The 2024 Elections for Officers and Governors of the Society open on Monday, 19 August, and close at 11:59pm GMT on Monday, 30 September. All Active category members are eligible to vote (this includes Professional, Executive, Fellow, Retired, Life, and Honorary members).
All voting members are eligible to vote for Board Officer Candidates as well as Governor Candidates within their Region.
For SMPTE policies and procedures regarding Society Elections, including determination and appeal of election results, please see Section 9.5 of the Governance Operations Manual.
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Please contact elections@smpte.org.
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I have been in the Media Technology industry for over 20 years, joining Dolby Labs in 1999 as a sound engineer before moving into picture (specialising in Digital Cinema). I was involved in the transition of feature film from 35m to Digital both in products and technology, as well as services. I was also active in the roll out of 3D, HDR and object based audio. My first work with SMPTE was in standards for frame rates for cinema, and later more generally digital cinema (at that time 21DC). I also established the UK’s first Digital Cinema Mastering facility, and was named on patents on perceptual processing for 3D. I also worked at Technicolor as UK Head of Theatrical Operations, during which time I also received and Honorary Doctor of Technology degree from Southampton Solent University. I subsequently taught on the Media Technology degree at Solent, before establishing Sundog Media Toolkit Ltd in 2013 where I was CEO. Sundog developed the first cloud native automated mastering platform for IMF and DCP, and was subsequently acquired by Deluxe in 2020. I am now SVP of innovation at Deluxe where I work on technology strategy as well as being hands on with specific technology driven projects alongside our Studio clients.
My first experience with the SMPTE Board came in 2011 when I joined as a Region Governor, aged 33 I was considered rather young for the Board. I worked representing my constituents and in that capacity, I re-established the SMPTE UK Section alongside a newly formed Board, which had been disbanded in the early 1930’s. In 2015, through the hard work of that Board, notably Peter Weitzel and Chris Johns, that Section had grown sufficiently to become a SMPTE Region in it’s own right. During this time I was also chair of the Future of Cinema Conference at NAB and the Big Screen conference at IBC. I also served on those committees amongst others for many years. I then spent a 2 year term as SMPTE Education Vice President. I chose not to continue in that role because of the time commitment to running Sundog, which we moved to acquisition just under 2 years later. Having moved to my new role at Deluxe, I rejoined the SMPTE Board as governor at large in 2021, as well as co-chairing the SMPTE Media in the Cloud initiative.
I am firmly future focused, both in my career and my work with SMPTE. I have great respect for our history as a society, leading the way in motion picture and sound technology for over a century. I believe that we were born out of the need for progress, and as an organization we need to embrace constant change as our essential DNA. We are already making efforts to transform the way in which our three pillars serve our community. Value for existing members and becoming more diverse and inclusive are equally important in sustaining SMPTE. Standards are needed more than ever, but the industry landscape is transforming rapidly with more and more open source software and cloud based workflows that challenge the traditional standards view. We need to transform too, in how we serve the media technology community. Education has always been one of SMPTE’s most important contributions to the wider world of media, something we can build upon both in terms of outreach to the next generation of our industry, and in terms of direct value to the Society. As President I will work closely with our Executive Committee and the Board to ensure that SMPTE is an organization of the future. I will ensure we have a strong succession plan for Section leadership and Board roles, that both empower and enthuse the next generation of media technologists and engineers to be part of SMPTE and shape our future. SMPTE has been front and centre of the technology community in the media industry for over a century. My goal is to build the foundations for the next century, with leadership drawn from our brightest and best talent, at all stages of their careers, from students to senior leaders, to ensure broad perspectives and relevance to all our members. The technology and media landscape is changing more rapidly now than ever in its history, and I believe that radical change is needed in SMPTE to match that, from issues of equality, environmental sustainability, technological change, governance and corporate responsibility. Every SMPTE activity, from conferences to Section meetings, publication and webinars, awards and sponsorships, reflect not only who we are, but who we want to be. I believe that SMPTE can continue to be a bright light of leadership in our industry, and I am committed to ensuring that through the role of president.
