National Press Photographers Association

Regions 2 & 6 Set For April Online Elections

 

DURHAM, NC (Mach 16, 2007) – Sean D. Elliot, national secretary for the National Press Photographers Association, has announced that online elections for Regions 2 and 6 will be held during the entire month of April to elect new Regional officers.

Eligible voters in NPPA's Regions 2 and 6 will vote online to elect a director (who serves on the NPPA’s board of directors) and an associate director (who acts as regional membership officer and as a stand-in for a board member who is unable to attend the annual June meeting).

In Region 2, the candidates for director are Todd Maisel and Robert Stridiron, and the candidates for associate director are John Berry and Mark Dye.

In Region 6, the candidates for director are George McGinn and Bob Carey, and the candidates for associate director are Sam Cranston and Jim Michalowski. (Region 6 associate director Randy Janoski has withdrawn from the director's race.)

The candidates' biographies and photographs are at the end of this article.

“To run for office in the NPPA an individual must be a News Division member in good standing for the year preceding candidacy and must be nominated by the nominating committee in the Region in which they reside."

Regional directors serve as voting members of the NPPA’s board and meet annually to approve the organization’s budget, make other decisions regarding the governance of the NPPA, and hear reports from the various committee’s and programs. Associate directors serve as the regional membership officer, dealing with the day-to-day needs of the members in the Region and they are designated as the stand-in for the Regional director if needed. Associate directors are not required to attend the annual meeting and may only vote if they are in attendance as proxy for the regional director.

Elections will be held online with balloting taking place through the member’s only area of the NPPA Web site. Voting may be done at any time starting the first of April through the end of the month. Results will be announced early in May. For more information, Elliot can be reached at secretary@nppa.org.

These are the candidates for director and associate director for Region 2 and 6's elections:

 

Candidates for Region 2 Director

Todd Maisel

Maisel is currently the associate director of Region 2 and is enthusiastically running for director. He is currently vice president of the New York Press Photographers Association.

As associate director, he has won two awards for NPPA Associate Director of the Year for his work on behalf of press freedoms. He was honored by NPPA at their national convention in Minneapolis in 2002 with the Humanitarian Award for his part in rescuing NPPA past president David Handschuh, a New York photojournalist, after he was severly injured on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, and for taking part in the rescue of two firefighters who were badly injured on the day of the terror attacks. Maisel has also received two honorable mentions in the NPPA spot news photo contest and won the Spot News clip category for the most points in Region 2 in 2003.

Maisel has been a member of the staff of the New York Daily News since 1999 and has been a press photographer since 1984 after graduating from New York University School of Journalism. He also attended the School of Visual Arts and Parsons. He has spent more than 23 years as a photojournalist in New York City. In 1998, he was named Photographer of the Year by the New York Press Photographers Association, the first freelancer to ever win the honor. He has won numerous photography awards from NYPPA since then. And three times Maisel has been named the “Spot News Photographer of the Year” by the New York Press Club.

Since joining the staff of the Daily News he’s specialized in spot news, but he’s done many features and sporting events too, including the Subway Series, the Super Bowl, and the U.S. Open. The Uniform Firefighters Association in New York City also honored him for his photography and 9/11 rescue work.

In 2003, Maisel spent nearly two months embedded with the military, entering Iraq and covering troops as the held important shipping ports and cleared mines in southern Iraq.

Maisel was also an integral part of the Daily News team of photographers during both the Boston Democratic Convention and the New York Republican Convention. For NPPA and NYPPA, he organized a large meeting with the NYPD to exchange information in an attempt to avoid problems between police and photographers. He interceded in numerous incidents between police and photographers, including several in which photographers were arrested, and he wrote extensively about these experiences for News Photographer magazine.

As a leader in NYPPA, he led the battle against a ban on photography in city subways, fought with government against bans in public places. He has served as coordinating chairman of the Gallery committee in organizing the Forbes Magazine Gallery for the exhibit “The Year in Pictures.”

Maisel also served as executive editor of the weekly newspaper Town and Village in Manhattan for seven years. During that time, he created a picture intensive newspaper, while continuing his photography throughout the city.

He is married 13 years and has two children: Lucian, 11, and Alana 6. He resides in Marine Park, Brooklyn, and has lived in Brooklyn his entire life.

 

Robert Stridiron

Robert Stridiron, 40, of Woodhaven, Queens, has been a freelance photographer for the past 13 years. He’s married and has five children, and has lived in Woodhaven, Queens, all his life.

Stridiron has been an emergency medical technician (EMT) for the past 5 years.
He’s routinely done freelance photography for The New York Post, Newsday, and most recently on a regular basis for The New York Daily News.

