We held a very productive meeting of SMPTE members, interested parties and media students at the Art Institute of Michigan’s Novi campus on Monday evening, October 9, 2017. We were joined by Brian Claypool, the SMPTE Central Region Governor.
The discussion centered on a couple main topics. First, of course, was to gauge the interest in keeping the Detroit Section active and alive and how to move forward. Second was which direction to take, and it appeared that a major emphasis should be on passing along the collective experience and knowledge of Section members and industry veterans to the new generation of imaging professionals and students, for they form the future of the Section, our Society, and our industry.
Administratively, Mr. Claypool offered assistance from headquarters and a readout on how to take a dormant Section and move forward to an acceptable level of activity. Following the meeting, currently serving Section officers discussed ways to round out the year and set the stage for a more active Detroit Section in 2018-2019. Frank Maynard offered to serve as interim Section Chair until the end of the current term (June 30, 2018) and Chuck Reti offered to continue as Secretary-Treasurer. Currently-serving Section Managers Gerry Matthews and Chris Hill will stay on board, and those previously interested in serving as Manager would be invited to join the board.
We decided to try to hold two program-based meetings in the first half of 2018, so we are planning to hold a Managers’ Meeting sometime in January with the aim toward offering programs in February and May. We have an initial commitment on a program topic along the lines of “What I Wish I Knew”, which would be a roundtable discussion of industry veterans offering advice to newcomers and students. That program is tentatively scheduled for February and more details will be posted when they’re available.
We will also be seeking members who can lead the Detroit Section in the future. Elections will be held in the spring for Section Chair, Secretary-Treasurer and Managers. These individuals schedule and lead Section meetings, arrange programs and handle the minimal but essential business of the Section. Please keep this in mind and let any of the current officers or Managers know if you are interested in helping out.
If you are interested in receiving updates on the Detroit Section, please get in touch via the Contact Us form on this website.
