Manny Almeida
November 21, 2013 by Jennifer Kruger – PMA Newsline
The PMA Distinguished Service Award is bestowed in recognition for contributions to the photo imaging industry. Manny Almeida of Fujifilm North America Corp., Ron Kubara of Noritsu Canada, and Jim Miller, MCPF, GCF, of Artframe Inc., will be recognized during an awards presentation on Jan. 6, 2014, during 2014 PMA@CES, at the LVH in Las Vegas, Nev.
“Manny, Ron and Jim exemplify the spirit of service and dedication that makes this industry so remarkable,” said Allen Showalter, President of PMA. “These three individuals have each worked tirelessly throughout their careers to promote the growth of the imaging industry, which is the mission of PMA. It is a real pleasure to honor them for their efforts, which have benefitted so many, with a 2014 PMA Distinguished Service Award.”
Manny Almeida
Manny Almeida
Manny Almeida started his career in the photo imaging business in 1978, when he began working in a camera store while going to school in Boston for Applied and Industrial Photography. He joined Fuji Photo Film Inc. in 1980 as a sales representative for the company’s consumer products division. Throughout his many years there, he was named Fuji Sales Representative of the Year and Fuji Special Accounts Manager of the Year. He moved up through the ranks, running the 35mm cameras business; directing Fuji’s launch of the Discovery camera line; leading the Fujicolor film and QuickSnap one-time-use camera business; revamping the branding and packaging of Fuji film line; leading Fujifilm’s entry into digital imaging in the U.S. market; launching Fujifilm’s APS product line, and directing the launch of the Frontier digital lab system and the development of networked solutions.
In 2003, Almeida left Fujifilm for the position of Executive Vice President at Rimage Corp., leading the expansion of Rimage’s business in Asia and Europe, and also into the medical and retail segments. By maintaining close contact with customers as well as suppliers in the photo world, Almeida involved Rimage in photo applications.
Almeida returned to Fujifilm in 2009, as Vice President and General Manager of Fujifilm’s US Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, and is now Senior Vice President and General Manager, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions. In this capacity, Almeida has responsibility for sales, marketing and support for the company’s consumer and commercial photographic products and services business.
Ron Kubara
Ron Kubara
Ron Kubara is one of the photo industry’s leading experts. After many years in wholesale photofinishing quality control, Ron joined Fujifilm in 1983. Half of his 21-year Fujifilm tenure was in technical management and photofinishing sales management. He worked together with then-PMA Canada Director Don Spring Sr. as they successfully fought Canadian regulators to allow photo labs to continue to use sewers across Canada, eventually creating Best Management Practices guidelines that prevented the need for photofinishers to have waste professionally hauled away for disposal.
In the mid 90s, Kubara and his brother researched theories in digital imaging, and began educating the photo industry on what they’d discovered. They created the first interactive educational CD for photography for Fujifilm, which helped countless photo industry members transition from film to digital. Ron has been a sought-after imaging educator ever since.
In 2003, Ron joined Noritsu, where he challenged the company’s R&D department to develop algorithms to improve prints from low resolution and over-compressed files, and requested that kiosk vendors remove a feature that prevented 640×480 and smaller files from being printed. These algorithms remain in use in Noritsu software and are now used by international law enforcement agencies to improve Facebook and other low resolution and poor quality images for legal use.
He is currently is Vice President, Noritsu Canada and Vice President, World Wide Strategic Sales and Planning for Noritsu Japan. He has envisioned products and inspired Noritsu’s R&D department to develop revolutionary hardware and software for photofinishers and to bring many retail products and services to fruition.
James Miller, MCPF, GCF
James Miller, MCPF, GCF
Jim Miller founded his framing business, ArtFrame Inc., in suburban Columbus, Ohio, in 1988. He specializes in protective framing of art, heirlooms, and three-dimensional objects.
An accomplished calligrapher, Miller, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, has served the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) in numerous capacities. He earned the Certified Picture Framer (CPF) designation in 1990. He has also served as chairman of the PPFA certification board, helping to update the Certified Picture Framer exam, and to develop the Master Certified Picture Framer program. He earned his own Master Certified Picture Framer designation, the highest credential for picture framers, in 2004. He also received the Guild Commended Framer designation from the Fine Art Trade Guild in London, England, in 2002. He served as chairman of the Fine Art Care and Treatment Standards education committee, and is currently chairman the PPFA Guidelines Task Force, which authors and updates instructional books for PPFA. The PPFA Guidelines Task Force recently completed their latest research project, to be published in January, “PPFA Comparative Standards for Matboard.”
Jim is author of two books, The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects, and Mounting Objects with Clear Film. He also writes regularly for “Picture Framing Magazine” on a variety of framing subjects. He is an industry consultant and mentor who teaches at framing venues in North America, Australia, and Russia.
http://pmanewsline.com/2013/11/21/pma-names-2014-distinguished-service-award-recipients/