He was honored this past year with the NPPA Humanitarian Award, and the NYPPA Humanitarian Award, for saving the life of a 19-year-old student who was struck by a vehicle and pinned underneath a car.

 

Candidates for Region 2 Associate Director

John Berry

John Berry is a candidate for associate director of Region 2. He joined the Post-Standard as a photographer in 1979, and during the middle of a shooting career he served as a newsroom liaison and photo assignments editor. Since going back to shooting in 1995, his newspaper has twice nominated him for the Pulitzer Prize. He’s best known for his self-generated picture stories and his ability to guide them through the newsroom process. Berry anticipates that his first major multimedia project will be completed this Spring.

He received his graduate and undergraduate degrees in photojournalism from Syracuse University. His thesis for a masters degree dealt with the transformation of newspaper photography during the digital age.

Berry and his wife, Tommie, have lived in the Syracuse, NY, area since 1975. They have three children.

 

Mark Dye

First becoming an NPPA member as a student in 1995, freelance photojournalist Mark Dye wants to get more involved and give back to Region 2 as the associate director serving the membership. Having worked in the western and northern areas of the Region and now downstate, Dye says that he has great perspective of the issues that face the very different areas of the region.

Currently residing in Cortland, NY, he’s a freelance photojournalist working in the New York City area and upstate. Previously he was a staff photographer for the Watertown Daily Times in northern New York, from January 2003 until September 2006. While in Watertown he was embedded with the 10th Mountain Division in Baghdad, Iraq, and when back he got back home he was involved with all aspects of community photojournalism.

Dye grew up in Buffalo where he started working as a professional photographer, freelancing for many publications and wire services – like Reuters – and as a staff photographer for the Niagara Gazette and their chain of dailies.

“In these changing times we need to stay ahead of the curve so NPPA members in Region 2 can thrive and survive. What happens in Region 2 will influence the rest of the country and now it is more important than ever to be proactive. I am already working with Todd Maisel, the current associate director who is running for director, to insure that we can fix relations with police and firefighters and work for photographers in the field so that we can be successful in these times.”

 

Candidates for Region 6 Director

Bob Carey

My name is Bob Carey and I’m running for Region 6 director. I am currently chairman of the Department of Communication Studies at Gardner-Webb University and have taught photojournalism for ten years. I’ve been a photojournalist in Texas, Tennessee, and now North Carolina. I have been a NPPA member for more than 15 years.

Photojournalism is facing change at perhaps the greatest rate ever. If we don’t take some innovative steps, the NPPA is going to become a dinosaur – a fossil encrusted in dried hypo and fixer. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not predicting doom and gloom. I see a great opportunity for NPPA to become a leader in helping visual journalists.

We need to help our membership and be attentive to them. If change is needed in the organization, then we need to begin to think outside the box. We need to broaden our membership, involving other visual journalists in the profession.

If I am elected as Director of Region 6, there are two projects I will undertake immediately:

I know how much NPPA has meant to me in my career as a photojournalist, and I desire to help strengthen the organization as we come to new and exciting opportunities in photojournalism. We must embrace the future yet build upon our history.

 

George McGinn

George McGinn, police reporter and photographer at the North Port edition of The Charlotte Sun, has 29 years of journalism experience as both a photographer and reporter. He is also the president of the Florida Press Club.

McGinn started his career as a freelance photographer and writer for the Rockland Journal News in Nyack, NY. He also freelanced for the New York Post, New York Daily News, The Village Voice, and wrote magazine articles for Field and Stream and Tennis Match magazines.

McGinn left the industry in the 1980s and spent six years in law enforcement as an auxiliary police officer and then a full-time police officer. He also spent two years as a military policeman in the U.S. Army.

In 1997, McGinn moved to Sarasota, FL, and started freelancing for Getty Images, the New York Post, the Bradenton Herald, E! Online, ASA Racing's Actionline Newspaper, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Knight Foundation, Canadian Television Network, and Oldies 108 Web site. His photography has appeared on encyclopedia.com, msn.com, and the Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service.

In 2003, McGinn took a job as the photo editor of the Venice Gondolier Sun. He transferred to the Charlotte Sun to work as a photographer for their North Port paper, and jumped into reporting, where he covered the city beat.

McGinn has won many photography awards from both the Florida Press Association and the Florida Press Club. He is also a 2005 Pulitzer finalist for his contribution as a photographer for the Charlotte Sun's coverage of Hurricane Charley. In writing, he won the FPC 2005 Francis DeVore Award for Public Service

 

Candidates for Region 6 Associate Director

Sam Cranston

Cranston is the assistant managing editor for photography at The Daytona Beach News-Journal in Daytona Beach, FL.

