2026 VES Spain Board of Managers Election 

OFFICIAL BALLOT 
For the March 2026 – February 2028 Term

• Official Voting Deadline: Monday, February 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST
  
• Voting is open to Current VES Members with primary addresses within the Spain Section ONLY

Candidate names are listed in random order. Please vote for ALL the candidates you feel would best serve the Section Board of Managers.  The candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.

Candidate Statements and Bios are listed below the ballot.

Colleen Jenkinson

Job Title or Description: VFX Operations Technical Consultant – specializing in VFX and animation production and business workflow strategies

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to be nominated for a position on the Board of Managers for the Visual Effects Society – Toronto Section.  Having been a long-time member, I am committed to supporting the VES’s mission and contributing to its growth and success.

 I have 25 years of experience in VFX and Animation, having worked in roles such as Operations Technical Consulting, VFX Producing, VFX and Animation Production Management,  Software Business Development and Customer Support.  I am also a member of Women In Animation (WIA) and board C

hair of the City of Kawartha Lakes TIFF Film Circuit, where I gained valuable insights into effective governance and leadership.

 If elected, I will focus on growing the Toronto section membership, improving stakeholder engagement and enhancing global collaboration with other sections.  I believe in transparency and accountability and I am committed to ensuring that this section continues to thrive in these areas.  I look forward to working with fellow Board members to help shape the future direction of the Toronto section.

 I am fully committed to the responsibilities of a Board member and will dedicate my time and efforts to supporting the organization’s goals and look forward to working with the Board to achieve new successes and seize new opportunities.

 Thank you for considering my nomination. I am excited for the chance to contribute to the future of the Toronto section of the Visual Effects Society.

Jyoti Namjoshi

Job Title or Description: Head of Production

Candidate Statement:

As a dedicated passionate visual effects professional, I am eager to contribute to the VES Section Board of Managers, Toronto Section by bringing a combination of industry expertise and leadership to advance our mission to create, inspire, and educate the VFX community. My blend of creative background and management expertise enables me to contribute meaningfully to our community’s ongoing growth and impact. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a deep understanding of the evolving VFX landscape, recognizing both the technical challenges and creative opportunities that define our industry. My experience spans innovative project management, technology integration, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which allows me to bring a forward-thinking perspective to the board. I can help shape initiatives that keep our members at the forefront of industry advancements. I am particularly eager to introduce initiatives that will strengthen our society’s value proposition. These include developing mentorship programs that bridge emerging talent with industry veterans, creating more engaging real-time collaboration through webinars, lunch and learn initiatives, and expanding educational resources that address the rapid technological changes in visual effects. Additionally, I propose Mental Health & Communication Panels, focusing on stress management, work-life balance, and fostering healthy team dynamics in the VFX industry. By combining strategic leadership, innovative thinking, and a passion for community-building, I aim to help VES continue evolving as a world-class resource for its members. I would be honored to serve on the board and contribute to enhancing our industry’s impact, supporting our artists, and shaping the future of VFX.

Jo Hughes

Job Title or Description: VFX Supervisor/Producer

Candidate Statement:

Hi there! I’m Jo, a VFX Supervisor/Producer with experience both at VFX facilities and on the production side, and I’d be honoured to represent you on Toronto’s VES Board.

 I’ve been working in visual effects for 15 years, and I love our VFX community here in Toronto. I appreciate all the social & educational opportunities that the VES provides: I’ve enjoyed the variety of recent programming and want to continue to develop what’s on offer – to keep bringing exciting events to our calendar!

Amanda Heppner

Job Title or Description: Character Creature Lookdev Lead at WeFX

Candidate Statement:

I’m eager to contribute to the Visual Effects Society (VES) board, drawing from my seven years in visual effects and my role as an educator at Humber College Polytechnic. As Program Liaison for the 3D Modelling and Visual Effects program, I’m actively involved in shaping the future of our industry. My experience presenting at industry conferences and high schools about career prospects has honed my communication skills and reflects my passion for the field.

My experience hosting events directly aligns with the VES mission to foster community and facilitate knowledge sharing. As a board member, I would leverage my combined industry insights and educational perspective to strengthen the VES outreach and training initiatives.

My technical expertise, strong professional network, and genuine enthusiasm for visual effects make me a valuable asset to the VES board. I am committed to promoting excellence, driving professional development, and elevating the art and science of visual effects on a global stage. I aim to bring fresh ideas, technical skills, and a collaborative spirit, helping to drive the continued growth and impact of the Visual Effects Society.

