President’s Message: Farewell Salute

As this will be my final president’s message, I find there are a few things that must be said to tie up loose ends. First, I have immensely enjoyed the opportunity to serve this incredible organization and see it from a new perspective. I’ve been able to meet so many of our awesome members and see some amazing sights across our country in fulfilling my duties. Flying nearly 40,000 miles while visiting over 20 cities in 13 states and driving nearly 5,000 more has been challenging at times, but also incredibly rewarding, and it leaves me with more than a few people to thank.

It’s said that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and that couldn’t be truer in my case. There are those who helped pave the road I’ve traveled, and in a way that made my job so much easier. Trying to list them all would undoubtedly leave someone out, so let me just point to a few who have impacted my success. From Bob Lloyd, who first asked me to get involved over 20 years ago, to Stephen Thetford, with whom I first worked on PPA’s bylaws, rules, and ethics committee and then the board of directors, to our most recent chair, Jeff Dachowski, I say thank you for showing me by example what an effective leader looks like. To Mary Fisk-Taylor, I say thank you for always having my back and constantly reminding me to “make good decisions.” To our outgoing chair, Kira Derryberry, I say thank you for teaching me how to overcome adversity and maintain calm even through tumultuous times. I am eternally grateful for the friendship and guidance of people like Gregory Daniel, David Trust, Scott Kurkian, and Angela Kurkian. Knowing that I had your support was a blessing.

Before I began this year, I contacted some photographers whose work I admired and/or who had inspired me in some way and asked if they would consider creating portraits of me for use in this column. They all rose to the occasion, each creating something in their own style, and many of those images now hang proudly in my home. My sincerest thanks to these spectacular artists who freely gave their time and talents to make this photographer look like he actually was at ease in front of the camera. (I wasn’t, but they made me look like it!) In the order that the photographs were taken, my heartfelt thanks to Gregory and Lesa Daniel, Joe and Mary Jean Campanellie, Dennis and Cheri Hammon, John Gress, John Hartman, and Jeff Dachowski. Most of them created multiple images so that I never had to repeat an image!

My final word of thanks must go to my girlfriend, The Pittsburgh Mermaid, Danniella Donahugh. The support she gave me throughout this journey has been incredible, and having her along to experience this with me is something I will always cherish. I love you more than you know.

I’ll leave you with some words from one of my favorite literary works, “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann: “You are a child of the universe, / no less than the trees and the stars; / you have a right to be here. / And whether or not it is clear to you, / no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. / Therefore be at peace with God, / whatever you conceive Him to be, / and whatever your labors and aspirations, / in the noisy confusion of life keep peace in your soul. / With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, / it is still a beautiful world. / Be cheerful. / Strive to be happy.” 

Mark Campbell owns Prestige Photography in Wheeling, West Virginia.