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A Message from
the President |
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I'm very proud to have attained the position of president, and am humbled by the responsibility of being a steward of this venerable 108 yr. old institution. I'm so grateful for a fantastic board that I have the opportunity to work with. In these changing times we've all had to work to keep our businesses up to date and competitive, offering our clients good value, keeping up with technology, etc. The PPANE board is working hard to do this for our organization, updating our infrastructure, creating new programs to give more value to members.
My theme for this year is "Be In Good Company" I chose this because it reflects my personal experience. A few years ago I didn't imagine I would be here today doing this. My first year on the board, Arny Spahn was president and told the board that each and every one of us should plan on being president someday, and then, it was unthinkable. As I spent time on the board I came to establish friendships and found that I was in very good company indeed. The board members I worked along side with encouraged me to take on challenges and helped me figure out how to handle them. Being print comm. Chair and Convention Chair also seemed unimaginable jobs to do and with good people offering advice and to delegate to, I was able to handle those jobs. Now, in good company of amazing people on the board, and learning from those previous committee jobs, I feel confident to know that I am ready to be president.
So, being in good company as a member of PPANE could mean getting involved on the board, but it can mean putting you in good company to help you attain other goals. In this age of cyber-everything, there are lots of ways one can learn to improve one's craft and business without leaving home, but I think there is no replacement for having professional peers that you have a personal relationship with. If you are new here, you will make friends that you will be able to count on for advice and help, and be able to do the same for them. I am sure the student volunteers at the convention are beginning this experience already. I've had experiences such as when my father was terminally ill, or when I broke my collar bone at the beginning of wedding season, that I was very grateful for the relationships I had made in the photographic community and that I knew I wasn't alone and had good people that I could count on for help. You just won't get that from a webinar! PPANE is a community you can be a part of and not only have people around you that you can count on, but also have the opportunity to contribute to, it will pay back in many ways.
PPANE will give you the opportunity to be in the company of our industries best, and how better to become one of the best than to be in their company. Here you can learn from others around you. There are so many willing to share their knowledge, such as in our All Star programs, you can learn how to improve your craft, your business skills, and if you have been around and have knowledge to share, PPANE can give you an opportunity to share that with others, again, the All Star program is a way to do this.
When I first was hearing about NEIPP, a photographer friend described it as being like summer camp for photographers. If you ever went to summer camp, do you remember how terrific it was to make friends there? You get to enjoy being in the good company of your peers and accomplished instructors for a whole week!
As we were honoring Roland Laramie at the convention, I would like to say how fortunate I feel to be in his and Helen's company. When I first met Roland, with all those awards on his lanyard and all the initials after his name, I was pretty intimidated. After a little while of being on the board, I started getting some calls, people needing photographers, and, they were referred by the Laramies! I was very honored by this and over the last couple years, I've gone to their house a few times and enjoyed sitting with them over a cup of coffee or iced tea and feel so pleased to be in their good esteem. I wouldn't have their good company if it weren't for PPANE. The Laramies, and many others here at PPANE inspire me to achieve my potential and I hope for that to be the case for all of you too.
I will enjoy my experiences as president, visiting all the state conventions. I hope to serve you well, working with the board to keep PPANE current, strong, and a great value to it's members.
Sincerely,
Tom Hurlbut
2009-2010 PPANE President
PPANE President's Blog
