Professional Photographers of America names photographer Angela Kurkian as new CEO

Professional Photographers of America turned to one of its own Monday, naming Angela Kurkian as chief executive in a move that gives the organization a chance to reset after a turbulent stretch in its leadership ranks.

Kurkian is not arriving as an outsider. PPA said she has been with the association for more than a decade, previously serving as Director of Education and Deputy CEO. She began her career as a professional photographer in 1994 after studying at the University of Florida, founded Essenza Studio, and specializes in portrait and wedding photography. That background matters for an organization that sells itself as more than a dues-paying club, but as a professional lifeline for working photographers who need education, certification, legal protection, insurance and business support.

The appointment comes after a contentious year for the association’s governance. A 13-person board became the center of a recall fight at Imaging USA in Grapevine, Texas, where councilors weighed accountability, fiduciary duty and whether election results were being honored. The recall effort ultimately did not produce leadership changes, but it left the association with a public reminder of how fragile trust can become inside a member-run organization.

PPA’s structure gives that trust real weight. The association says it has more than 35,000 members in more than 50 countries, and its council includes elected representatives from all 50 states, U.S. territories and Canada. Those councilors handle bylaws changes and elect the board of directors, which means the leadership question has never been just symbolic. Kurkian’s elevation offers continuity without a full rewrite of the governance structure that remains in place.

Outgoing CEO David Trust is retiring after 28 years of service to PPA. The association said his 25-year run as CEO was the longest in its 156-year history, a remarkable stretch that now gives way to a successor who already knows the organization from the inside. PPA has also said Kurkian wants to put more emphasis on business and career development as artificial intelligence reshapes creative industries, a shift that could matter as much to a solo portrait shooter as to a studio running volume work.

The stakes are practical. PPA has spent years positioning itself as an advocate for photographers on copyright and professional standards, including support in December 2025 for the proposed Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act, which it said would help high-volume creators navigate registration rules more effectively. Kurkian now inherits that agenda, along with the expectation that PPA’s stability will translate into clearer value for the photographers who depend on it.