Steve was hired in April 2023 not just as the first Executive Director but also as INCOSE’s first employee. Steve is helping to lead INCOSE’s evolution to become a world-class professional association. Some of his personal goals include organizational growth, member engagement, and culture building.

Steve came to INCOSE from the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS), where he was Executive Director, International Board Executive Vice President, and Executive Director of The GEAPS Foundation. Before GEAPS, Records was Chief Operating Officer at SCORE and The SCORE Foundation from 2011 to 2019. He has previously worked in management consulting at the Gallup Organization and in the chemical industry at Nalco Company. He has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He has completed the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University. He is also a Certified Association Executive.

Honor A. Lind, MPA is the Marketing and Communications Director INCOSE. She has over 20 years’ experience in marketing and communications. She has held several positions in many non-profits and associations specializing in business development and branding for organizations across the globe. She has a master’s degree I public administration, MPA, with a focus on nonprofit management and marketing, along with two BA’s in art and communications. In her personal life she is a multimedia artist, specializing in story telling using metalsmithing, photography, and found-objects to enhance her artistic expressions. Art translates all communication barriers and can transform understanding through shared experiences.

Naina joins INCOSE with a strong background in public relations and a passion for detailed planning. As Director of Events, Naina and her team are responsible for a large global events portfolio, where she showcases her leadership skills in budget management, vendor sourcing, and on-site logistics. Naina has a BS in Public Relations and a BA in Women's Studies from West Virginia University along with a Certificate in Event Management from George Washington University. She is also a Certified Meeting Professional through the Events Industry Council. With this depth of knowledge, she brings a holistic perspective to her work, advocating for diversity and inclusion in all aspects of event planning and association management.

Naina’s event industry experience includes driving well-organized workflows, developing effective communication between staff and volunteers, and orchestrating multi-day conferences in international metropolitan areas around the world. Her strategic approach to project management has helped the successful implementation of many initiatives while recognizing opportunities for improvement.

As a mom of three young children, Naina consistently multitasks and excels at keeping the train moving. Yet she remains committed to leaving a lasting impact on everyone she meets.

Samantha (aka Sam/Sammy Jo) brings a unique blend of broadcast journalism expertise and digital marketing savvy to her role as INCOSE's Communications Manager. Prior to joining the INCOSE staff, she supported INCOSE communications with Universal Management Systems (UMS). In her new staff role, she continues to manage INCOSE’s communications via the various social media platforms, website content, the monthly eNote publication, event promotion, the members newsletter, and more! Samantha is also responsible for monitoring the digital engagement of INCOSE’s 30,000+ followers by tracking click-through rates of digital publications and social media traffic to maximize the effectiveness of INCOSE’s virtual presence.

Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and eight years of experience as a morning show radio producer in San Diego, Samantha has honed her skills to amplify INCOSE's brand awareness and ensure its message reaches target audiences effectively.

When she’s not managing INCOSE's communications, Samantha enjoys playing with her dog (follow him on Instagram @snarlysays), traveling, snorkeling, baking, and living life to the fullest every day.

Danielle "Danni" DeRoche has been contributing to the success of INCOSE in a variety of roles since 2015.  She is currently the Services Coordinator, a position that builds on her strength with the technical tools of INCOSE as well as with the stakeholders from chapters, the Certification Program, the INCOSE Fellows and other various committees of INCOSE.

Danni started her work with INCOSE on the Operations Team in the INCOSE Central office in San Diego. She now supports the Technical Products & Services Team in hometown of Forest Grove, OR. She proved herself a valuable member of the team, willing and able to learn new tasks quickly. She became a staple of the Certification Program, a role she continues to this day in her processing of exam results, academic equivalency lists, and certification application references. She was an active part of defining and implementing INCOSE’s transition to the new AMS system early in 2023. She is regularly called upon by her colleagues to help with Excel reporting and to develop How-To guides. The latter are an example of her attention to customer service, highlighting her recognition that pictures are much more valuable than written instructions.

