John Benford’s letter to the ASMPNE community

Photo by Shawn Henry

Hello all,

December 31 would mark the end of my second year as chapter president. I intended to pass the torch at that time and remain on the board for another year to support the next president. However, my father became ill this fall and I have been involved in his care, so I have had to step down from both the presidency and the board earlier than planned. I will still be active in the chapter.

Shawn Henry has agreed to be the new president. Please join me in welcoming him (back!) to that role. I am grateful to Shawn for stepping up on short notice. Thank you to Shawn and the other board members (Angela Rowlings, Duncan Wilder-Johnson and Kelly Davidson) for their support for my situation.
As with many ASMP chapters and other volunteer led organizations, the last two years have been a struggle for our chapter. With my departure, the board was down to four members, from a high of twelve or thirteen.

The board held together through the pandemic and had high hopes as we emerged in 2023, but it didn’t work out like that. Challenges from the pandemic meant we lost half the board in the first six months, and we entered a downward spiral of fewer people to do the work, and therefore fewer events happening which made recruiting board members even tougher.

It’s more challenging than ever to make a living as a photographer, and the overall pressures on nearly everyone’s lives have increased significantly in the last ten or twenty years. It’s harder than ever to find time to volunteer.

And, now is when we need ASMP more than ever – we need the community and we need to collectively advocate for our profession and our livelihood.

The board is just a group of members who plan events for the chapter; if you can run a photography business, you have what it takes. Many hands make light work – the more people that can help out, the easier it will be for everyone.

Two folks have just joined the board (thank you Fred Levy and Chris Dehney!), but we still need more people to share the work. If you’re interested in helping ASMP be what we need it to be, please step up to help.

And I hope to see you at an event soon!

John Benford