UPAA Blog 2020-21 #28- 6/10/21
Above: The UPAA Board of Directors gather at one of the 2019 Symposium presentation sites during their midyear meeting, September 2018.
Because Jeff Gage and Ken Bennett are not seeking reelection there will be two open positions. The term for both positions will be January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2025. Online voting for the election will be open June 23, 2021 until Friday June 25, 2021 at the end of the Business Meeting when the winners will be announced. The link will be posted at the Business Meeting, sent via email, and posted on the Facebook page. Officers of the Board of Directors are determined by the board at the midyear meeting and for a one-year term.
The members running for the Board are listed in the order in which their nominations were received:
Lyndsie Schlink, Illinois State University
I spent the first five years of my 23-year photography career working as a
photojournalist at newspapers in Illinois before finding a position as a university
photographer at Illinois State in 2007. Prior to joining UPAA in 2013, I had very little interaction with other professional photographers (working in journalism) and worked as the only photographer at my University until 2019.
Joining UPAA has introduced me to hundreds of talented, like-minded, creative
people who are passionate about making great photos, and are willing to share their tips and tricks to help advance the field of photography. The more we inspire and motivate each other to try new things the better we all become personally and professionally. I have made lifelong friends, who are like family, through this organization, and the memories made laughing and sharing at symposiums are some I will never forget.
In my eight years as a member, I have attended six symposiums (five in-person, and one digital), and look forward to attending virtually again this year to listen to award winning photographers inspire and educate us, network with our photography peers, and celebrate the top photos, publications, and multimedia content from the past year. I welcome the opportunity to volunteer my time to serve on the UPAA board to help an organization that has helped me so much continue to grow.
Katherine Seghers, Louisiana State University
I see being a board member as an excellent way to give back to an organization that means so much to me. I have gotten so much out of being a member. I want to be a part of moving the organization forward and helping us grow and continue to learn from one another.
Jason Halley, California State University, Chico
Since the very beginning, University Photographers’ Association of America (UPAA) has been a resource that offered a great community of support to further the success of the creatives focused in higher education fields. Mentorship, fellowship, insight, creative challenges, and skill development are some of the ways UPAA has been a necessity in my role. Visual arts provide engaging storytelling to motivate action. This is at the core of what I hope to achieve as a member of the UPAA Board; engagement and action.
Through appointment to the board, it is my hope to continue to build upon the foundations of community and photographic excellence. UPAA has more opportunity to expand its membership, improve technical skill sets, provide foundational support documents, improve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and expand communication and engagement. There are also many foundational organizational support structures that could be improved upon in order that UPAA will become the primary resource for any creative.
I want to be able to take the concerns, challenges, and questions and turn them into acknowledgements, conquest, and answers for all members. I will work to provide a level of excellence for support and community both from the organization and each individual’s institution. The growth of every creative increases the success of all creatives.
Jay Drowns, Utah Valley University
Compared to others, I haven’t been a member of the University Photographer’s Association of America for very long. The organization and the members have made a great impact on my career as a university photographer since starting at Utah Valley University in 2014. The professional development offered and the interaction with other university photographers have given me greater insight into how to best serve the campus community.
The service to UPAA given by the board and the general membership has prompted me to seek the opportunity to serve on the board of directors. UPAA has accomplished many advances in the support of campus photographers in the past. There is potential for greater impact in the future. I feel the board can help the membership by expanding educational opportunities while also increasing its membership to new campuses. It would be an honor to serve UPPA members as a member of the board.
Matt Yeoman, Aquinas College
It would be my pleasure to serve on the UPPA board, an organization that has provided me with so much during my career. Since 2005 I have been a member and strongly connected to the organization. I take joy in volunteering at the Annual Symposiums and doing my part to help move the organization forward. I have served as a co-chair for the print competition for several years, a speaker at a few symposiums and most importantly Hospitality Room Planned Giving Supervisor. If nominated to the 2021 UPAA board I would take great pride in continuing the great work the board does to advance its membership and industry forward. Thank you for your consideration.