Category Membership

Point 85: The Piercer Family Tree

by Mic Rawls & Gene Gowan

Hello piercing community!!!

I had an idea at Camp APP to create a piercing family tree. I started to put it out there and have gotten a great response! With the help of Gene Gowen, we will continue collecting everybody’s history!!

What we need from you:

We would like information about the people that helped bring you into the community. This includes what shops you have worked at (no guest spots please) and anybody you helped get into the industry. If you have worked as a trainer at any education seminars or training groups we would like that as well.

For some of this it can be difficult to list people that also had a negative effect on our fledgling careers, and if there are people you don’t want to list, that is cool. Please remember that we are using this to get a sense of our history and how and through whom this wonderful craft has evolved. This will include some people that we do not care for, but without them we may have not gotten our start!

My vision for this will include an interactive display, so you can find those who came before you. I am hoping to modify this to include a class and video as we move forward. It will be a blast putting all the pieces together and to see how this skill has moved from one community to another.

Please send all submissions tomic4559@hotmail.com

Thanks for everybody’s help. I can’t wait to see how this will bloom!!!

Point 85: Longest Standing Currently Active APP Members

The following is a list of longest standing APP Members who are still currently active. Listed beside their names, you’ll find their original join date. This list reflects consecutive membership; according to current membership policy, original join dates can be reinstated after no more than two years, as long as there has not been a lapse in membership dues.

We’re honored to have these 20 people continuing to support the Association of Professional Piercers and the body piercing industry.

  • Sky Renfro—July 1994
  • David Vidra—October 1995
  • Adam Block—January 1996
  • Allen Falkner—January 1996
  • Patrick McCarthy—February 1996
  • Bink Williams—March 1996
  • Elayne Angel—March 1996
  • Brian Skellie—May 1996
  • Derek Lowe—June 1996
  • Darrin Walters—August 1996
  • Gus Diamond—October 1996
  • Steve Joyner—July 1997
  • Bethrah Szumski—August 1997
  • Marc J. Williams—September 1997
  • Jason King—October 1997
  • David Kelso—January 1999
  • Sarah Wooten—May 1999
  • James Weber—May 1999
  • Luis Garcia—May 1999
  • Shawn Taylor—July 1999

Point 85: APP Board Members & Officers History

April 13, 1994—The first APP meeting participants (Listed as “founders” in The Point 1): (standing l-r) Irwin Kane (Gauntlet,Inc.), Raelyn Gallina, Vaughn (Body Manipulations), Michaela Grey and Jim Ward (Gauntlet, Inc.), Melisa Kaye (Body Manipulations), Richard White [Carter] (Primeval
Body), Joann Wyman (Body Manipulations), Elizabeth Brassil (Body Manipulations), Drew Ward (Gauntlet, Inc.) -(kneeling l-r) Blake Perlingieri (Nomad), Kristian White (Nomad) at Gauntlet corporate offices in San Francisco

2017–2020

  • Luis Garcia—International Liaison
  • Ryan Ouellette—Outreach
  • Brian Skellie—Medical Liaison
  • Kendra Jane—Vice President
  • Jef Saunders—President

2014–2017

  • Cody Vaughn—Vice President
  • Christopher Glunt—Medical Liaison
  • Steve Joyner—Legislation Liaison
  • Miro Hernandez—Public Relations Director
  • Jef Saunders—Membership Liaison
  • Aaron Pollack—Secretary (Board Appointed)

2013-2016

  • Brian Skellie—Global Media
    • Transitioned to President Q2 2014
  • Ashley Misako—Outreach

2011–2014

  • Elayne Angel—President
  • John Johnson—Vice President
  • Richard Frueh—Medical Liaison
  • Mike Martin—Legislation Liaison
    • Stepped down April 2013
  • Steve Joyner—Legislation Liaison
    • Appointed Legislative Chair June 2013
  • Sarvas Berry—Membership Liaison 2010–2013
  • Brian Skellie—International Liaison
  • Dana Dinius—Outreach Coordinator
    • Stepped down Q1 2012
  • Ashley Misako—Outreach
    • Appointed Q1 2012

2008–2011

  • James Weber—President
  • Didier Suarez—Vice-President
  • Elayne Angel—Medical Liaison
  • Eduardo Chavarria—Membership Liaison
  • Bethrah Szumski—Secretary
    • Stepped down Q2 2010
  • Paul King—Treasurer (Board Appointed Officer)

2007–2010

  • Danny Yerna—International Outreach Coordinator
  • Eric “Sque3z” Anderson—Outreach Coordinator

