Last Updated on 01/29/2025 by Chris Gampat
Trouble brews at one of the world’s largest nonprofit photography associations, the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). The council has decided to call for a meeting with its members to address several concerns, one of which includes recalling the current Board of Directors. For the uninitiated, the PPA has over 35,000 members and is also responsible for providing resources to photographers around the world and educating and empowering them through various means.
According to the information sent to us, the Professional Photographers of America will meet on February 3 to address the concerns over “leadership accountability, breaches of fiduciary duty, and failure to represent the interests” of the members. It must also be noted that despite council members and the board membership base asking for transparency from the organization heads, the leadership has further chosen to reduce access to the meeting. This is also the first time in their long history that the council meeting is not open to the general membership but is limited to members who have been active for the 2024-2027 term, PPA’s Board of Directors, past PPA Presidents, select staff and invited volunteers.
The decision further contradicts Professional Photographers of America’s Council Rules of Order, which states, “Non-members shall leave the room during voting where requested by the chair.”
This could bring up so many curious things to mind. Anyone who has been a part of an organization might easily see this move as an effort to silence the members, especially when the board knows that this might have dire consequences. After all, why would anyone not want to invite their own member prior to the 2024 term? What exactly are you hiding? One could even consider this as a means to suppress public scrutiny around the decision to recall the current director.
“This is incredibly odd behavior for volunteers serving a nonprofit,” remarked one council member. “PPA is a nonprofit photography organization, not the CIA or FBI. These actions tell you everything you need to know about the current state of our leadership.”
Prior to this, a recall petition was signed by over 20% of the council’s electing authority, which is required by Professional Photographers of America’s laws. The motion states that the following reasons have prompted the members to end the leadership of the current Board of Director:
• Actions that do not match with PPA’s values or missions
• Board members violating their duty to act in the best interest of the organization
• Failing to express the interests of the membership
The deliberate barring of members further leads to queries about the motivation of the leadership. This will also have a domino effect: members will not be able to hold the board accountable by observing what they are doing, and members will be blocked from applying for a seat on the board. The latter is also a right guaranteed in open council meetings. This is also a great tactic to restrict diversity when it comes to candidates who are ready to be a part of the board, especially when the current members have to leave.
However, to retaliate, the council members have encouraged members to show up together as visitors. A large footfall will be helpful in showcasing the commitment of the members to have more transparency and accountability, as well as depicting how this meeting can be important to the future of the organization. The Professional Photographers of America stands at a pivotal moment, and the decision made on that day will certainly have a massive impact on the needs and interests of its membership.
To attend the meeting, go to Grapevine, Texas, on February 3. For more, visit the Professional Photographers of America website.