President's Welcome

The 2008 PIEA Education Conference, “No Photography Educator Left Behind,” provides a range of speakers and topics that addresses issues concerning both the professional and personal work of the photo educator. The time we spend working with students in the classroom can be some of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. To support your efforts as a photo educator, PIEA has engaged outstanding speakers like Mary Virginia Swanson, who will talk about “Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Clients,” and Professor Penny Boyer of the Canberra Institute of Technology in Canberra, Australia, whose “Creative Solutions to Education Delivery” will inspire you with innovative approaches to your teaching.

But the personal work you do as a photographer is just as important. Eileen Hohmuth-Lemonick from Princeton Day School in Princeton, N.J. will share her documentary work from Africa; she’ll also highlight the rewards – and the necessity – of finding time for your own work. In addition, our 2007 Faculty Grand Prize Portfolio winner, Craig Satterlee from Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., will discuss his philosophy of photographic growth and how participating in PIEA can be an essential part of your professional and personal development.

You’ll also find a variety of other ways to charge your creative batteries: join our annual Photo Safari, which this year will travel to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on Wednesday morning, January 30; participate in roundtable discussions and portfolio reviews; prowl the PMA trade show for the latest cameras and technologies; visit the 2008 PIEA International Student-Teacher Photo Exhibition and Competition exhibit – will your students be among the winners?

As stimulating as those planned activities are, perhaps the most satisfying and lasting benefit of PIEA conferences is the opportunity to be with others who share our passion for photography and for the students we serve. It’s been said that the PIEA conference is the place where you meet your best friends once a year – and it’s true.

I invite all of you to make plans now to attend PIEA 2008. You’ll be challenged; you’ll grow; you’ll be inspired; and you’ll have fun! Don't be “left behind!”

If a letter to your administrators will help convince them to let you come, please contact Mark Murray at consultant@pieapma.org, and he’ll be glad to help.