2005–2008

  • Alicia Cardenas—President
  • April Johnson—Vice President
  • James Weber—Medical Liaison
  • Luis Garcia—International Liaison

2005–2007

  • Christina Shull—Secretary
    • Stepped down Q3 2007

2005–2006

  • Jeffrey “Phish” Goldblatt—Outreach Coordinator
    • Stepped down Q2 2006
  • Schane Gross—Treasurer
    • Stepped down Q1 2006

2002–2005

  • Bethrah Szumski—President
  • Jason King—Vice-President
  • Crystal Sims—Secretary
  • Paul King—Treasurer
  • Elayne Angel—Medical Coordinator
  • Megg Mass—Outreach Coordinator
  • Alicia Cardenas—International Liaison

1999–2002 Second Election [The Point—Issue 15, May]

  • Patrick McCarthy—President
    • Elected to replace Gahdi Elias after he finished his Board term
  • April Williams-Warner—International Liaison
    • Elected to replace Al D. after he finished his Board term
  • Scott Brewer—Treasurer
    • Appointed by Pat McCarthy as interim Treasurer after Brian Skellie finished Board term June 1999. Later duly elected and stepped down Q1 2002

From The Point—Issue 16:

Many changes took place to the APP over the last year; one of the most important things was the election of a new Board. In September a new Vice President, Secretary, and Outreach Coordinator were elected. Then, in April a new President and International Liaison were introduced. During the meeting the new Board members were introduced to the membership.

APP Board Members as of October, 1999

  • Pat McCarthy—President
  • Steve Joyner—Vice President
  • Bethrah Szumski —Secretary
  • Scott Brewer—Treasurer
  • Elayne Angel —Outreach Coordinator
  • April Williams-Warner—International Liaison
  • Dr. Jack Ward—Medical Liaison

1999–2001 First APP Elected Board [The Point—Issue 14, April]

  • Steve Joyner—Vice President 1999
  • Bethrah Szumski—Secretary
  • Elayne Angel—Outreach Coordinator
  • Jeff Martin—Outreach Coordinator
    • Stepped down December 1999

From The Point—Issue 14:

The past year has seen Board member installment go from an appointment to an electoral process.

The first such election installed: Steve Joyner as Vice Chair, Elayne Angel as Outreach Coordinator, Bethrah Szumski as Secretary

As people come so do they go: Dave Vidra served as OSHA Liaison until Nov 1998, Derek Lowe served as Secretary until Nov 1998.

Jeff Martin served as Outreach Coordinator until Dec 1999.

1998 [The Point—Issue 13, Summer]

Stepped down:

  • David Vidra resigned November 1998 after multiple Board terms
  • Derek Lowe resigned November 1998

1998 Board of Directors [The Point—Issue 12, First Quarter]

  • Gahdi Elias (Mastodon)—Chair
    • Brian Skellie appointed to serve the duties of Chair while Gahdi traveled abroad
  • Kent Fazekas—Chair
    • Stepped down
  • Elizabeth Getschal—appointed Board Liaison under Chair

1997 Transitions [The Point—Issue 11, Fall]

  • David Vidra (BodyWork Productions)—OSHA /Legislative Liaison
    • Exchanged positions with Al D. Sowers
  • Al D. Sowers (Playspace Ltd./ Sin)—International Liaison
  • Michaela Grey finished her Board term and continued as a Business Member in good standing
  • Dr. John Ward—Medical Liaison

1997–1999 [The Point—Issue 10, June]

  • Kent Fazekas—Chair
    • Transitioned from Treasurer
  • Brian Skellie—Treasurer
  • Michaela Grey—International Liaison
    • Transitioned from Chair
  • Crystal Cross
    • Stepped down
  • Curt Warren (Koi)—Coordinator
  • Rob Petroff
    • Stepped down
  • Jeff Martin (Obscurities)—Outreach coordinator
  • Tracy Faraca
    • Stepped down
  • Derek Lowe (Steve’s Tattoo and Body Piercing)—Secretary
  • Allen Falkner
    • Stepped down

1996 Two new Board Members [The Point—Issue 8, August]

  • David Vidra (BodyWork Productions)—Medical Liaison
  • Al D. Sowers (Playspace Ltd./ Sin)—OSHA /Legislative Liaison
  • Crystal Cross (Primeval Body)—New Title: International Liaison
  • Blake Perlingieri and Maria Tashjian finish their Board terms and continue as Business Members in good standing
  • Rev. Drew Lewis started APP archives [Not Board Member (Media Committee)]

