committee in the Real Work
We’ve made progress in strengthening relationships with our committees and ad-hoc groups. That better understanding of where and how they bring value has led us to make some adjustments. We will be merging the External Relations Committee into the newly forming Industry Relations Advisory Board to integrate its mission, and we’re folding some of the Volunteer Development Committee’s activities into the Officer Selection Advisory Group and Nominations Committee while we re-evaluate the best ways to encourage volunteerism. This isn’t just shuffling boxes; it’s about connecting those who want to serve with the teams that actually run this organization.
A Final Word
Next year will be foundational. We are returning to elections for both a Chair and Vice-Chair with three-year terms. If you want to see this reform continue—or if you think we haven’t done enough—run for a role. I ran because I was concerned about the direction of the organization that helped shape my career, and I wanted to help keep it alive for the next generation of visual computing enthusiasts. If you feel that same connection, give back and commit to the work necessary to make this volunteer organization healthy and sustainable.
It has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ll be in the background supporting June Kim for my final year as Director. Thank you for the trust you placed in me.
Darin Grant
ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee Chair, Sept 1 2025– August 31 2026