FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Melanie Porter, Chief Marketing Officer
mporter@asmp.org
San Francisco, December 2, 2024 — The Board of Directors of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has unanimously selected ASMP Chief Legal Officer Thomas Maddrey to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer effective December 14, 2024. Maddrey will continue to be based out of ASMP’s Dallas Offices. He is succeeding James Edmund Datri, who earlier this year announced he would be stepping down effective December 13 to accept a new position after almost four-and-a-half years at ASMP’s helm.
Maddrey has a lifelong, dedicated history with ASMP, first joining as a Student Member in high school, more than 25 years ago. Beginning his career as a professional photographer, workshop leader, fine art gallery owner, and photo educator, he later became a lawyer and built his own Dallas-based law firm, Maddrey PLLC, into one of the preeminent law firms in the nation representing the interests of artists and photographers. He joined ASMP full-time in 2021 as General Counsel and was later promoted to be its first-ever Chief Legal Officer, with an expanded portfolio of responsibilities in that role. During his tenure at ASMP, Maddrey has been the counsel of record on numerous Supreme Court amicus briefs and was instrumental in building the ASMP Academy Powered by SONY. Maddrey currently sits on the Board of Directors of Texas Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts, the Dallas Bar Entertainment, Art & Sports Law Section, The Dallas Opera, and formerly served on the Board of the Copyright Alliance in Washington, D.C., among others.
Maddrey holds a B.A. in Commercial Photography from the Brooks Institute; a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas; and a Juris Doctor from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
“ASMP has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I am humbled and honored to have been chosen to lead this organization as it enters its 80th year of helping to define the artistic, cultural, and media landscape across the world,” Maddrey said. “Our Members are artisans without equal, and these photographers and new media content creators can count on ASMP to support them and their industry each and every day. I can’t wait to get to work continuing to grow ASMP as the association most important to visual artists of all stripes.”
ASMP National Board Chair Gabriella Marks noted, “Tom has been an instrumental part of ASMP’s enormous achievements these last several years, and the Board is confident there is no one better suited than Tom to continue the momentum, transformation, and exponential growth we have achieved under Jim Datri’s leadership. Tom’s passion for photography combined with his world class legal knowledge and keen strategic judgment makes him the perfect new CEO for ASMP and our nearly 7,000 Members across the creative industry and around the world. I am excited for ASMP’s future under Tom’s leadership.”
About ASMP: The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) is the premier trade association for the most respected photographers, videographers, and new media visual content creators across the worlds of advertising, magazines, photojournalism, portraiture, sports, fashion, entertainment, nature, fine art, video/film, and beyond. ASMP is the leader in providing extensive education and resources to photographers on the best practices to run and grow a business in these fields, promoting the rights of photographers through a robust program of legal and public policy advocacy, connecting member photographers with clients, and producing business publications for photographers that set the industry standards. The organization exists because the work of these visual creators is so important to our economy and our culture. Founded in December of 1944, and entering its 80th year with a storied history that is an integral and pivotal part of the progression of photography as a profession, industry, and cultural force, ASMP is proud to stand with its nearly 7,000 members, across 38 chapters and 70 countries.
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