1995 Initial Appointed Board [The Point—Issue 6, November]

  • Crystal Cross & Richard White (Primeval Body)
  • Ahna Edwards (Attitudes, Inc.)—Outreach Coordinator
  • Position taken over by Tracy Faraca (Attitudes, Inc.)
  • Kent Fazekas (Body Accents)—Treasurer
  • Gahdi (Mastodon)—Vice Chair
  • Michaela Grey (Gauntlet, Inc.)—Chair
  • Blake Perlingieri & Kristian White (Nomad)
  • Rob Petroff (Insane Creations)—Coordinating Board Member
  • Maria Tashjian (Venus Modern Body Arts)
  • Allen Falkner (Obscurities)—Secretary

Point 84: Membership Infographics Explained

by Marina Pecorino, APP Membership Administrator

The following infographics were presented in the annual Members’ Meeting at Conference. There’s a lot of information here, so I’d like to take a moment to make sure the full breadth of our recent growth is understood.

It’s important to note that our membership changes almost daily. Prior to Conference, the Membership Committee processed all applications received before April 1, 2018, and then went on hiatus until after Conference, so new memberships have a pre-Conference deadline.

However, the same does not apply for changes with existing Members. Keep in mind the nomadic nature of many piercers, moving to different studios, or relocating to different states and countries. These types of changes happen up to and even onsite at Conference.

It seems only appropriate to start from the beginning, so let’s look at the APP Membership Inception to Current graph. The golden columns show the total number of active Members at the close of each corresponding year.

This includes all membership types, and excludes our Corporate Sponsors. The blue line indicates the current active Members based on their join year. So, as an example, looking back ten years, 2008 ended with 254 total Members (a difference of 18 compared to the previous year), and only

16 of the Members accepted that year still maintained active membership at the time that these graphs were created. On the contrary, in 2017, the year ended with a total of 582 Members (a difference of 60 compared to the previous year), and 134 of those active Members (that’s 23%) joined last year! It’s pretty clear to see the incredible growth the APP has experienced over the last several years, with active Members more than doubling since 2012.

This brings us to the Pre-Conference Growth graph. This illustrates the number of new Members between January 1 and Conference of each corresponding year. Keep in mind  that  Conference  does not have a stationary date, so there is a bit of variation with the Membership Committee hiatus I mentioned earlier. Regardless, pre-Conference growth has almost tripled between 2014 and 2018.

Moving to the next set of graphs, we look at our memberships and  sponsorships by type. The first of this set is specific to individual Members and the membership type they fit into. Business Members—piercers with more than one year of professional experience, who meet both environmental and personal criteria—are by far our largest membership category, for obvious reasons. The second graph in this set includes all of

the information from the previous, but also includes Additional Location memberships and our Corporate Sponsors. The Additional Location memberships are used for Business Members who consistently work in more than one approved studio location.

The final two infographics show membership (Associate Corporate, Associate, Business, Business at Large, and Patron Members) by geographical location. The first shows all active Members in North America. California and Oregon have the highest number of APP Members, followed closely by Florida and Texas. The concentration of Members in these areas is somewhat predictable, based on the sheer size and density of populations in these states. The second map shows active Members worldwide. Despite being an international organization, APP membership is highest in the United States, but membership is growing elsewhere. Australia now has the third highest membership by country, most of which were added within the last three years.

The recent popularization and growth of our industry, in combination with the outstanding work of the Membership Committee, and our transition to an online membership system are all partly responsible for the recent prosperity of the APP. That said, the majority of the credit goes to industry professionals as a whole and the increasing demand for excellence. As professionals hold themselves and their studios to higher standards, and look to the Association of Professional Piercers for support, I’m confident that the organization and industry will continue to thrive.

