Angela Kurkian Named CEO of Professional Photographers of America

The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has appointed Angela Kurkian as its new CEO, effective May 2026. Kurkian, a professional photographer since 1994 and a PPA member since that year, previously served as Director of Education from 2012, overseeing educational content and workshops. Her appointment comes just over a year after a leadership crisis in 2025, when the elected president and vice president were denied their positions by the board, leading to a public dispute and an emergency meeting at Imaging USA in February 2025—dubbed the 'meeting of doom'—where a vote to recall the board failed. Despite the new CEO, the board members at the center of that controversy remain in place, and PPA's website no longer lists an active council president. Kurkian's agenda for the second half of 2026 includes a focus on professional standards, certification programming, and greater visibility for PPA's photography experts. She also intends to emphasize member support for business and career development amid AI's impact on photography, while continuing PPA's advocacy, legal protections, and insurance offerings.