XXVII
A wintery update from the Board
Andrew Dolph
NEWS – It’s all local
#ONPA MATTERS
1/ The 75th annual ONPA Still, Multimedia and Television Contest is officially open. The deadline to submit entries in all divisions is Sunday, Jan 25, 2026 and is open only to ONPA members. As such, you now have 55 days to prepare entries. No deadline extensions will be granted.
So, gather up your rectangles, multimedia work, and television clips and submit via our usual entry widget typically found on the ONPA home page, or here.
An important note for the still and multimedia division: we have departed from the age old market subscription based designations that help decide whether your portfolio submissions fall into the large or small categories, deferring to visual staff sizes – a standard now in use for other top contests. Properties with 2 staff photographers and/or less fall into the POYU (under) market category. Properties with 3 staff photographers and/or more fall into the POYO (over) market category. Freelancers, please adhere to the appropriate market in which the majority of their work is conducted.
Questions can be sent to Sam Greene via email at onpastillvp@gmail.com, or me via email at onpaprez@gmail.com.
2/ This is an election year. All ONPA Board of Trutee positions will be open with some notable departures.
Kim Barth has announced her retirement after what seems like a lifetime in service to the members of ONPA. Kim was elected while at the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram in 1993, making her service length 32 years. She worked tirelessly as treasurer for 26!
While not on the Board and currently wrapping up his service as webmaster and overseer, Bob DeMay was first elected chairman of the board in 1997.
Please join me in thanking both of them for dedication to the craft, photojournalists in Ohio and beyond.
I’ll be running for the Chairman of the Board position, leaving the position of president open. Sam Greene will be calling it a decade, leaving the positions of vice president/co-still contest chair open. Lisa Scalfaro will not be returning as secretary after service of one term. Krisin Bauer will run again for the position of treasurer. We will also be seeking out a webmaster – a non-elected position. Thank you to all!
So, the call for Board nominations is also now officially open. If you would like to help lead and re-define what ONPA means to its members, please reach out to Kim Barth, Chair of the Board of Trustees via email at: onpachair1951@gmail.com, or me, at onpaprez@gmail.com. You need not be a staff photographer at a newspaper to work in a Board position. We absolutely encourage and welcome nominations from outside traditional newspaper work. Please reach out.
3/ For students, application to the Larry Fullerton Scholarship is also open. You can find information about that, here.
Note: “The Larry Fullerton Visual Communications Scholarship no longer requires applicants to declare a major in photojournalism. Applicants are now able to declare any major with an emphasis on photography, journalism, multimedia and/or visual storytelling. Students also submit a portfolio of 10-15 .pdf entries that demonstrate creativity, technical excellence, versatility and the ability to communicate visually. Online multimedia links may also be included.”
4/ A much needed update to our bylaws is coming shortly. We will send out a draft update for member review with a side-by-side comparison to the existing bylaws along with a simple online ballot as the membership is required to vote on the changes. Some of these changes will reflect usage of appropriate and contemporary pronouns as we seek to recognize the industry as an equitable one; and some of the changes will also reflect the use of electronic communications to conduct business. Other changes strike practices reflective of a by-gone era, such as carrying a membership card, from the bylaws. Look for the official notice before the end of the year.
That’s all for now. I hope you had a satisfying Thanksgiving with friends, loved one’s, or however you choose to mark the occasion.