Point 84: New Members & Sponsors July 2017-July 2018

Business & Business Members at Large

  • Rafael Andrade
  • Tabatha Andreason
  • Ryan Archuleta
  • Desi Arellano
  • Brent Baker
  • Sabrina Ballard
  • Daniel Barake
  • Cody Bauer
  • Starr Belew
  • Robyn Campbell
  • Cory Carmean
  • Nick Christiansen
  • Jeffrey Clark
  • Corey Cochrane
  • Andrea Costantino
  • Mercedes Courtoreille
  • Ben Creehan
  • Gregory Daniel
  • Benjamin Davis
  • Diego de Esteve
  • Jenell Di
  • Renee Dietzler
  • Brandon Downs
  • Sabrina Egan
  • Joe Espin
  • Molly Ezell
  • Aaron Foster
  • Holly Foutch
  • Paul Fox
  • Russ Foxx
  • Nathalie Gauthier
  • Corinne Graves
  • Erik Grover
  • James Haessly
  • Suzanne Hallett
  • Hannah Kimber
  • Derek Hibberd
  • Ben Higgs
  • Mike Hill
  • Leanne Hughes
  • Ashley Jay
  • Dae Jedic
  • Matthew Jensen
  • Vanessa Jo
  • Sara Johnson
  • Cash Kasper
  • Carl Kimberly
  • Alexander Kirkiles
  • Nia Kulbaba
  • David Lallemand
  • Jess Lane
  • Audrée Laroche
  • Rachael Lebron
  • Alexandria (Lexie) Lipp
  • Cassi Lopez
  • Benjamin Lynch
  • Vivi Madero
  • Tristan Macumber
  • Gregg Marchessault
  • Matthew Masterton
  • Cody Mattice
  • Rochelle Montagne
  • Austin Moore
  • John Moore
  • Nicolas Moses
  • Arthur Moy
  • Marina Müller
  • Megan Naito
  • Jenna Nichols
  • Colin O
  • Ian Olsen
  • Jason Orenstein
  • Alana Paris
  • Aniela Payne
  • Daniel Pereira
  • Ari Pimsler
  • Antonio Pisasale
  • Sean Powell
  • Kaden Rasmussen
  • Della Scott
  • Eloise Ridgewell
  • Victoria Rose
  • Randee Saenz
  • Kelli Saez
  • Nate Saint Pierre
  • Claire Savard
  • Sara Schneider
  • Lucas Sheffield
  • Pete Sheringham
  • Shane Shields
  • Dylan Smith
  • Carrie  Sorrels
  • Kari Spector
  • Cherry Sutherland
  • Pineapple Tangaroa
  • Kaitlyn Taylor
  • Andrea Trester
  • Sergi Tinaut
  • Chad Vahila
  • Bella van Nes
  • Paulus van Nes
  • Cour Vest
  • Laura Estefania Vicat
  • Zack Watson
  • Jade Winston
  • Lindsey Wright
  • Eddie Zvolanek

Associate Members

  • Jessika Agee
  • KristaJae Amante
  • Amanda Badger
  • Eleanor Boyd
  • Jill Bressmer
  • Shay Britton
  • Nash Bryant
  • Margo Dellaquila
  • Tyler Drake
  • Zach Elkie
  • Tyler Grayko
  • Melissa Gutierrez
  • Heidi Hess
  • Shayne Holborow
  • Megan Jaqubino
  • Randy Kunkel
  • Christy Lillard
  • Natali Martin
  • Stacy Martinez
  • Kristina Outland
  • Jasmine Riggsbee
  • Devin Ruiz
  • Sprout Scheier
  • Gabrielle Schultz
  • Skye Smith
  • Anthony Spaziano
  • Anthony Swift
  • Tanner Thurman
  • Daisy May Turnmire
  • Nick Whitcher
  • Burr White
  • Samuel Wright
  • Scott Lilly Young

Corporate Sponsors

  •  After Inked, LLC
  • Alchemy Adornment
  • Propper Mfg. Co. Inc.
  • Rio Grande, Inc.
  • Sleeping Goddess Jewelry

Point 80: Membership Standards Update & Clarification

Cody Vaughn
Membership Liaison

APP Membership: A Glance At The Past & Environmental Criteria Updates for The Future

“The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you’ve come” – Author Unknown

I began volunteering with the Membership Committee in 2009. Originally, I thought each idea I had which I believed would further our mission statement would be a quick and easy change to make. Make the suggestion, state your case, done and done! Volunteering for a non-profit health and safety organization — one whose membership has grown immensely at the same time body piercing’s popularity has surged — has taught me change and improvements often come slowly and deliberately.

When I first started with the Membership Committee, our application process consisted of mailing a hard copy application and your video recorded to a disc (or VHS!) to the APP office. Then it got shipped to a volunteer. After being reviewed, it got shipped to a second volunteer for final review. This wasn’t the hardest thing when we were averaging maybe a couple dozen new Members a year. As the number of applicants began to drastically increase, through much work and trial and error, we improved upon the process and have now moved to a strictly online application. This has reduced costs and improved the applicants wait time. We are currently working on utilizing our new website’s features to even further streamline the application process. You’ll hear more about that in the coming months.

