WHITE PLAINS, NY—The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has announced that Renard T. Jenkins of Warner Bros. Discovery has been elected SMPTE president, the first African American to lead the association.
Richard Welsh of Deluxe Media Inc. as SMPTE executive vice president, Michael Zink of Warner Bros. Discovery as SMPTE education vice president, and Lisa Hobbs of MediaKind as SMPTE secretary/treasurer have been elected for two-year terms. They join 2022-23 officers Hans Hoffmann (past president), Sally Hattori (standards vice president), Paul Stechly (finance vice president), and Rose Lockwood (membership vice president).
"I am honored to be elected as the next SMPTE president," said Jenkins, who will be the first African American to serve in the SMPTE president role. "I look forward to respecting the Society's past while working with my colleagues to build a sustainable future. As we focus on cutting-edge technology, innovative tools, and diverse perspectives and ideas, we will create a forward-leaning organization to increase participation and our influence throughout the media and entertainment space. By partnering with our peers across the technology and standards sectors and being inclusive of all groups through all of our global offerings, we are laying the foundation for a more collaborative future. All these elements are essential if the Society is to continue to thrive, remain relevant, and provide a welcoming and supportive environment for professionals and students across our industry."
New SMPTE Regional Governors
For the two-year 2023-24 term, the Society has elected nine regional governors.
Asia-Pacific Region
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
Canada Region
François Bourdua, VS-Tek, Strategies & Technologies
Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Central South American Region
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region
Chris Johns, Sky UK
USA-Eastern Region
Dover Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA-Central Region
William T. Hayes, Iowa Public Television
USA-Hollywood Region
Eric Gsell, Dolby Laboratories
Marty Meyer, PRG Los Angeles
USA-New York Region
Thomas Mauro, Media Consultant
USA-Western Region
Jeffrey F. Way, Panasas
"We have work to do as a Society and as an industry, and the SMPTE leadership team is up to the challenge," said SMPTE Executive Director David Grindle. "The dedication, energy, and intelligence of this group reflect the interest and passion of the larger SMPTE membership, and I am excited about the work we'll do together as we continue to move the Society forward."
Election results can be found at smpte.org/society-election-results. Further information about SMPTE is online at smpte.org.
