Michala Medcalf stepped up as ILP President at the Birmingham Lighting Live Annual Conference. Here is an abridged version of her Presidential speech.
By Michala Medcalf
It is a genuine honour to stand here before you today as President of the Institution of Lighting Professionals.
Firstly, I’d like to offer, on behalf of the ILP, our sincere thanks and appreciation to our Immediate Past President, James Duffin. During his year of office, James has demonstrated exceptional commitment, leadership, and dedication.
In recognition of this substantial contribution, it gives me great pleasure to ask you to rejoin me on the stage and accept your Fellowship of the ILP award.
Now about me, I’m on a meter here! To be entrusted with this role by such a knowledgeable, committed, and passionate community is something I value deeply – and I am proud to represent you.
The ILP has always stood for excellence, integrity, and leadership in lighting. As we gather here today, we do so at a time when the role of light in society has never been more important – nor more complex. Lighting shapes our places, our safety, our wellbeing, and our environment.
With that influence comes responsibility. Because the ILP is the lead authority for technical advice and guidance in lighting.
BEING PREPARED TO ADAPT
We are the go-to organisation. We influence standards. We publish guidance. We lead on best practice.
Our technical documents, professional guidance, and publications are respected across the UK and beyond. They are relied upon by practitioners, local authorities, consultants, and contractors – and increasingly referenced in policy and regulation.
This leadership carries responsibility. It means staying current. It means being evidence-led. And it means being prepared to adapt.
As my year as President begins, I would like to share, with you, my passion, ambitions and key themes that will support how we move forward, towards delivering a new Strategy.
THEME ONE – MEMBERSHIP
ILP individual membership represents far more than letters after your name. It signifies competence, accountability, ethical practice, and a commitment to continual professional development. It means designing, specifying, installing, and managing lighting that is safe, sustainable, inclusive, and evidence based.
Engineering Council registration demonstrates that we meet nationally recognised standards of professional competence and conduct. It assures clients, employers, and the public that lighting engineering is a profession grounded in rigour, accountability, and responsibility.
It strengthens our influence, our credibility, and our voice – particularly when engaging with policy-makers, regulators, and stakeholders. Our work continues around adding value to corporate membership, and the development of the Industry Partnership Recognition Scheme. Our vision of success is to have a nationally recognised scheme that holds both social value and commercial advantages.
Overall, these theme strikes two chords. It is what good lighting citizenship looks like — and it is why Engineering Council registration is so important.
THEME TWO – SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
One of the most important challenges facing our profession is our growing understanding of the effects of artificial light at night on the natural environment and on ecology.
We now know that light, if poorly designed, or carelessly applied, can disrupt ecosystems, affect wildlife behaviour, and contribute to the degradation of our night skies. As lighting professionals, we are uniquely placed to be part of the solution.
Thoughtful design, appropriate technology, and evidence-based standards allow us to deliver light where it is needed, when it is needed, and only in the quantity required. No longer are we seen as a burden around the use of energy and carbon, but as an innovator, and a ‘smart’ solution that leads towards net zero ambitions.
The ILP has a critical role in leading this conversation – balancing human need with environmental stewardship – and I am proud of the work our members continue to do in this space.
THEME THREE – INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Another significant change on the horizon – and already at our doorstep – is the introduction of artificial intelligence across the lighting industry. AI offers real benefits. It can support better asset management, predictive maintenance, energy optimisation, and smarter lighting controls. It has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce carbon impact, and enhance decision-making.
But there are also challenges. AI systems are only as good as the data, assumptions, and intent behind them. There is a risk of over-reliance on automation without sufficient professional oversight. There are questions too around transparency, accountability, data security, and bias.
And there are threats – particularly if professional judgement, experience, and ethical responsibility are undervalued or sidelined.
This is where the ILP must lead. We will support professional expertise rather than undermine it. We must all be part of the conversation to help shape guidance, standards, and best practice so that innovation enhances lighting quality, safety, and sustainability – without compromising trust or responsibility.
THEME FOUR – STEM AND NEXT GENERATION
Alongside this, we cannot ignore the skills gap that exists across engineering and the built environment. Our industry, like many others, faces challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining skilled professionals.
This is not simply a future problem – it is a present one – it is real and is happening right now. Addressing it requires long-term commitment, collaboration, and visibility. We must continue to promote lighting as a rewarding, creative, and impactful profession, and ensure that knowledge and expertise are passed from one generation to the next.