This application process was created because it isn’t financially or practically feasible to fly a Membership Committee volunteer to each applicant’s studio to do a walk through for environmental criteria. Similarly, when receiving a complaint about a member breaching their Health & Safety agreement, it is just not feasible to drive across the country (or to another country for that matter) to see for ourselves.

In April of 2017, the Board of Directors informed APP Members of a new update to our Membership Environmental Criteria:

“All piercers working at an APP Member studio (members or non-members) will only use appropriate jewelry for initial piercings as listed in the current APP minimum standard.

Any use of non-compliant jewelry for initial piercing by any person (member or non-member) in the studio is considered a breach of environmental standards and can be grounds for losing membership.”

The APP Board of Directors and the APP Membership Committee feels this newest standard will help to further spread safe piercing practices and our organization’s mission statement.

If you have any questions in regards to this updated policy please do not hesitate to contact us at membership@safepiercing.org

All members will have until January 1, 2018 to become compliant with this new environmental standard.

Point 80: Update from the Secretary

Aaron Pollack
APP Secretary

One more great Conference is in the books. This was another record breaking year with over 1,100 registered attendees!

Every year at Conference we hold our annual Members’ Meeting. This annual meeting is a chance for our Members and Corporate Sponsors to hear updates about the future of Conference and the Association, and to get a review of the APP’s finances.

This year’s Members’ Meeting was particularly eventful with announcements regarding new Member perks and a new Conference venue for 2019!

MEMBER PERK

Our Member perk this year was a new window cling for your studios. These double-sided clings can be displayed at any studio with an APP Member on staff. If you were not in atten- dance at the meeting, you will receive a cling by mail with your 2018 membership certificate.

CONFERENCE 2018 AND 2019

Conference 2018 will be held July 15-20, 2018 at Bally’s. This is our final year at Bally’s! Be prepared for a great send off and another big year.

Conference 2019 will be our first year at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Planet Hollywood is a big upgrade for our Conference and we are really excited about our future there.

MEMBERLEAP AND MEMBER’S AREA

Our new website and Member’s Area are now live. Our website has had a major facelift and is better than ever,  with ongoing improvements and added features. Included on our website is a Member’s Only area where you can instantly update your Member profile, Required Documents (environmental and personal criteria) and keep updated on APP Events. Be sure to check  it out. If you have questions about the Member’s Area or need help with the system, you can reach Marina Pecorino, Membership Administrator, at mpecorino@safepiercing.org.

Point 76: Banquet Dinner – Kendra Jane B

The banquet dinner is a highlight of the week in Vegas for many people. In fact, it has sold out the last few years in a row. Every year we get to see our colleagues dress up in their fanciest duds, from stunning gowns to costumes that fit the theme for the year. This year we saw some of our favorite science fiction characters, including Barf and Leeloo.

2016 APP Banquet portraitsAs we enjoyed a great dinner we were entertained by the familiarity of a sideshow. From there we moved on to the evening’s formalities: speeches, awards, and the much anticipated grand prize raffle draws.

The evening’s formalities got started when Cody Vaughn and I had the opportunity to say thank you and welcome to our new Members for the year.

“This century has seen the advent of technologies and procedures those before us never thought possible, not to mention an exponential growth in the numbers of body modification enthusiasts, and in turn the number of piercers looking to be their best. Every year we gain new Members and grow as an organization but this last year saw us gain an amazing 86 new Members. Congratulations to all our new Members.”

New Members:
Andie Saunders
Ashley Reeves
William Barron
Matt Bressmer
Kyla Scrivener
Olivia Theriault
Kara Dee
Lara “Barkley” Barkley
Laura Davis
Michael Bernhardt
Megan Feeley
Robert Wilson
Kelli Zeien
Edward (Richie) Bibee
Hannah Phykitt
Mona Lisa A. Escalante
Whitney Chase
Joshua W. Spriggs
Chris “Plaid” Weyer
Emily Woods
Jarred Mantia
Lani Soleil Gillespie
Ricky Andrew Minor
Anthony Merritt
Joey Hayden
Nick Lanehardt
Rivka McCormack
Courtney-Logan Rose Cangelosi
Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill
Ana Paula Escalante
Lola Slider
Jay Zogg
Tim Gerdes
Janessa McKissack
Leo Ziebol
Melinda Hupy
Dominick Arduino
Giselle Rose Arduino
Inaveronica Ausland Pedersen
Amy Willmore
Jacob Spjut
Matthew Buonantuono
Kevin Allison
Crystal Vozzella
Ryan Terrillion
Doug Poisson
John Robberson
Rosemary Willicome
Justin Ellis
Hali Stimis
Amanda Thompson
Chris A Taylor
John Osborne
Hall Boyer
Paul Rainer
Jason “Jay” Zukas
Dustin Schoelier
Phoebe Dowling
Ryan Tantay
Britt Riggs
Samantha Minh (Robles)
Brittney Lola Lebbano
Thomas Gottschalk
Scott Self
Derek Ian
Robert Chambers
Kolby Cain
Kaylyn Suellentrop
John Alonzo
Dustin Jackson
Michael Kabbeko-Johnson
Chelsie Ross
Bernard P. Ellis II
Eric Schuh
Michael Kaspa
Amy McNichol
Dorian McCarron
Nicolas Fox
Thomas Mocek
Westin M. Fryar
Rich Hartwick
Maddie Akers
Matt Ronin
Charles Charlie Wheeler
Deidra Saville Evans
Bilal “Cozmo” Whitest