I’ve been a research and application engineer for most of my career, from my early days at the Advanced Television Test Center and the Model DTV station to Dolby Laboratories. I’ve helped develop and create technologies for DTV, advanced compression tools, Digital Cinema, HDR and next generation entertainment experiences. During most of that time I have been an active SMPTE member, participating in standards, testing and local Section management. As a SMPTE Governor I’ve been able to learn more about how the Society operates and the challenges we face as we move into the next iteration of media technology. My comprehensive experience at every facet of SMPTE gives me good perspective to understand what has made SMPTE successful, where the strength exists and where we need to grow new muscles to be successful in the future.
As Executive Vice President I hope to support the membership of the society by continuing and building on the strategic efforts that the SMPTE Executive Committee, Board, Staff and Membership have created, while helping guide the society towards newer and greater horizons. Some of that growth will involve changing the way SMPTE operates, building on the strong success of our past, but becoming nimble and faster as the world increasingly speeds up. Recognizing the changing needs of the membership as the industry grows and evolves will be paramount to the value and long term success of SMPTE. I often think of SMPTE as providing “Technology in the Service of Creativity;” creativity that drives the expansion and capabilities of media creation and delivery. And it is the creativity of SMPTE that we need to lean on and embrace as we envision SMPTE and its future.
My name is Polly Hickling. I have been a member of SMPTE since my time as a media technology student, served as a UK manager since 2021, and have been an educator since 2009. Throughout my teaching career, I have consistently utilized the SMPTE journal to engage students with the latest developments in technical knowledge, considering it the pinnacle of industry information. This long-standing engagement with SMPTE, both in the UK and globally, led to my joining the UK board of managers.
As a dedicated advocate for accessible knowledge, I have worked diligently within the UK to make SMPTE meetings inclusive for all, from students to retirees. This effort has significantly increased engagement and membership, particularly among students. This success facilitated the introduction of specialist events like the Young Innovators event, which highlights early career professionals and guides students in their career paths. I also contributed to the introduction of institutional membership, specifically aimed at engaging universities. This initiative supported student travel to meetings and facilitated career-based discussions with SMPTE members.
In addition to my focus on students and early careers, recent surveys revealed that SMPTE members seek the latest technical trends from meetings and conferences. Over the past two years, I have organized the UK conference program, emphasizing education in 2023, with industry presentations, workshops, and explainer sessions for students and early-career professionals. In 2024, I led the conference program at the Media Production and Technology Show, splitting content between senior leader discussions on AI and content distribution, and a full day of presentations for students. This event was highly successful and broadened SMPTE’s audience.
If elected, I will focus on expanding our global reach by conducting a comprehensive review of media technology education, ensuring SMPTE’s accessibility to students and professionals worldwide, addressing mid-career educational needs, and enhancing the financial sustainability of our educational offerings. I will prioritize creating certification and accreditation processes that add value for members and industry professionals, ensuring SMPTE remains a leader in knowledge sharing and continues to grow its global membership.
It has been a privilege to serve SMPTE the last four years, first as USA - Southern Region Governor and most recently as Secretary/Treasurer. While initially concerned about my ability to be effective given my lack of an engineering degree, I have been able to bring a unique business perspective to the role gained from more than 30 years in the industry in roles ranging from product management to business development to sales—first with Scientific-Atlanta, then NDS/TANDBERG Television/Ericsson/MediaKind.
My strength throughout all the years and positions I’ve held has been to learn what I need to know technically from experts in the field—SMPTE’s membership—then apply it to solutions that help customers realize the benefits these technologies bring to them. Learning is why I became a member of SMPTE, it’s why I never miss the national conference (even serving on the paper review committee one year,) it’s why I have served on the SMPTE board and executive committee for the last four years and with support from you hope to do so for another two years—there is still so much to learn and so much I believe I have to offer.
I joined SMPTE Hollywood as a student member in 1974, served as Membership Chair in the SMPTE Hong Kong Section in 1994, and Section Chair from 2003 - 2014, and 2018 to 2020. I am currently serving as Asia Pacific Governor since 2021. I have received the SMPTE Citation of Outstanding Service to the Society award in 2005, and achieved Life Fellow Status of the Society in 2017. I have also contributed to SMPTE RIS - OSVP since 2021.
