The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) announced yesterday the appointment of a new chair and vice-chair to their board of directors via a press release. Vesa Raudasoja has assumed the position of chair, having held the position of vice-chair previously, and Emily Greer, previously a member on the board, has been appointed vice-chair. Former chairman, David Seltzer, will continue to serve on the board as chair emeritus. The IGDA is a U.S.-based, international non-profit organization with members from the wide spectrum of the gaming industry, including developers, writers, artists, programmers, and just about every other position imaginable within the field. The organization helps the aforementioned individuals come together with events such as the Game Leadership Summit in order to propel the industry forward.

Newly appointed chairman Vesa Raudasoja, in addition to serving on the IGDA board, has been a leader and influential member of IGDA Finland for over 10 years. Raudasoja helped build the Finnish chapter into one of the flagship branches of the organization and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from IGDA Finland in 2015 for his work. Outside of the organization, he is an evangelist with the Finnish Game Jam Association and is the co-founder of Devs.tv.

The new vice-chair, Emily Greer, is the co-founder of Kongregate (along with her brother Jim) and current CEO since 2014. Kongregate rose in popularity after its launch in 2006 as a free-to-play online game hub, and more recently the transition into mobile, PC and console game publishing. Greer is also well-known throughout the industry for her presentations on the economics and psychology of free-to-play games.

While the two major seats of the organization saw transition with the appointment of Raudasoja and Greer, the positions of treasurer and secretary remain the same. The current treasurer, Lucien Parsons, holds an MBA in Innovation Management and has worked on projects ranging from social media games to AAA titles, even working within the U.S. government. Secretary Renee Gittins is the Creative Director and CEO of Stumbling Cat, as well as an avid advocate for diversity within the gaming industry. Check out the IGDA website for more information on the rest of the board of directors.