Through the Eye of a Needle [From the Editor’s Desk]

On 31 December 2022, Steve Welby resigned from his position as executive director and chief operating officer (COO) of IEEE. Welby came to IEEE in January 2018, after serving for one term in the Obama administration as U.S. assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering. When he arrived at IEEE headquarters, Welby signed on for a five-year term. When he left at the end of last year, Welby announced that he wanted to spend more time with his family while exploring career options. Steve didn’t spend much time exploring. After coming home to his family who never left the Washington DC area, he returned to government service. His LinkedIn profile shows in February of this year serves in a new position as Deputy Director, National Security, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Serving as IEEE Division II director and as a member of the IEEE Board of Directors from 2018 to 2020, I had an opportunity to directly engage with Steve during the four-day Board Series meetings held four times per year. I had a front row seat observing Steve. I believe Welby was a transformational leader for IEEE and a consummate professional. “Through the eye of a needle” is, of course, a metaphor for navigating through a very narrow opening. I learned this to be one of Steve’s special skills.