NPPA Announces Best Of Photojournalism Contest Committee Changes

 

DURHAM, NC (November 28, 2011) – The National Press Photographers Association's president Sean D. Elliot today announced several changes in the organization'sBest Of PhotojournalismCompetition Committee in preparation for the upcoming 2012 contest.

Founding members of the BOP Committee – Clyde Mueller, Joe Elbert and Harry Walker – have stepped-down from active committee work. All three were instrumental in the creation of the BOP a decade ago, and they have decided it's time to take a break. They remain committed to the mission of the BOP and will continue to be available to the committee as consultants. Former committee member Kenny Irby of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies also continues as a consultant.

Jack Rowland, formerly of the St. Petersburg Times, who worked with the multimedia division, and KTVT-TV's Ram Guzman of Fort Worth, who served as chair of the video editing division, have stepped down from the committee as well.

Terry Eiler, director of the School of Visual Communication (VisCom) at Ohio University, will handle the overall chairmanship of the Committee with Walker’s departure. Sherman Williams, director of photography at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and James Colton, of Sports Illustrated, have joined Deanne Fitzmaurice on the Committee. NPPA board of directors member and ZUMA Press founder Scott Mc Kiernan will also join the Committee. Stan Alost, a VisCom faculty member at Ohio University, has joined the committee and will lead the Picture Editing division of the contest.

Regina McCombs will continue to chair the Multimedia division. Merry Murray Rogers continues to chair the Television division and will also take over the Television Editing division until a replacement is named for Guzman. 

“I’m excited to see things moving forward for the BOP this year,” Elliot said. “Last year’s transition to the online judging presented a series of challenges and we've learned from it and we'll see the competition get even bigger and better this year.”

The partnership that started last year with PhotoShelter for online judging of the BOP will continue in 2012, Elliot said. The Committee expects to name head judges for the various contest divisions later this fall.

“This will be a challenge to move the contest to a new and better level," OU's Eiler said. "It will take a lot of help and creative work to solve a variety of problems. I think we are putting together a team of advisers and workers who can do the job. I hope we can look back In six months and proud of the results."

The Committee is especially appreciative of the support they get from NPPA executive director Mindy Hutchison and NPPA's staff, Thomas Kenniff and Stephen Sample, in the home office.

The BOP Call for Entries will go out in early January 2012, Elliot said.

 

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