Last week I posted most of the text of an e-mail that I sent to the CPA membership, in which I thanked many people for what they have done for the CPA during my term as president. In trying to make the text short enough for a mass e-mail, I left out a lot of people who deserve special thanks. I’d like to correct some of my errors of omission in this posting. Even though it’s quite a bit longer, I’ve still not had the space to recognize many people who helped the organization over the past three years. I apologize to them. The order is approximately chronological.
Ed Haunerfauth. Ed has been responsible for the scheduling of the weekend docents since what passes for the beginning of time and the CPA’s collective memory. It’s an incredible history of consistent and dependable contribution, and he does it all with a smile. Ed is also likely to be the person who pours you a glass of wine at our exhibition openings.
Chuck Davis. Chuck was president of the board in 2008 when the extent of the CPA’s financial travails became apparent. It wasn’t what he had signed up for, but he dug in and figured out a way to keep the doors open while planning so that the organization could get back on the right track. It took a lot of his time and a lot of his energy, and the CPA would probably not exist today without Chuck’s efforts.
Amy Essick. Amy, who, in her day job, curates the art collection for CHOMP, was on the board when I joined the CPA. Working with Jeanne and Sarah Adams, she put together an ambitious exhibition of Ansel Adams photographs of people, and other photographers’ images of Ansel. Running for five months, it may have been the most expensive exhibition the CPA had ever put on. It was a way for the CPA to say, “We’re back”, and, thanks to Amy’s efforts, it said it with an exclamation point.
Denise Sallee. Denise, Amy, and Chuck comprised the board when I joined. Denise was new, having joined only a month or two before me. She threw herself into the job, and was a master of the nuts and bolts details of running the office without an executive director. After serving on the board for less than a year, she moved to Ireland.
Chris Wasserbach. Chris was the office manager when I joined the board, and she is still the office manager. She is a stable rock in the sometimes shifting sands of the CPA organization. She’s usually the voice you hear when you call the office. She signs up new members and gets them into workshops. She runs to the bank, the post office, and Costco. She enters the financial transactions into the system. She holds everything together, and she does it all with New York brio.
Robin Robinson. Robin had left the board by the time I showed up, but she continued to help with our workshop program. I formalized the arrangement, putting her in charge of the program as if she were a board member. She did a great job. Working with Jack Johnson (see below), she put together an impressive variety of workshops, and made sure they ran smoothly. She also worked with the ImageMakers on a lecture program that was very successful.
David Bayles. David joined the Board at the same time that I did, and concentrated his initial efforts on development (a.k.a. fundraising). After the first few months, he switched his attention to the artistic vision of the organization. He’s become our conscience, always focused on where we are going artistically, undeterred by the day-to-day urgent tasks that tend to get the attention of many of the rest of us on the Board.
Huntington Witherill. Hunter and I also joined the board contemporaneously. He put aside much of his photographic career for year, and was absolutely invaluable in getting us back on track. In addition to giving us direction, he pitched in and made things happen. He designed our first website, and he and I shared webmaster duties until Robin Ward came along. He created the interactive Adobe Acrobat document that people used to enter the 2009 Juried Exhibition. More than anyone else, he was responsible for the first set of exhibitions.
Dick Garrod. Early on in the revitalization of the CPA, David and I visited Dick, asking for his support. Ever since, he has unstintingly given it, and I am grateful.
Al Weber. Al has helped us in so many ways: as juror for the 2009 Juried Exhibition, as workshop instructor, lecturer, print commentator, and trusted advisor.
Jeanne and Michael Adams. Jeanne and her daughter Sarah curated and supplied the photographs for the major Ansel Adams exhibition that ran in the spring and summer of 2009. Jeanne and Michael have been consistent supporters of the Center, several times giving us important items to raffle off.
Jack Johnson. Jack implemented the Center’s workshop program in 2009 and 2010. In collaboration with Robin Robinson, Jack put together an impressive and varied collection of workshops, and made sure that they ran smoothly.
Jerry Takigawa. On the Board since 2009, Jerry has been concerned with branding and strategic vision. He is responsible for the look of our electronic and printed materials, and in 2009 and 2010 he designed all of our print media.
