ISSS Board Members

Photo Name Title Bio and Location Term
 
Gary Smith 

President
grs0036@gmail.com
 
Gary is based in the UK. He is a Senior Expert Systems Engineer at Airbus Defence and Space.
He has a passion for understanding, appreciating complexity and the integration of solutions.
From 2019 to 2023 he served as VP for Systems Practice.
He is an INCOSE certified Expert Systems Engineering Professional and a senior editor of the Systems Engineering Body Of Knowledge.
 

 
 
 

 

2024-2025
Yiannis Laouris
President Elect 
  2024-2025
Michelle Friend Past President  Born in Canada 1966.
Education: Studied philosophy at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Intellectual development:Specialized first in philosophy of logic and mathematics, then on the philosophy of the logical foundations of the relativity theories. Recently I have been engaged in the philosophy of the environment and policy decisions that are in line with ecological economics. Stuart Umpleby introduced me to second-order cybernetics, systems science and Karl Muller introduced me to second-order science. Most recently I have been also working in the philosophy of chemistry - the environmental politics of chemical practice (research, industrial development, cultural attitudes). I developed an multi-criteria decision aide called the Institutional Compass to make the evaluation.
We shall be using the compass "on the ground" in a three year project (2022 - 2025) in Mexico to re-establish the natural hydrological system and appropriate the river for the community.
Employment 2001 - present: Teaching in the philosophy department at George Washington University, Washington D.C.
3-year Chaire d'Excellence Université de Lille 01/2020 - 01/2023.
 
         
Jennifer Makar
VP Administration-
Managing Director 
 
 
Canada
 
 
 
René Oosthuizen
Secretary and VP Protocol
 
 
 
 
 
René's Bio  
Gary Metcalf
Treasurer and VP Funds 
 
 
Gary Metcalf is a Past-President of the ISSS (2008 conference), and an active member of the Board of Trustees.  He served on the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Systems Sciences, as the President / VP from 2002 to 2018.  His business background includes serving as Director of a small, community-based non-profit organization, then as a manager in two Fortune 50 corporations, running programs for over 30,000 employees each time.  He spent 20 years teaching in university programs – in the US and other countries, and has owned and run a small consulting firm since 1998, with his wife and partner, Teresa Daniel, Ph.D.   2023-27
Haider Al-Shareefy 
VP Membership and PR 
 
 
 
I describe myself as a Holistic Systems Engineer. My bachelor degree was in aerospace systems engineering. I am currently doing a PhD in Safety Assurance of AI-based systems.
Technical achievements-wise, 
I have 2 patents granted with UK IPO. 
 
William Smith
VP Systems Practice
 
 
 
I brought with me to ISSS, three systemic questions which pointed to evolutionary lacunae that currently exist in the development of systems and organization theory and practice. 
Given purpose as the origin of power:-
1.     What are the elements or functions, present in every purpose that account for wholeness?
2.     How can power be balanced as it moves through the various dimensions of purpose and power i.e. from the whole through the parts to the individual unit, and back?
3.     How can we deal with the neglected dark side of power that derives from unconscious purposes, i.e. instincts, emotions, and motives?
Together, with all the contributions from Saturday/Wednesday videos, papers, and conferences we have begun to make progress in answering these three questions, and in my tenure as Vice President of Practice, I will do my best to turn our findings into productive research and practice.  
 
  Vacant VP Conferences
 
 
 
 
 
  Jennifer Wilby
VP Research and Publications
 
 
 
 
 
Clifford Whitcomb
VP Education 
 



 
David Ing
Chair, Board of Trustees and BoT Representative to ISSS Board
 
 
 

David Ing is a past-president (2011-2012) of the ISSS.  He is currently a Research Fellow for the Creative Systemic Research Platform Institute.  He also serves as a Research Fellow for Code for Canada.  David is an alumnus of IBM, where assignments over 28 years included management consulting, market development, executive education, and headquarters planning.  He resides in Toronto, Canada.  Four sons (who attended ISSS meetings as children) have now grown up and are pursuing productive careers.