SMPTE Names New Officers and Governors

Wendy Aylsworth will be first woman president of the technology organization

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/11/2012 1:37:04 PM

In the run-up to its annual conference, the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) has named a slate of newly elected officers and governors that include the Society's first female president, Wendy Aylsworth, who is the senior vice president of technology at Warner Bros.

All officers will assume office Jan 1. 2013. The SMPTE 2012 annual conference will take place on Oct. 23-25 in Hollywood.

Aylsworth will serve a two-year term as SMPTE president, succeeding outgoing president, Pete Ludé, who is senior vice president of engineering at Sony Corporation. Aylsworth, who is currently SMPTE executive vice president, has also served as SMPTE engineering vice president.

Other incoming SMPTE officers include Robert P. Seidel, vice president of engineering and advanced technology for the CBS television network, who will serve as executive vice president for a two-year term; Matthew S. Goldman, senior vice president of TV compression technology at Ericsson, who will serve as financial vice president for a one-year term; Patrick D. Griffis, senior director of technology strategy in the office of the chief technology officer for Dolby, who will serve as education vice president for a two-year term; and, Ann Marie Rohaly, director of accessibility policy and standards for Microsoft Corporation, who will serve as secretary/treasurer for a two-year term.

In a statement, Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE, praised outgoing president Ludé for championing "a number of high-visibility SMPTE initiatives, including the successful launch of its digital library, the execution of Society's first European conference, and renewed focus on new media technologies."

The 2013-2014 governors include: Pierre Marion, director, media engineering, productions, French services, CBC/Radio-Canada, who will serve as the Canadian regional governor; William T. Hayes, director of engineering and technology, Iowa Public Television, who will become the central region governor; Peter Wharton, director of sales, Americas, file-based solutions, Miranda Technologies, Inc. who will be the eastern region governor; Leon Silverman, general manager, Digital Studio, The Walt Disney Studios, and Clyde Smith, senior vice president technology, FOX Networks and operations, who will serve as Hollywood region governors; William C. Miller, president, Miltag Media Technology, LLC, who will become the New York region governor; T.J. Scott, Jr., senior account manager, Grass Valley USA, who will be the Southern region governor; Sara J. Kudrle, senior software engineer, Miranda Technologies, who is slated to be the Western region governor; and  Angelo D'Alessio, director, engineering and new media applications for the Center for Media Accessibility (CMA) who will take the post of governor for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America.