Here’s another look at Ideas 13-15 for Keeping AAJA Extraordinary:

I believe AAJA should strive toward a business model that gradually weans us from the annual convention as our single major source of revenue.

Sure, we’re going to have a successful UNITY Journalists convention and a great New York Convention in 2013, but over the next two years, we need to find more ways to bring in income every quarter. To some degree, this happens organically, as members renew their dues as they register for convention and make last-minute, tax-deductible contributions before the end of the year. But we should be fund-raising during traditionally slow periods as well. Read more

Taking inspiration from GoInspireGo’s “Chief Inspirator” Toan Lam, I’d like to us to cultivate a culture of gratitude within AAJA. Remember John Kralik, the guy whose life was transformed after he wrote a thank-you note every day for a year?

I think even if I wrote a thank-you note a day for my entire two-year term as AAJA National President, I’d still have lots of AAJA people left over. Kralik also speaks about not taking for granted things he’d never before noticed. Read more

I believe AAJA should shine the spotlight on our incredibly talented photographers and photojournalists. Not just at convention but throughout the year. From legendary pioneers like Dith Pran and Nick Ut, to consummate pros like Paul Sakuma and Corky Lee, to perfectionist lensmen like Barry Wong and Hyungwon Kang, we should be featuring their work prominently on our website and our social media pages and in our branding. Read more