Professional Photographers of America Appoints Angela Kurkian as Chief Executive Officer

Kurkian, a Veteran Professional Photographer, Shepherding in Exciting Stage of Growth and Expansion

ATLANTA, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Professional Photographers of America (PPA) ushers in a brand new period with the appointment of Angela Kurkian, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Kurkian has been a member of the PPA staff for greater than a decade, having beforehand served because the group’s Director of Education and Deputy CEO alongside David Trust, who’s retiring after 28 years of service to the group.

Kurkian, knowledgeable photographer by commerce, understands the dutiful roles and tasks PPA performs throughout the ever-changing world photographic neighborhood.  Kurkian sees a progressive agenda heading into the second half of 2026, from elevated consideration towards skilled requirements, like certification programming, to larger visibility round its steady of pictures specialists who differentiate its training and abilities hub from {the marketplace}.  As synthetic intelligence permeates all points of inventive industries, together with pictures, Kurkian intends to put larger emphasis on member assist tied to enterprise and profession improvement. PPA has at all times been wanted for its industry-defining efforts in advocacy and authorized protections, in addition to insurance coverage and threat administration choices, areas Kurkian guarantees to proceed to guide.   

“PPA has an incredible legacy, having played a pivotal role in the journeys of many professional photographers for more than 150 years,” says Kurkian. “We were founded to provide photographers with resources and creative protection, which they have come to expect. I want our members to take advantage of the rich community-building available for them to learn, share, and grow, especially as the photography landscape changes in the intelligence age. I am honored and energized as we move into a new era for PPA, PhotoVision, and the critical importance of photography and video storytelling to the human element.” 

Kurkian started her profession as knowledgeable photographer in 1994, after discovering her ardour for pictures whereas finding out on the University of Florida. She based Essenza Studio, the place she put collectively a small however mighty staff specializing in portrait and wedding ceremony pictures. She joined PPA as a member in 1994, then as Director of Education in 2012, the place she oversaw the manufacturing and deployment of all instructional content material and workshops. She has continued to assist lead PPA’s instructional initiatives alongside the group’s extremely expert content material staff, in addition to making ready for the management transition alongside Trust.

“Angela is a natural leader and educator, not to mention an amazing photographer,” says Trust. “Her skills and leadership abilities will enable PPA to not only continue to flourish, but also take the organization to new heights. While it’s hard to say goodbye after so many years with PPA, I am excited to watch through Angela’s lens as a new generation of photographers from around the world embrace PPA and PhotoVision.”

Trust joined PPA as its first Director of Marketing in 1998 and was named CEO in 1999. Since taking this position, he has led PPA to unprecedented development whereas enhancing member worth and expertise yr over yr. He and Kurkian have been instrumental in launching PhotoVision on PPA.com, a first-of-its-kind subscription-based streaming platform devoted to the artwork and enterprise of pictures. While included with PPA membership, PhotoVision is on the market to all photographers for a nominal month-to-month or annual payment, offering them with entry to five,000+ sources to raise their inventive and enterprise pursuits.

For extra details about PPA, go to PPA.com.  

About Professional Photographers of America
Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the biggest and longest-standing nonprofit pictures commerce affiliation. Founded in 1868, PPA at present helps 35,000 professionals elevate their craft and develop their companies with sources and training, all underneath PPA’s core guideline of bridging the hole between photographers and customers. Visit www.ppa.com.  

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SOURCE Professional Photographers of America