Previously, I had been in a professional film equipment rental business for 50 years, beginning in 1969. I retired on 1 October 2019. When I was the SMPTE Hong Kong Section Chair, we organized many important seminars and training workshops to enable film and television professionals/students to learn about up and coming media technologies. ln 20l6, I started with four film/tv professionals to form a company (Limited by guarantee), Society of Motion Imaging Ltd with the mission to further organizing seminars/workshops for the industries. I had conducted the first ever OSVP film test led by HKSC(Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers) in September of 2021 supported by 18 organizations and 100 film crew. My mission is to contribute my knowledge, experience, and connection to the industries, addressing both professionals and students so they can adopt to the fast pace evolution of motion imaging technologies. My goal is to expand the footprint and coverage of SMPTE in Asia Pacific area with the support from SMPTE Board members.
I’m Jonathan Jobin, and I’m eager to bring my 19 years of experience at CBC/Radio-Canada and my upcoming role at Grass Valley to the SMPTE community. Throughout my career, I’ve been deeply involved in the technical and operational facets of media production, which has provided me with a solid foundation in the technologies and workflows that drive our industry. I’m confident that my extensive background, combined with my active involvement in SMPTE, makes me the right person for this position. As a board member and Treasurer, I’ve successfully managed budgets, streamlined processes, and introduced new initiatives, such as an automated CheckIn system that improved our event management. These experiences have honed my ability to lead and innovate within our Society.
My contributions to SMPTE have always been driven by a desire to enhance our community’s effectiveness and impact. I’ve been committed to improving our sponsorship programs and ensuring that our brand image resonates with both current members and potential new ones. These efforts have not only strengthened our financial health but also expanded our reach. Looking ahead, I aim to foster greater collaboration within SMPTE and explore new ways to integrate emerging technologies into our work. By working closely with the Board and our membership, I plan to drive initiatives that keep SMPTE at the forefront of industry advancements, ensuring we continue to provide valuable resources and support to our members. Together, we can build a future where SMPTE remains a vital force in the ever-evolving world of media technology.
I have worked in broadcast and media since the early 1970’s, first in radio and then in television and now as a consultant to media companies navigating the changing business environment. I have designed and constructed several new stations and rebuilt and retooled many more. During the US transition to digital television, I led the team at Iowa PBS that produced the Iowa DTV Symposium for 10 years, a free to attend conference that educated hundreds of engineers and content creators on the implementation and capabilities of the new technology. For that effort I was recognized by the Society of Broadcast Engineers as the Educator of the Year 2007. I was the president of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society for two 4-year terms as well as one 4-year term as vice president. I understand how to lead and work within a volunteer run organization. I have presented technical papers in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. I have evangelized the values of society membership as an important component in professional lifelong learning and networking. For the future I want to work with the society on creating and refining a value proposition that will help us grow and engage with the next generation of media technology and creative professionals. Hosting events like the MTS and having a presence at events like NAB and IBC are one way of reaching media professionals, but the society will need to cast a wider net and that means rather than having them come to us, we must go to where they will be. Having a presence at career fairs and periphery events is one possibility. The general society is embracing having what they want when and where they want it, and the leadership of our society must embrace this concept by being less monolithic and more multifarious.
I started out in the broadcast industry when I was just a kid, literally a little kid. My dad taught me to build my first coax cable when I was 9. I spent my weekends and vacations running around the bowels of stadiums and squirming through cable troughs in TV trucks. My father got me interested in everything regarding engineering. I loved working during the transition from analog to standard def and then to high def. It has been absolutely fascinating to see IT become intrinsically intertwined with broadcasting and wonderful to be continuously learning new things. I have always been thrilled to see how quickly this industry changes and have loved learning every new portion of the technology, even when they don’t pan out or last. I want to bring young new brilliant engineers into the SMPTE fold. Broadcast engineering is challenging, exciting, and always evolving and I really want to get more young, brilliant kids into this field. I want them to be as weirdly fascinated by all things broadcast as I have always been. My focus will be on growing the SMPTE sections and getting new young blood into broadcast engineering. Our industry as a whole needs more engineers and I want to help in getting them.
As Past President of SET (Brazilian Society of TV Engineers) I can establish a close relation between the two organizations (SMPTE and SET). In SET, we are working hard for the Third generation of Digital TV and we can exchange a close and productive technical relation on all new technologies coming in the horizon: cloud, virtual production, AI etc., I will be able to promote and grow the penetration of SMPTE in Latin America, which is currently low due to a lack of local representation. Media currently has faced an extremely complex moment, mixing broadcasters, linear TV, social media, cloud, virtual production all over the world. Both technical and business matters require deep analysis, and SMPTE and SET (Brazil) are the best organizations to help and contribute to the harmonization of these topics.
