Twenty SPIE members have been designated “Senior Member” in a new program that honors their significant contributions to the optics and photonics community. Separate from the Society’s Fellows program, SPIE’s Senior Member program encompasses a broad group of active members who have shown outstanding leadership in educational outreach, project management, and/or entrepreneurial operations. SPIE, an international optics and photonics society founded in 1955, has implemented this program to recognize the members’ technical and professional excellence in industry, government, and academia as well as their volunteer service as conference chairs, community educators, and other service roles. This is the first year the SPIE Board of Directors has made selections for the program. A minimum of five years of continuous regular SPIE membership or active volunteerism is required for nomination as a Senior Member. Senior Members also have at least 10 years of significant professional experience and achievement in industry or academia. Inaugural Senior Members include, Pierre Ambs, professor, Université de Haute-Alsace, France; Theresa Axenson, staff systems engineer, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control; Yihong Chen, research engineer, Omega Optics Inc; Judith Donnelly, program coordinator, laser and fiber optic technology, Three Rivers Community College; Allen Earman, director of packaging, Arasor; Jason Eichenholz, vice president research and technology, Ocean Optics Inc; Andrew Forbes, senior scientist, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa; Christos Grecos, reader in digital manufacturing, University of Central Lancashire, UK; Joseph Howard, optical engineer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Taegeun Kim, associate professor, Sejong University, South Korea; Ty Martinez, senior scientist, Air Force Research Lab; Douglas McCarter, vice president and technical integrator, McCarter Machine Inc; John Merritt, CTO, Merritt Group; Ignacio Moreno, associate professor of optics, University Miguel Hernández de Elche, Spain; Donn Silberman, senior applications and sales engineer, PI Physik Instrumente LP; Scott Teare, professor of electrical engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Alexander Toet, senior staff scientist, TNO Defense Security and Safety, The Netherlands; Steve Watkins, professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology; David Wick, principal member of tech staff, optical engineer, Sandia National Labs; and Andrew Woods, research engineer, Curtin University of Technology, Australia.