Nicholas  Chambers

Job Title or Description: CEO and VFX Director

Candidate Statement:

With over a decade of experience in games, working in real time VFX, I have contributed to some of the largest IP’s in the industry (GTA5, Far Cry, Max Payne 3, etc), at some of the largest studios (Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Sony Santa Monica, etc) and collaborated with clients to win awards, such as an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media (Baba Yaga). This journey led me to build a studio focused on real time VFX, FX-Chamber.

Ontario based, with a globally distributed team, we work with clients on games, interactive media, shows and more. In less than four years, we’ve become a team of ten, received a VES nomination (Until Dawn (23rd VES)) and built a diverse portfolio that shows the exceptional range of talent in our team. A testament to the company’s focus for nurturing talent and building curious, critical thinkers to match the pace of development.

As the company grows, there is a desire to engage, educate and foster more local real time VFX talent. FX-Chamber is being built to adapt and match the demands of the evolving landscape of development and provides a unique fresh voice in the space, through the leadership I provide.

The initiatives and ideas I would suggest would be real time focused, with an emphasis on games, immersive experiences and virtual production using real-time engines and VFX

Rajesh Persaud

Job Title or Description: College instructor in Game Design, 3D Art/VFX, and Production Management (Sheridan, Conestoga & Humber Colleges)

Candidate Statement:

With over 15 years in Games and VFX, I have built strong connections between academia and industry. I mentor emerging talent while leading Gameloft Toronto, Dark Slope, Rocket Science VFX, and SupAR Games production teams. As a college instructor in Game Design, 3D Art, and Production Management (Sheridan, Conestoga & Humber Colleges), I prepare the next generation of artists with real-world skills and insights.

If elected to the VES Board of Managers, I will focus on:

> Strengthening Industry-Academia Connections – I aim to develop mentorship programs, workshops, and networking events that connect students and emerging artists with seasoned professionals, ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled talent.

> Expanding Professional Development Opportunities – I propose technical masterclasses, studio tours, and speaker sessions featuring top-tier VFX and game artists from all over to keep our section members at the forefront of industry advancements.

> Fostering a Diverse and Inclusive Community – By integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into our initiatives, I will advocate for more accessible, inclusive learning and professional growth opportunities for all VFX artists, regardless of background or experience level.

I appreciate your consideration

Best regards,

Raj

Laurence Cymet

Job Title or Description: Current Chair of VES Toronto Section

VES Education & Outreach Committee Secretary

Head of Technology at WeFX Studio

 Professor of VFX at Centennial College

Candidate Statement:

For the past two years I have had the pleasure of being a member of the VES Toronto Section Board of Managers, and I spent the last year as VES Toronto Chair. 

 It’s been a pleasure to work with the amazing team here on the Board of Managers to provide events to the Toronto VFX community.   Together we’ve delivered social events, educational panels, celebrated the work done here in Toronto, brought in some industry luminaries to visit and learn about our work, and forged some partnerships with other groups to help deliver our voice to ongoing industry efforts.

With your vote, I look forward to continuing to help build community here in Toronto.  I am deeply passionate about the VFX scene here, having worked exclusively in it for the past 25 years, and I want to see it thrive. I believe that coming together as a community is how we will do this.

I see great opportunities to build on what we’ve delivered with more social and networking events, more outreach, stronger partnerships, more training workshops and more awareness building for the great work we do on a global scale.

Thank you for your consideration,

Laurence Cymet

Kate Xagoraris

Job Title or Description: FX and Lighting Artist in the Film, Television, and other media industries, specializing in simulations with Sidefx’s Houdini.

I am also a Visual Effect Historian, pursuing projects to preserve Canada’s local and national history of visual effects. I also come from a background in Scientific Visualization and Research.

Candidate Statement:

My name is Kate Xagoraris, and I am nominating myself as I am passionate about the efforts and achievements the Visual Effects Society creates for local and international VFX communities. I would like to be considered for a position on The Board of Managers, as I want to continue my work of recognizing Canadians in the visual effects industry on a global scale through local and government initiatives.  I also want the opportunity to help the world understand our craft and spread its legacy. Through my work promoting the history of our industry over the past 5 years and its intersection with scientific fields, teaching it through various universities, and working in it professionally, I would love to be considered to become a part of the board. If allowed, I would create and promote events to preserve and spread VFX’s legacy in Toronto, increase efforts to recognize important individuals on a national level, increase communication, promote VES to younger generations, and advocate for better protections for the VFX industry and the future workers who will become the next generation of artists. I believe that visual effects is filmmaking, and our job is to encourage others to dream of what they can achieve and show through the visual prowess of film what the world can truly become. Film and media are the voiceboxes of a nation, and I would love the opportunity to help guide it in a positive direction through the sector I work in.