My name is Allan Schollnick, I have held positions in post-production, distribution, and technical services of media and entertainment for over 30 years. My current position is Vice President of Sales at Voxx Studios LLC. I have been able to balance my career and maintain a high level of participation within SMPTE over many years, always advancing the three pillars’ Standards, Education and Sponsorship. I have held executive positions at THX Ltd., DreamWorks SKG, Turner Broadcasting and, The Walt Disney Company. All at various levels of creative, operational, and technical disciplines.
I possess a BS from the University of Phoenix in Global Business Management, and an AAS in Communications, Television and Film from Monroe Community College Rochester NY. In 2019, I was recognized with the Citation for Outstanding Service in recognition of more than 30 years of service to the Hollywood Section.
Hello, my name is Brian Gaffney, and I am honored to be considered for the role of SMPTE Governor position on behalf of SMPTE Hollywood.. My journey in the media and entertainment industry spans over two decades, during which I have held various technical and leadership roles. My involvement with SMPTE began early in my career, and it has been instrumental in my professional development. Through active participation in SMPTE's conferences and standards committees, I have gained invaluable insights and contributed to advancing our field.
I believe I am the right person for this position because of my extensive experience and proven track record in both the industry and within SMPTE. Professionally, I have led numerous projects that have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in media technology. My roles have required me to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring that my knowledge and skills are always up to date. This experience is directly applicable to the leadership and strategic planning needed in this role.
Within SMPTE, I have been an active member and contributor for over a decade. I have chaired committees, organized events, and participated in key initiatives aimed at enhancing member engagement and education. My contributions have always been driven by a commitment to excellence and a desire to see our Society grow and thrive. I am proud of the work we have done together, especially in fostering a collaborative and innovative community.
Looking ahead, my goals for SMPTE are centered on expanding our educational programs, increasing member engagement, and fostering innovation. I plan to work closely with the Board and our membership to develop new initiatives that address the evolving needs of our industry. By leveraging my experience and collaborative approach, I am confident we can achieve these goals together and continue to uphold SMPTE's legacy of excellence. Thank you for your consideration.
I’ve been a member of the Society since 1980. I currently work as VP Sales for Meta Martis, a vendor of tape library migration, image processing, and archival storage services. Prior, I headed the Virtual Production initiative at LG Electronics. I have worked for post production, RF transmission, and system integration manufacturers and service providers over the course of my long career in film and television technology. I have already served one term as the NY Regional Governor, the position I am currently seeking again. Prior, I have held several NY-Section posts including Chair (5 years); Secretary Treasurer, and Manager (currently). I have run the local section and been in charge of the annual Holiday Party, Summer Picnic, and 100th Anniversary Gala, other events. I was the recipient of the “Citation for Outstanding Service to the Society” award in 2022. I believe my long affiliation with the Society and past activity qualifies me as a candidate for the Board of Governors. As Governor, I plan to continue to voice opinions about the future direction of the Society and help guide the organization towards a vibrant and sustainable future serving our membership.
I am a 35+ year veteran of the M&E industry, and was fortunate enough to have graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. My first job was as a forensic accident reconstruction engineer using 2 & 3D animation tools and analog editing equipment.
I have been a member of the SMPTE San Francisco Section on and off my whole career and joined in earnest in 2004. My interest in SMPTE is to continue the important work guiding the tools of communication with the same cunning and resolve that has been characterized the organization for the last 100+ years.
I believe the best way to insure SMPTE continues to lead innovation in an orderly manner is to appeal to and focus on today’s students. Those students need a conduit from their dreams as undergrads to gainful employment working as the digital contractors of the future.
Chris is the Chief Engineer for Broadcast Strategy at Sky. He is a SMPTE Fellow and Honorary Fellow of the BKSTS. Chris has worked at Sky for over 30 years and has been central to Sky’s technology development through the transitions to digital, HD, UHD and HDR as well as the evolution of audio from Stereo to Immersive. He sits and represents Sky in many industry bodies and on standards groups and was the SMPTE UK section Chair from its UK relaunch in 2012, until 2016. He also sits on the UK’s board of managers. Chris is passionate about the involvement of the community in the work SMPTE does and has to offer and especially the involvement of the academic community.
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