The PSNZ Council is a group of volunteers elected by the membership. The official tenure for the President and Vice President is two years, although the President may do an additional year, but no more than three. The Immediate Past President has a tenure of one year. All Councillors can stand for re-election each year. The President and Vice President allocate portfolios of responsibility for each Councillor which is based on the Councillor having a particular skill set or expertise to enable the smooth running of the organisation.
Council appoints the positions of Treasurer and Secretary.
The current PSNZ Council members are:
President
Paul Whitham APSNZ
Upper Hutt
e: president@photography.org.nz
The President is responsible for the Governance and is seen as the ‘face’ of the Society or the ‘go to person’. In reality the President is the person who ensures the Society is moving forward, setting and meeting its objectives as defined in the Strategic Plan. He is also responsible for maintaining harmony among members and affiliated clubs. As President, Paul has overall responsibility of guiding the Councillors through the myriad of tasks and activities in each portfolio to ensure the Society delivers the services and benefits to members in each calendar year.
Paul joined PSNZ in 2013 and was elected to council in 2015 initially holding the Partnership portfolio. He was previously the Councillor for Publications as well as the editor and designer of CameraTalk. In this latter role he has overseen the transition from an eight-page print newsletter to be 60+ page digital edition now produced.
Paul is a qualified accountant, although at present not working full time in that field. He has also run his own web-design firm developing applications used around the world.
Vice President
Caroline Ludford LPSNZ LRPS
Kapiti Coast
e: vicepresident@photography.org.nz
Caroline has been accredited as a PSNZ Judge since 2017, in both open and nature categories. Until taking up the Council role she acted as chair of the Judge Accreditation Panel and assisted in the PSNZ Judge Training Weekends (now held on zoom).
Whilst living in the Auckland area Caroline was a member of both the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Society and the North Shore Photographic Society. During that time she assisted in the running of the hugely successful North Shore Salon. Caroline now lives on the Kapiti Coast and is a member of the Kapiti Coast Photographic Society.
Treasurer
Maartje Morton
Whanganui
e: treasurer@photography.org.nz
Maartje has recently joined Council as Treasurer. In this capacity Maartje is responsible for all number related activities for the Society. This role constitutes part of the Executive Officer team and in this capacity Maartje will contribute to the development of strategy and governance for the Society.
Maartje’s combined professional qualifications and teaching experience will allow her to fill the role of Treasurer admirably. She will work closely with the newly appointed Bookkeeper who handles the day to day transactional requirements.
Maartje will budgeting and financial advice for all PSNZ hosted events including the conventions and the Workshop Series. She will be responsible for producing the Society’s Annual Financial Report as well as lodging all financial reports with the Charity Services.
Now retired, Maartje’s teaching career spanned over 30 years with 16 of those as a Deputy Principal at a local secondary girl’s college. Her main teaching subjects were Accounting, Economics and ESOL. She is well versed in people management, administration, and preparation of accounts and financial reports.
Secretary
Janet Munnings
e: secretary@photography.org.nz
Janet has recently taken on the role of secretary.
She has lived in NZ for the last 17 years having moved from the UK with her husband.
She has been a member of the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Society, North Shore Photographic Society and Henderson clubs for many years and took on the roles of Secretary and is a past President at North Shore.
Janet achieved Licentiate in both PSNZ and RPS. She is a PSNZ accredited judge and mentor.
Aston Moss LPSNZ
Auckland
e: partnerships@photography.org.nz
Aston is the Councillor for Partnerships. This will see him continue in developing and managing the existing relationships with the Society’s valued trade partners, as well as developing opportunities for growth in this area.
Aston’s professional career as a human resources professional and being based in Auckland makes him the perfect Councillor to continue the Society’s excellent relationship with our trade partners.
Sandy Odell
Upper Hutt
e: liaison@photography.org.nz
Sandy joins Council taking on the role of Councillor for Club Liaison. In this capacity, she will be the ‘go to’ person from Council who will work specifically with affiliated clubs. Sandy will work with one member of each affiliated club as their PSNZ liaison person, keeping them up to date with everything that is going on within PSNZ. Working with clubs is vital for the ongoing growth and success of the Society and our affiliated clubs and through Sandy, it is her intention to ensure that all member benefits and opportunities are known to the clubs.
Sandy comes from a defence background as a civilian staff member and has served on several committees - the last being Hutt Camera Club as membership secretary. Sandy is enthusiastic about joining PSNZ Council and giving back to the Society by helping the PSNZ achieve its goals for the members.