Nancy Budd. Nancy became our Executive Director in November of 2009. As an archetypical example of what Nancy has done for the CPA, compare the 2009 auction, which could be charitably described as logistically ragged, with the 2011 auction, which went off very smoothly. The improvement was mainly due to Nancy’s management and planning, and is emblematic of the maturation that she has brought to the organization.
Jim Pinckney. Jim served on the Board in the latter half of 2009 and the first half of 2010. He headed up our Education Committee at its formation, and helped us with several workshops.
Anne and Ken Helms. Anne, Ansel Adams’ daughter, and her husband have consistently made connections for the Center, and donated time and treasure.
Barbara and Fernando Batista-Moon. When Barbara joined the Board, she said that her husband Fernando would help her. Only Barbara attended Board meetings, but the two were quite a team. Among other things, Barbara curated the exhibition of photographs by the three winners of the 2009 JE, which turned out to be almost as much work as three exhibitions. She and Fernando have continued to help us in many ways.
Rex Naden. I met Rex in the early April dawn chill around Mono Lake. A retired semiconductor engineer and executive, Rex was then, and is now, assisting Charlie Cramer in Charlie’s workshops, putting on his own workshops, and seriously pursuing a second career in color landscape photography. He threw himself into board activities with great energy, and has been Exhibition Committee chairman since that committee’s inception in the spring of 2010. He is responsible for setting up a set of procedures to allow many different people to get involved in producing exhibitions while retaining elevated and consistent standards, and saving time and energy with precisely defined processes.
Jack Wasserbach. Most of the events photographs that you see on our website are taken by Jack, who is Chris’s husband. He also pitches in and gives us vital help when we needed on short notice.
Robin Ward. Robin came to my attention when she entered the 2009 juried exhibition. She came on the board very soon thereafter, and we all are the beneficiaries of her extensive web design experience. She’s been in charge of our website for the past two years, and has done wonderful things with it. She also creates the newsletters that CPA members get every month.
Ted Orland. Ted has been a hugely important person to the CPA. Board President in the 90s, he has lent his support to the current organization in many ways. He has been a workshop instructor. He has moderated many panel discussions. He’s been a lecturer. He has spoken at CPA members’ nights. He was one of the judges of the 2011 Juried Exhibition.
Karen Sensheimer. Karen was a juror for the 2011 juried exhibition, and has provided the CPA with several ideas for other exhibitions.
John Sexton and Anne Larsen. John and Anne have been consistent supporters of the CPA. In addition to providing advice and counsel, their reworking of the gallery lighting in the summer of 2010 has provided a much better environment for all exhibitions since.
Charles Cramer. As a lecturer, workshop instructor, exhibitor, video creator, and as a wonderful friend to the organization, Charlie’s contributions are appreciated.
Saelon Renkes. Saleon has helped the Center in many ways. For the last year, she has designed the postcard announcements for all of the exhibitions.
Brian Taylor. Lecturer, advisor, astute observer of the photographic art scene, and juror for the current juried exhibition, Brian has helped us in ways that are too many to count.
Fred Chamberlain. For more than a year, Fred was essentially a third office staff member – albeit an unpaid one – along with Chris and Nancy. He made great strides toward improving the organization of the office. Fred’s Dalmatian, Caffi (so named for her caffeinated nature), also became part of the staff, although her contributions were limited to lifting the spirits of anyone whom she encountered.
Doug Steakley. Doug has been the CPA’s treasurer since the fall of 2009. He’s made great contributions in fundraising, on the education committee, and with ideas for exhibitions.
Tracy Morrison. When Huntington Witherill left the board after a year’s intense service, I asked him if he had a replacement in mind. He said, “As a matter of fact, I do: my wife.” For close to two years now, Tracy has been the CPA’s most active board member. She does it all: she currently heads the committee on trustees, she has also headed development. She planned, organized, and ran most of the 2011 workshops. She was the auctioneer at this year’s auction, and she did a great job. There is hardly any part of the CPA’s activities for the past two years the Tracy hasn’t been involved with, and we really appreciate her boundless energy and deep connection to the photographic community.
Richard Cannon. I met Richard at an ImageMakers meeting in 2009, and his potential to help the CPA was immediately apparent. He joined the CPA board in the fall of 2010, and has made immense contributions. He relieved me of my placeholder duties as head of the education committee and introduced a degree of organization, discipline, and level of activity that exceeded anything previous. On a whole host of issues, his calm, sage advice has been hugely beneficial. On January 1, Richard will be our new president, and I fully expect him to take the CPA to new heights.