Kelly has been in the storytelling business since she could put pen to paper (and eventually keystrokes to a blinking cursor). This passion has fueled her career to empower others to share their experiences and knowledge for a greater good.

Equipped with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from the University of Minnesota and a Masters degree in the same field from the University of St. Thomas, she has been delighted to use her education to write in various styles and industries throughout her career. Starting in state government, Kelly assisted in technical writing and process development for multiple agencies before moving into the private and non-profit healthcare sector, where she helped develop marketing campaigns, website content, technical contracts, newsletters, and communications templates for patients, providers, and insurance companies. Kelly has also taught post-secondary English and Communications courses as an Adjunct Professor in the Twin Cities.

The invaluable work of the INCOSE community resonated deeply with Kelly. Drawn to its global impact and vision for a better world through a systems approach, she eagerly joined its ranks. Today, she leverages her expertise to share INCOSE’s stories, bringing her passion full circle by amplifying the voices that shape a brighter future.

Monica Jordan joins the INCOSE team with over 20 years in the association database management space. Working with various associations and technology platforms has diversified the skills that she brings to the table. The experience that she has not only includes association management systems (AMS) knowledge but also event registration, membership management, award facilitation and committee management. Monica has also participated at a user conference, sitting on an expert panel to discuss committee management and data integrity.

Data integrity is the foundation from which all of Monica’s key principles are formed. If the data is not correct, it cannot be relied upon for other functions. If it is not relied upon, it has no integrity. Staff will discover that having a strong set of rules and structure for how INCOSE manages its data is the key to successful processes and promotes a positive image throughout the organization.

Monica Jordan has also worn other hats including Data Protection Officer. She was the GDPR representative for a former employee – recognizing that international policies must be enforced in order to prevent liability for the association while also protecting the data of the users whose data is within the AMS. Monica is a wife and mother of two daughters, Ronnita and Zyla. She is also a soprano with the church choir and voluntarily works in the office at the church with numerous administrative responsibilities.

Meghana brings a strong educational background and a passion for process improvement to her role as an Operations Support Specialist. She joined the INCOSE staff directly after pursuing her MBA from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Management Academy in Bengaluru, India. She also has a Project Management Associate (IPMA—Level D) Certification from the International Project Management Association and a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from the Indian Statistical Institute.

In her Operations Support role, Meghana helps administer INCOSE’s certification processes and supports Sector III chapter operations, membership management, and volunteer leader organization. She enjoys the challenge of devising alternatives to improve and increase the efficiency of operational processes, bringing her problem-solving skills and certifications to bear to integral INCOSE workflows.

When not immersed in INCOSE activities, she enjoys indulging her passion for sports, particularly badminton and throwball. She also finds solace and joy in painting and sketching, exploring new places through travel, and delving into the culture and history of each destination.

Originally from the Chicago area, James has lived between France and Netherlands since 2011. He completed his undergraduate studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, where he was also team captain of the Fighting Scots baseball team. One year after graduation, he moved to Toulouse, France to coach for the French Junior National team, support their program development, and continue his own baseball career for Stade Toulousain. Over the following 8 years, James kept his passion for the game and was ultimately selected for the French National Team on several occasions, including the 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Arizona.

In 2013, he moved permanently to Paris and completed his MBA at INSEEC. From 2014-2016, he worked in sporting events and partnerships for Evian, as well as digital project management for Digitas (Publicis). After these experiences, he would spend 6 years as Area Manager for the European region of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global chapter-based non-profit supporting entrepreneurship. At EO, he focused his efforts on growth and developing local chapters, as well as designing and managing the leadership development program for 200+ chapter presidents on a global level.

Prior to joining INCOSE in 2024, James spent two years participating within and leading various initiatives supporting the Ukrainian people and military. Among his contributions, he helped facilitate and formalize partnerships between government officials, volunteers, and NGOs, and directly managed a transportation network between partnered shelters in Poland and Netherlands that would enable the safe transit of over 750 people between the countries.