Richard Passey
Taupo
e: events@photography.org.nz
Richard has been a member of PSNZ for 13 years, and a member of the Whanganui Camera Club, Henderson Photographic Society and Waiuku Camera Club since 2007. He has been President of Whanganui Camera Club and a committee member on all three Clubs. He is currently a member of Taupo Camera Club which he joined at the beginning of 2023. His main field of photography is ICM, multiple imaging, impressionism and abstract. However, he also dabbles in landscape, nature, and family photography with his grandchildren.
Richard brings a wealth of experience to Council as the holder of the Events Portfolio. He has been a member of the PSNZ Events Committee since 2022, assisting with the Regional and National Conventions, and has also been on committees for various other organisations, assisting in running National and local events.
Mark Burgess APSNZ
Auckland
e: workshops@photography.org.nz
Mark has been active in photography for the last ten years and gained his APSNZ in 2022. He has over thirty years’ experience in product commercialisation and market development focusing on technologies supporting innovation in business.
Mark is active in the photographic community having served as a committee member for the Auckland Photographic Society, and part of the organising team of the Auckland Convention in 2017, Taupo Regional in 2021, and Rotorua National in 2022 (unfortunately, the last two events were cancelled due to Covid), where his main responsibility was organising Convention field trips.
Having travelled widely throughout New Zealand, Mark has a good understanding of workshop locations. This knowledge, coupled with his experience in organising field trips and skills in mentoring, will be invaluable to PSNZ in his role as Councillor for Workshops.
David Vale LPSNZ
Auckland
e: communications@photography.org.nz
David Vale will be holding the position of Councillor for Communications. He is a an Auckland-based photographer who is passionate about the art of urban and landscape photography. He has extensive experience as a committee member across several organisations. He has served on the committee for the Akarana Scout Group for over 10 years. He was a founding member of the Enfield Riders Club of Auckland where he was involved in club activities such as web design, event organisation, health and safety, and building relationships with local dealers and other members.
David is currently employed in a leadership position within a large corporate head office based in Auckland and is looking forward to being instrumental in helping other photographers grow.
Simon Forsyth
Christchurch
e: specialprojects@photography.org.nz
Simon has been a member of the PSNZ Council since 2021. He has always been passionate about landscape photography especially those created in black and white. He also enjoys portrait photography, particularly of families, children, couples, and pets.
This year, Simon will hold the Special Events Portfolio. He, together with the other members of Council, will be focusing on how best to commemorate PSNZ’s 70th anniversary. In addition, he will be overseeing the printing and distribution of NZ Camera.
He is a past President and Life member of the Kapiti Coast Camera Club, a PSNZ accredited judge and a current mentor to several members.
Chryseis Phillips
Taranaki
e: membership@photography.org.nz
Chryseis has been a member of the PSNZ since 2012 and a member of Council since 2020. Whilst she originally held the role of Secretary, from 2023 she will be relinquishing this position and will assume the role of Councillor for Memberships. She was also President of the Aotearoa Philippines Photographic Society (APPS), now known as the Johnsonville Camera Club, for 2 years from 2014-2016.
In 2010, she completed the NZ Institute of Business Studies’ Freelance Travel writing and Photography Course with the aim of being a travel photojournalist. However, she has found herself focusing on family portraiture, special events, and kindergarten class photos.
When not behind the camera, Chryseis sits behind the reception desk at Hospice Taranaki where she works full time.
Our Patron
Bev Sinclair
Whanganui
Bev Sinclair was appointed patron of the Society, on the retirement of John Boyd, at the AGM earlier
this year. Bev has been a supporter of PSNZ for over 40 years, starting her involvement with it
through her membership of the Whanganui Camera Club, which she joined when she married and
moved to Whanganui.
Bev has contributed to the organisation of regional and national PSNZ conventions through her
leading role in the Whanganui Camera Club. She has been president of the club three times since
1974 and is currently the Club’s patron.
When PSNZ celebrated its 50 th anniversary in 2003, Bev was invited to collate a comprehensive
history of the society to commemorate the occasion. It was published with that year’s PSNZ
Members’ gallery of images. In 2019 Bev also wrote a history of the Whanganui Camera Club,
‘Capturing the Light’ (the club’s early motto), for the club’s 125 th anniversary.
She looks forward to the ongoing association with PSNZ in her role as patron.