Bylaws amendments fall short of two-thirds threshold required for approval
Annapolis, MD; February 11, 2026—Members of the Entomological Society of America have voted to decline a set of amendments to ESA Bylaws that aimed to reshape the size and composition of the ESA Governing Board and its nomination processes.
After a multi-year development effort, the ESA Governing Board voted at its September 2025 meeting to advance the amendments to ESA membership for approval. The member voting period opened January 7 and ended February 8. Of voting members, 48 percent voted to approve and 52 percent voted to reject, a split that falls short of the two-thirds threshold required in the ESA Bylaws for adoption of amendments.
"On behalf of the ESA Governing Board, I thank all ESA members who voted on these proposed Bylaws amendments and who offered their input and feedback throughout the Governance Upgrade project," says ESA President Melissa W. Siebert, Ph.D. "While this result ultimately falls short of the goal, we have gained valuable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of ESA's governance processes. My fellow volunteer leaders and I remain committed to improving ESA governance and our ability to pursue the mission of our professional society."
The Bylaws vote took place concurrent with ESA Branch officer elections. Results of Branch elections will be announced later in February.
Current ESA Bylaws, last amended in 2021, remain in effect. For more information about the proposed amendments and ESA governance in general, please see the following resources:
- ESA Governance Upgrade: Proposed Bylaws Amendments
- ESA Governance
- ESA Bylaws
- ESA Elections and Nominations
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CONTACT: Joe Rominiecki, jrominiecki@entsoc.org, 301-731-4535 x3009
ABOUT: ESA is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has nearly 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the Society stands ready as a non-partisan scientific and educational resource for all insect-related topics. For more information, visit www.entsoc.org.