That is why the work we do through STEM engagement and initiatives like Project Light Ville and having Year 12 students here in Birmingham is so vital.
I want everyone to recognise this, and, the huge amount of energy and love our Past President, Perry Hazel pours into this. Thank you also to the exhibitors who are taking part in the activities this conference.
Engaging with university technical colleges (UTCs), working with industry STEM ambassadors show young people that lighting is a profession. This work continues to inspire young people, opening eyes to the possibilities within lighting, and demonstrating that our profession sits at the intersection of science, technology, creativity, and social value. This is unquestionably vital – and it reflects the ILP at its very best – proactive, outward-looking, and invested in the future.
THEME FIVE – EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Light is universal, yet it changes depending on the lens through which it passes. In the same way, the future of the lighting industry relies on a rich spectrum of human experience. The ILP is actively dedicated to breaking down barriers across our industry. By championing initiatives such as Women in Lighting, Women Lighting Professionals (the WLP), and the ever-present Young Lighting Professionals (YLP) we continue to push for equitable opportunities, and we ensure our institution truly reflects and serves the diverse communities we illuminate.
Now, it would be remiss of me not to stand here and offer my further thanks and gratitude. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of our exhibitors and sponsors, whose continued support of the ILP and the wider lighting industry is greatly appreciated.
I would like, too, to extend my sincere thanks to the ILP staff, whose professionalism, commitment, and tireless efforts keep the Institution running and evolving. To the Board of Trustees, thank you for your guidance, support, and strategic leadership. To our Past Presidents, I am grateful for the foundations you have laid and the wisdom you continue to share.
I would also like to thank our Chief Executive for his leadership and support, and to my employers by covering some of the time needed, for me to take on this role and, for recognising the value of my professional service to the wider industry.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my husband, Alan. His patience, encouragement, and unwavering support make everything I do possible, and I could not undertake this journey without him. And acknowledgement to those loved ones no longer with us, who never got to see their daughter, a Derby girl, reach this achievement, but were instrumental in making me the person you see here, before you today.
CHAMPIONING GOOD LIGHTING
As President, my commitment is to serve this Institution and its members with integrity, openness, and ambition. Together, we will continue to champion good lighting, uphold professional standards, and ensure that the ILP remains the leading authority: respected, trusted, and influential.
Before I close, I want to be very clear about one thing. The strength of the ILP does not come from documents, standards, or strategies alone. It comes from you – our members.
If you are a member, I encourage you to actively engage with the ILP. Contribute to our technical work. Support our committees. Mentor others. Share your knowledge. Be visible ambassadors for good lighting citizenship.
If you are eligible for Engineering Council registration and have not yet taken that step, I urge you to do so. Registration is not just a personal milestone – it strengthens the collective standing of our profession. It reinforces trust. It reinforces credibility. And it reinforces the ILP’s position as the authoritative voice for lighting.
If you work with colleagues who are not yet members of the ILP – encourage them. Bring them with you. Help them see the value of belonging to a professional community. Because the future of lighting will not be shaped by technology alone. It will be shaped by professional leadership.
LOOKING BEYOND 2026
Finally, as we look ahead – beyond 2026 and into the next iteration of the ILP’s strategy – we do so at a pivotal moment. We face rapid technological change.
Growing environmental responsibility. Increasing scrutiny of public spending. And rising expectations around sustainability, inclusivity, and safety.
In this landscape, the role of the ILP is more important than ever. We must continue to lead on technical excellence, setting the benchmark for best practice. We must remain evidence-led, independent, and trusted.
We must adapt – embracing innovation such as AI – while holding firm to professional judgement, ethics, and accountability.
And we must be bold. Bold in promoting the value of good lighting. Bold in championing our profession. Bold in shaping policy, influencing standards, and guiding the industry forward.
The next chapter of the ILP will not simply be about responding to change – it will be about leading it. My commitment, as President, is to work with you to ensure that the ILP continues to be the go-to authority, the standard-setter, and the voice of professional lighting – now and for generations to come.
Together we can deliver the next chapter in the rich history of the ILP. And together, we will ensure that good lighting continues to make a positive difference – to people, to places, and to the environment. So, thank you, for the essential work you do – every single day.
Michala Medcalf is ILP President and street lighting manager at Derby City Council
This is an abridged version of the article that appears in the July/August edition of Lighting Journal. To read the full article, simply click on the page-turner to your right.
Image: Michala at the Lighting Live Annual Conference
