PMA Honors Five with Distinguished Service Awards

PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations, has selected five members to receive the 2013 PMA Distinguished Service Award. Being recognized for their invaluable contributions to the photo imaging industry with the 2013 Distinguished Service Award are Bob Friend, Rob Markoff, CPF, Brian Mundy, Margaret Remy, and Peter Rose. They will be honored during the upcoming 2013 PMA@CES event at the LVH – formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton – on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013.

“PMA is all about promoting the growth of the imaging industry, and no one exemplifies what that means more than these five individuals,” said PMA Executive Director Jim Esp. “It is truly a pleasure to recognize them for their hard work and endless dedication to PMA, its membership, and to the industry as a whole.”

Bob Friend

Bob Friend’s career in photo imaging has spanned 40 years, with the last 35 years at District Photo Inc. in Beltsville, Maryland, where he has been the Executive Vice President & General Manager for the last seventeen years.

During his tenure, he has worked in all phases of the business, helping District become one of the biggest fulfillers of image related products in the world, serving major retailers and e-commerce companies in all 50 states and the United Kingdom with its four manufacturing plants.

He has served PMA in numerous capacities as a Territorial Vice President, Trustee-at-Large and as PMA Treasurer in 2008-2009. In 1975, he was the PMA Territorial Vice President of the Year when he worked for Sundance Photo.

With a B.A. from Alfred University, he received his Master’s Degree at the Melvin S. Cohen School of Business, which has served him exceptionally well over the years.

Rob Markoff, CPF

Rob Markoff, CPF, has been an active member of the picture framing community for 42 years. With his wife, Barbara, they own and operate Gallery Services, a custom framing and installation company, and Artrageous!, a multi-store art and framing retail chain that has grown into a firm specializing in corporate art consultation with an emphasis on the healthcare sector.

Rob has been involved with the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) since its inception. He served for many years as the Vice President and Program Chairman of the San Diego Chapter and is a member of the PPFA Advisory committee. Rob originated "trade-show tours," taking framers attending the PPFA Convention through the PMA trade show to find and demonstrate items of value to framers offered by the imaging industry. He was awarded the PPFA President's Special Recognition Award in 2005.

Rob wrote extensively for DECOR Magazine and is a regular contributor to Picture Framing and Profile Magazines. He is a popular speaker and educator at industry venues across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Brian Mundy

Brian Mundy works for YB Squared as Director of Photography, Training and Technical Solutions. Previously, he was the Vice President of Digital Imaging for Photomation, where he had been employed from 1982-2012. He was responsible for managing the company’s design projects and digital development, generating approximately $5 million in annual sales.

He is a past president of the Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA) and produces and hosts the weekly DIMAcast podcast, focusing on industry trends and idea exchanges through interviews with innovative professionals and industry leaders.