PPA embroiled in leadership kerfuffle on eve of annual convention

Just before its annual Imaging USA conference next week in Dallas, Texas, organizer Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is facing a leadership crisis as board members feud over the results of a recent election. The issue had been simmering on social media for weeks, where the world’s oldest and arguably the most respected professional photographers association faced backlash after the board overturned the results an election and reinstalled the out-going leadership. The PPA Council is now going to hold an in-person meeting at the convention to discuss several options, including a board of directors recall.

The PPA did not respond to the Dead Pixels Society‘s request for comment. Much of the information in this report comes from published accounts from the ousted board members and PPA leadership, as well as documents made public. Special thanks to Lynn Cartia, a friend of the Dead Pixels Society interviewed on the podcast, who covered the goings-on extensively on her Substack.

The controversy started in October 2024 when Allison English Watkins, the current Vice President of the PPA, was voted as the next President of the organization, and Pete Rezac, the current treasurer, was voted as Vice President, as part of the normal election process. According to Watkins, the two were blocked from taking their leadership positions by the PPA board.

In her posts, Watkins contends she was removed, in violation of PPA guidelines, after a series of secret meetings where the minutes and notes were not made available to the PPA Council. Watkins claims she was not given a reason for her removal:

“Let’s get right to the question everyone wants to know: What did Allison do to get removed from the Board of Directors? It’s a fair question and one I have spent many hours trying to figure out.”

“I was removed from the board for making a comment on WhatsApp about following proper procedure. Or maybe I was removed because I didn’t attend dinner and Karaoke and instead worked on my assigned tasks. I guess it also could have been because I had a dissenting opinion during a discussion in the board room. I’m sure it is a combination of all three.”

According to various documents, on Nov. 4, the board held a discussion in which a lawyer was consulted, where it was concluded the prior election was “flawed.” Watkins was not allowed to participate in the discussion and was asked to leave the room. The remaining members held another election in which Watkins was again the winner, but the motion was not approved. On Nov. 11, the executive committee and the CEO/CFO of the PPA met with a lawyer to invalidate the results of the Nov. 4 election and called for yet a third election, according to a PetaPixel report.

On Nov. 25, an online meeting was held and this time the election ousted Watkins and Rezac from their previously elected position, reinstated Mark Campbell as president, and placed Makayla Harris as vice president. Larry Lourcey was voted to the position of treasurer.

Due in part to the public backlash, the PPA Council will hold an in-person meeting in Grapevine, Texas on Feb. 3  to discuss multiple motions including a recall of the entire Board of Directors. Ten former PPA presidents submitted a 15-page letter – click here to read it – expressing their concerns, calling the PPA board’s actions “alarming.” The letter also described the situation as a “public relations catastrophe” for the organization.

“While none of us has signed or endorsed Board recall petitions, we do question whether a Board that cannot properly conduct an uncontested officer election should be entrusted with governing a multimillion-dollar organization. We are listening to the discussions and will respect the Council’s decisions. However, the fundamental issue remains: PPA’s leadership must be experienced, transparent, and capable of making decisions in the best interest of the membership.

The failure here is threefold:

1. A failure of the Chair to maintain order and properly conduct meetings.
2. A failure of past and current officers to cultivate and mentor future leaders.
3. A failure of staff to remain neutral in Board elections.

“The reputation of PPA, along with its leadership, has been harmed, and that pains us deeply. While many of us have not served in leadership roles for years, we remain engaged in the profession as studio owners, educators, and industry leaders. We care deeply about PPA’s future and want to see it continue to thrive. During our tenures of service as board members, officers, committee members, or judges, the PPA halls of Peachtree Center carried a constant theme with signage throughout: Question Everything. Today, we are doing just that and we ask Council to do the same.”

“The officer election process of 2024 highlighted significant governance failures, including procedural violations, selective rule enforcement, and lack of transparency. Addressing these issues is essential to restore trust among PPA members and ensure fair and effective leadership practices in the future.”