DURHAM, NC (January 16, 2010) – NPPA's new national board of directors kicked off their two-day meeting at the NPPA offices in Durham today, and executive director Jim Straight told the panel that there's both good news an bad news to report.
"The good news is that we made it through a really rough 18 months," Straight said. "But don't think we've seen the end of this. I think it's going to continue. The bad news is that the recovery of our industry is going to be slower than the general public's recovery, I think."
"And more good news is that we've found some new business, and the new board of directors is now in place. The bad news is, we burned up a lot of fuel and energy getting to this point."
"Just like everyone else, the recession caught us off guard," Straight said. "But the good news is that we've corrected for it and we're doing better than we thought we'd be doing at this time."
During Saturday and Sunday's board meeting, the session is being carried live in streaming video on the Web and it can be watched here.
There have been some adjustments in what NPPA does and offers to members, Straight said, "but the good news is the core things are still here and we're still doing them, we're still educating, were still reporting the news. There are limitless opportunities for us on the Web, if we can explore and conquer them, and we'll be doing that."
"What are the NPPA benefits that are both practical and attractive to our members?" Straight asked the new board to consider.
NPPA needs an enhanced capacity to react, Straight told the panel, which includes the recent revamping of the board but also streamlining and reconfiguring some of NPPA's committees to be more efficient.
Straight said part of NPPA's success in making it through the past "difficult" 18 months has been increased efficiency combined with reduced spending. He said NPPA is also in the process of diversifying NPPA's revenue streams, and reducing workshop costs by adding online education features, such as the Virtual Short Course Webinars with PhotoShelter as a partner. Straight said some people are watching the online Webinars live, but many more are watching them "on their own time" from NPPA's online archives.
"NPPA puts visual journalism in the spotlight and we perform a very vital public function. Is there more we can do? Sure there is. But it takes a lot of money. That doesn't mean we shouldn't keep doing at least what we're doing," Straight said.
"In the next few months, we need to create new working groups in the committees," Straight said. "The Web Committee needs to focus singularly on the site and getting that started, and the Membership Committee needs to determine what we're going to do for our members and potential members to attract them and keep them. And we're also going to be looking for alternative sources of revenue. These are things we can start on when we walk out the door, and accomplish in the next two months. There are still opportunities out there, and we can enhance our capacity to act by putting some more [volunteer] manpower behind it."
During his report to the board, NPPA president Bob Carey informed the members that starting immediately he'll be taking on the additional task of chairing NPPA's Web Committee. The group will begin again to examine an update and revamping of NPPA's Web site and online efforts.
The board meeting will continue Saturday and Sunday with proposed resolutions to consider and vote upon, and the formulation and passing of an annual budget.
Watch the board meeting live online here.