In his free time, James enjoys spending time with his wife and enjoying the nature around their home in the Amsterdam suburbs. He is an avid strategy game player from a young age, with competitive experience in a variety of computer and over-the-board games. James is excited about the opportunity to work for INCOSE because he believes deeply that systems thinking skills are a core necessity for younger generations to solve the increasingly complex problems we face in our societies.

If you’ve ever emailed or called INCOSE with a question, then you’ve probably talked to Tomi Okey! Tomi is our Operations Administrator who ensures smooth workflows across various domains within INCOSE. From managing Corporate Advisory Board accounts to providing essential support through the help desk to processing advertising agreements, Tomi is the go-to person for internal process inquiries and streamlining day-to-day operations for INCOSE. Tomi's role extends to chapter leader roster management, where she meticulously updates rosters in Rhythm and is pivotal in facilitating smooth interactions on platforms like Viva Engage by managing access permissions and password resets. Additionally, Tomi handles shipping requests, including event promotional packs, certificates, pins, and awards, ensuring everything reaches its destination seamlessly.

Before becoming a full-time INCOSE staff member, Tomi served in a similar capacity while working for the contracted Universal Management Systems (UMS) for seven years and spent two decades as a Managed Care contracts Auditor, Front office supervisor, and Medical Biller. Tomi attended Maric College in San Diego and is a Certified Administrator.

Outside of work, Tomi serves in a similar capacity at her local church, where she serves on the Leadership Core Group, coordinates volunteers, plans and manages events, and leads a women’s group.

With a commitment to excellence and a passion for service, Tomi Okey plays a vital role in ensuring the seamless functioning of operations at INCOSE, embodying the organization's ethos of collaboration and efficiency.

Dr. Christian Sprague is a passionate advocate for the power of systems engineering and believes that using a systems approach is key to tackling today's most pressing challenges.

As a trained systems engineer, Christian boasts a stellar record of expertise in systems thinking, data science, and technical project management. He received his Ph.D in Systems Engineering from Cornell University, where he advanced the field of sociotechnical systems engineering for ontology-based models of economic markets. During his time at Cornell University, Christian was awarded the Senior Data Science Fellowship at Cornell Center for Social Science, where he helped direct research projects centered around cyber-architecture investment and user behavior.

Prior to INCOSE, Christian was a Postdoctoral Project Manager at the Cabrera Research Lab, the renowned systems thinking lab, where he oversaw a variety of technical projects.

As he takes on the technical project management role at the INCOSE, Christian brings along a powerful combination of soft and hard skills, key for cultivating strategic partnerships and spearheading new development.

Christian’s dedication to the systems engineering community and his vision for its future make him an invaluable asset at INCOSE.

Courtney Wright is in her twelfth year working for INCOSE as the Certification Program Manager. She first became involved with INCOSE when she became a CSEP in 2007.

Prior to her time at INCOSE, Courtney worked as a contractor for multiple US government agencies. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia, she started off performing modeling and simulation for the US Air Force. She then continued her education with a Master’s in Operations Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and she transitioned to working at NASA. Courtney performed discrete event simulations, requirements analysis, and many other SE functions while working at Johnson Space Center as an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton.

In addition to performing systems engineering, Courtney has taught SE professional development courses to hundreds of FAA employees and contractors. She enjoys helping professionals learn that what they’ve been doing throughout their career fits under the Systems Engineering umbrella, and that there are best practices available for it! This relates closely to her work with INCOSE’s Certification Program, where she helps people who are new to formal SE learn how much opportunity there is to learn and grow within the field.

Courtney created INCOSE’s Academic Equivalency Program, which draws in hundreds of new SEPs each year. She also created the paper exam path to delivering the knowledge exam and led INCOSE to transition to online testing. Under Courtney’s leadership, the Certification Program has quadrupled in size and expanded to more broadly cover the globe. It also gives her a platform for puns like SEPtember and T-shirts advertising her as “deSEPtively STRONG.”  

If you cross paths with Courtney, you are sure to see her smiling and offering help.