Board of Director Changes

Photos: © Neil Miller

The start of 2024 brought changes to our board of directors, and we want to thank all of them for everything they brought and everything they continue to bring to Arizona Photography Alliance.

Dennis Collins stepped down as AZPA Treasurer to focus on his own creative work. Dennis took on this important role at the inception of the organization, and we can’t thank him enough for serving the membership so well. Dennis continues his official role in the annual AZPA Members’ Photography Grant.

Kathy Morgan is our new AZPA Treasurer, transitioning out of her exemplary role as AZPA Communications Director. To say that Kathy has gone above and beyond in creating our website and shepherding one of the busiest and most complex areas of the group would be an understatement. Kathy has handed over the reins to our newest board member Nancy Miiller. Kathy and Nancy have been hard at work for the past couple of months in making this transition smooth. Thank you both!

David Dupree exited his roles on the board and the communications committee. His efforts and ideas were essential during the initial organization of AZPA. The work he did in social media brought many of our activities online. We thank him for starting our Instagram presence, for keeping our website calendar up to date, and for all the additional projects like the Members’ Exhibition (he’ll continue working on the big task of creating the website pages for the annual Members’ Exhibition).

We had a few questions for these four.

AZPA: Dennis, what did you like best about being the first treasurer?

Dennis:   When I took over from Ira Thomas in early 2019, I thought it would only involve receiving and writing checks.  It wasn’t long before I found out it was so much more. The best part was being involved was in the growth of  AZPA from the beginning to where we are today; my hope is that the AZPA Members Photography Grant will continue and grow.

 

AZPA: Kathy, we know your professional expertise put you in the perfect position to be AZPA’s first communications director. What has it been like creating something so dynamic?

Kathy:  Coming from the former INFOCUS organization, it’s been exciting to be on the ground floor of creating a new entity independently of Phoenix Art Museum. From the start, we were very intentional about keeping the affinity that we’d built in the photography community, while also considering how we might expand our presence more widely throughout Arizona.

AZPA: What would you like the membership to know about the role of the communications director?

Kathy: The Communications team touches everything! Aside from the email promotions, social media, website, and printed materials, Communications is the voice of the overall Arizona Photography Alliance brand — it’s how we show up in the world, and the values we represent for our members and the community at large.

You can contact Kathy about Treasury at kathy.morgan@azphotoalliance.org.

 

AZPA: Welcome to your new role, Nancy. How’s your transition going and what has surprised you most about the communications director position?

Nancy: Thank you for the warm welcome! The transition is going well as I learn the many areas in which communication plays in for AZPA. What surprised me the most about the role is how complex it is. There are so many moving parts which all tie together so that we can communicate out the events, and activities, via social-media posts, the newsletter, and the blogs for our members. I would not be able to take on this role without Kathy’s continuous support, training, and help. She is amazing!

AZPA: How can the membership get involved? Any communications benefits that members can take advantage of more fully than they are now?

Nancy: Members can get involved in a variety of areas. If you like to write, a blog post from a member is so welcomed. There is the yearly members’ show, and yes it does take a village to put the show together, we do look to members for help. Other ways to help can be sending ideas on what you would like to see for events etc. Plus, we are always looking for volunteers, you may have a skill or expertise that you would like to share to help the group grow.  As an AZPA member you could serve on a committee. If you are interested in this opportunity, kindly email us. Another great benefit all AZPA members have is the opportunity to be featured in AZPA’s communications channels. It’s quite easy, send us an email and tell us about what you want to share with the larger group. It may be an award or a show you are in. Email:

You can contact Nancy about Communications at nancy.miiller@azphotoalliance.org.

 

Finally, We asked David Dupree to provide members with advice about being active on social media. He kindly sent us his top tips for making the most of Instagram. Thank you David!