“Fellow R6-ers, I’d like to introduce myself briefly and share a couple ideas I believe we should be working on to improve the great work and value of our organization.

“I’ve been an active NPPA member since the early 1990’s and started my journalistic career as a stringer here at The Daytona Beach News-Journal nearly twenty years ago. Three and a half years ago I moved into my current role as our assistant managing editor for photography.

“Areas of particular interest to me include the following:

“With ‘new media’ being an important buzzword it occurs to me that today’s media fiefdoms may find it necessary to evolve into more co-operative, geographically nimble, multi-faceted information hubs. I would like to be a part of defining and developing new ways of bringing issues, news, events and in depth stories to our readers and viewers in the most engaging, honest, diverse and economically sustainable methods possible. Yes, profitability means more of us keep our jobs.

“From local camera clubs, service organizations and schools to university programs it seems there are endless opportunities for us to be involved in community awareness and professional outreach. I think it would be interesting to assemble a regional database of television and print photojournalists who enjoy representing our industry in this way. This could also be a resource for editors and department leaders who occasionally seek out movers and shakers to motivate and challenge our staff through mini-workshops.

“I would also like to be a part of a more targeted and intentional outreach/recruiting effort in our college level photo programs, especially those with journalism emphasis.

“Over the years I’ve enjoyed building solid working relationships with journalists in my newsroom as well as counterparts from competing news organizations.

“As associate director of Region 6, I believe I’ll be in a stronger position to share ideas and work together to continue the growth and effectiveness of our calling and our organization.

“Thanks for your consideration.”


 

Jim Michalowski

“Dear Colleagues of NPPA Region 6:

“For two decades, the National Press Photographers Association has been vital to my career as a photojournalist and photography editor. I'd like to reciprocate its members’ generosity by serving as associate director in Region 6.

“I've been a member long enough that I have a 3-digit membership number. I've stayed with the NPPA through its peaks and successes, as well as its low points. Currently, I am photography editor at The Daytona Beach News-Journal in central Florida, working as the primary point-person in our 200-person newsroom and four regional bureaus. We circulate to over 100,000 subscribers in Volusia and Flagler counties.

“Prior to accepting my position amid the Central Florida sun, sand, surf, hurricanes, tornadoes, bikes and cars, I was a staff photographer and director of photography at The Citizen, in Auburn, NY. When not dealing with bleeding Orange (what's bleeding orange mean?), and white-out blizzards, I served as Region 2’s regional newsletter editor (Flashpan).

“I earned a photojournalism undergraduate degree at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where I also volunteered for the campus NPPA student chapter. I continued through graduate school, earning a dual master's degree in Media and Business Administration from Newhouse and The Whitman School of Management.

“Over the past 20 years, I've seen the way NPPA can educate and support its members through national (Photojournalism Summit, Flying Short Course, still & TV national clips, multimedia, BUP, BOP, Job Board, Business Practices); regional (Northern and Southern Short Course, regional clips) and student (CPOY, college chapters) efforts.

“Those traditions and events must continue, but in a fiscally sound and prudent manner. And we have to evolve our educational and programming efforts to be more inclusive of our television and multimedia members. I'm a strong advocate of members ‘sharing their knowledge’ gained in their daily work - be it at the Daytona 500 photo work room or over a beer.

“NPPA needs to maintain its high profile in advocating the professionalism of its members on the street and students learning to become full-time journalists. And at the same time we must be sure that budding journalists are educated in the financial realities (copyright, freelance contracts) of our business.

“Efforts to retain our current member base and enlarge our membership will be key to the NPPAs continued survival and success.

“As an associate director I would urge member organizations to sponsor quarterly or semi-annual photo nights or events in Region 6 during the slow times of the year when national or regional events are not in the region. This will help us meet and greet new (and old) members, discuss current techniques, and view members' work.

“NPPA Region 6 must make itself an invaluable investment to members, offering professional development and recognition and maintaining close relationships with city, state and regional press and media organizations (SPJ, SND, N.C. & S.C. Press Assoc., Atlanta & Florida Press Club, etc.). We must do more than just enter the photography contests, but offer our services as speakers and advocates of compelling still and video photojournalism at their events.

“The Knoxville News Sentinel's Michael Patrick has done and admirable job in his volunteer R6 clip role. But we need to have a Web presence for more than just clip results. Along with the regional director, I would make it a high priority to round up the volunteers and assets necessary to offer R6 members a ‘must-see’ site on the Web.

“Getting the word out, listening, and making everything local will only enhance the value of NPPA in the eyes of our members, co-workers, students, educators and ultimately our readers and viewers.

“Feel free to eMail or call me with any NPPA-related concerns you may have. I ask for your support as associate director of NPPA Region 6.

 

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