The Board of Directors of the
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has announced the selection of Thomas R. Kennedy as the Society's Executive Director, effective January 1, 2015. Kennedy is an internationally known visual communicator with extensive experience in print and online journalism.
Kennedy has led teams of visual journalists; managed large departmental budgets; and directed and edited journalism projects that have earned Pulitzer Prizes, Emmy Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, and multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards for web-based journalism. Tom's work history includes holding the position of Managing Editor for Multimedia at The Washington Post -- where he created the first award-winning documentary video team for a major American newspaper website -- and Director of Photography at the National Geographic. Kennedy has also taught for a number of academic programs as an adjunct professor and was the Alexia Chair Professor of Documentary Photography in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
Most recently, he has been a multimedia consultant, advising individual photographers and organizations on the use of visual communication. Kennedy serves on the Board of Directors for the Eddie Adams Photo Workshop, and he has been a featured speaker at some of the most prestigious journalism conferences and media workshops around the world. Kennedy graduated cum laude with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida.
According to ASMP National Board Chair Gail Mooney, "We are delighted to welcome Tom as the new Executive Director of ASMP and look forward to his vision and guidance." Kennedy said, "ASMP needs to help its members navigate through the turbulence induced by changes to the media landscape. That turbulence, which affects how our ASMP members make their living, requires building of community, wise positioning, and agility in the face of the changes being unleashed. Notwithstanding these challenges, I see this as a tremendous time for professional photographers to be in the vanguard for visual storytelling."
Many in the industry will be surprised and disappointed that Eugene Mopsik, ASMP Executive Director for over 10 years, will not be continuing in that position. During his tenure Mr. Mopsik actively built bridges between ASMP and other trade and government organization, both nationally and internationally. He is highly respected for his contributions. Mopsik is currently considering several other employment options in the photography industry.