Terry Shoulders. Terry has served as a docent, and did us a great service when he reorganized the office and the exhibition materials. He served as workshop coordinator for a few months before he decided to open his own gallery.
Bob Nielson. Bob retired from a career as a lawyer in 2009, and I immediately began to pester him about coming on the Board. After a year, he agreed. He has provided invaluable insights and direction which have greatly improved our governance and processes.
Tom Thackery. Tom has provided the software wizardry behind the last two juried exhibitions. He also did the coding that allowed us to move our member database to the cloud and combine it with the database for the juried exhibitions. He’s put in an incredible amount of work, and allowed us to employ remarkable sophistication in our data processing techniques word organization of our size and resources.
Martha Casanave. Martha has given us advice, served as a lecturer and panelist, taught workshops, and was responsible for a remarkable portrait exhibition.
Jeanne Marino. Jeanne has helped us with development, as well as participating in the planning and implementation of auctions.
Sally Aberg. Sally has often helped us with copywriting and editing. She has added immensely to the grace and elegance of our communications.
Michael Humm. Michael has served as our workshop coordinator since last summer. He was responsible for the Exposures members’ workshop last month, and is planning for the 2012 workshops.
Jim and Cile Messer. Docents Jim and Cile have helped with our prints inventory and have contected artists about dispostion.
Elio Gonella. Elio creates a window poster for each exhibition, and is also a docent.
Chris Johnson. Chris has served as a panelist, a lecturer, and as an educator to and advisor to the Exhibition Committee.
Richard Gadd. Richard, director of the Weston Gallery in Carmel, has helped us out with print critiques and panels. He has also been a generous source of sage advice.
Eduardo Fujii. Eduardo has provided valuable IT help in the office.
Carl Couchman. A member of the Education Committee, Carl is heading up the lecture planning and organizing.
Susan Theodore. Susan is now managing and coordinating our Members’ Nights.
Jason Bradley. The education committee is indebted to Jason for his sage advice, and our members have been lucky to have him as a workshop instructor several times.
Bryan Yedinak. Bryan served as a juror for the coming year’s juried exhibition, along with Brian Taylor. It was a joy to work with the two of them.
The photographic community. Especially Jeff Becom, Barbara and Gene Bullock-Wilson, Bob Byers, Paul Caponigro, Brad Cole, Brigitte and Bliss Carnochan, Enda Cavanagh, Linda Connor, Harold Davis, Robert Dawson, George DeWolfe, Binh Danh, Rod Dresser, Sean Duggan, Mel Edelman, Sara Friedlander, Eduardo Fujii, Will Giles, Henry Gilpin, Ken Gregg, Anne Helms, Chip Hooper, Bert Ihlenfeld, Brooks Jensen, Patrick Jablonski, RR Jones, Kate Jordahl, the Karsh Estate, Tobin Keller, Tim Kelly, Michael Kenna, Bob and Sharon Kolbrenner, Paul Kozal, Camile Lenore, Claire Lerner, Roman Loranc, Craig Lovell, Alan MacWeeney, Michel Medinger, Tom Millea, Chester Ng, Jeff Nixon, Jane Olin, Elizabeth Opalenik, Ken Parker, Olivia Parker, Anna Rhiem, Ryujie, Tom Schleich, Rachael Short, Maggie Taylor, Arthur Tress, Jerry Uelsmann, Mark Wainer, Todd Walker, Greg Weeks, Cara Weston, Kim and Gina Weston, Maggi Weston, and Nick Wheeler.
Our donors. Thanks to all of you. We couldn’t make it without you. Thanks especially to our major donors: Freestyle Photo, Charles Schwab Carmel Branch, Tom and Ann Livermore, and two others who wish to remain anonymous.
Dennis High. And let’s not forget the guy on whose shoulders we stand. Dennis was Executive Director of the Center for more than 15 years, and set in place many programs that are essential to us today: the auction (although we do it in a much lower-key fashion now), the fine print program, and the juried exhibition (which was a lot bigger undertaking when the entries were judged from slides). We may have deviated from Dennis’s path in large and small ways, but without him, the Center wouldn’t exist.
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