Miro Hernadez then had the distinguished pleasure of announcing this year’s birth announcements:
– Shortly after conference last year, Brian and Sandrine Skellie’s daughter Serena was brought into this world
– Ahri Elise Wilson was born on April 11th to Robert and Carissa Wilson
– Hazel Grey Hemmingsen was born on May 6h to Tyler and Laura Hemmingsen
– Patience J. Hope McInnes was born on July 9th to Mike and Michelle McInnes
– Tamarah and Wednesday Henryson brought a female “puppy” into this world on September 24th. When Tamarah was pregnant, the baby’s gender couldn’t be identified, so after people kept asking and asking, they finally just said, “a puppy” and that has stuck since.
– Julie Green of Westcoast Piercing and Ink first grandchild, Daya, was born on June 21
– Simon Patrick Saunders was born on September 8, 2015 to 2 of our APP members, Jef Saunders and Laura Leonard
– Troubador Rocco Grosvenor was born on September 29, 2015 to Nathan and Chelsea Grosvenor
– Mark and Nikole Montgomery are now grandparents with the birth of their beautiful grandson Lach- lan (Lock Ian)
– Lyric Mason Dinsmore was born on November 22, 2015 to Desiree ́ Dinsmore and Dustin Merryman

This past year was also filled with loss and sorrow and we mourn the passing of several members of our community:
– Hugh Mattay from Australia passed on Jan 28 at the age of 37.
– Leah Lovell from New York passed at the age of 28
– Peter Pina, 33, of Electric Chair Tattoo and Body Piercing in Houston.
– Jerome “JJ” Moiso passed away on February 26th after a long battle with cancer. He was one of Al D.’s last apprentices and had worked for a handful of Seattle studios as well as owning his own studio for a couple years. He was also involved with the original body art regulations in Washington State.
– Charles Gatewood and his iconic photography that brought the weird and macabre to pop culture and his larger than life personality.
– In 2014, Mark Siekierski joked about having this quote read as a memorial if he should ever pass, and sadly this year that wish will be made a reality.

Earth from the far reaches of space“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

With the completion of that paragraph there was not a dry eye in the place and we all knew that we had honored a great man and all those that we had lost last year.

Last year’s banquet gave me the opportunity to thank someone very special to me, Caitlin McDiarmid. This year the tables were turned and she awarded me the Josh Prentice Volunteer award. This definitely brought me to tears. I was stunned and left speechless to say the least. I am so honored to have been recognized for something that brings me joy and fills my bucket until it runs over.

Brian Skellie also had the privilege of presenting this year’s President’s award to Ana Paula. This woman is a powerhouse in our industry and has brought safe piercing education to Latin America. When she is not teaching worldwide or starving to build LBP and the education seminars available to Latin American piercers, she creates stunning jewelry. A mother, wife, educator, and creator she is the most deserved recipient of this award.

From there the evening progressed to the presentation of the Expo awards. This year, there was a tie for the Creative Innovator’s Award, being presented to both Tether and Onetribe. We also saw Tether win the Single Booth Award. It is so wonderful to see a first time exhibitor and new company hit the ground running. At the other end of the spectrum, two long standing pillars of the industry took home the evening’s other awards. Tawapa won the Multiple Booth Award and Diablo Organic won the Technical Innovator’s Award.

Now that the formalities had been taken care of it was time to get onto the top raffle prize drawings (we all know this is what everyone was really waiting for).

As the evening drew to a close, lives had been changed forever, and we knew the week was drawing to a close. This is always a bittersweet moment for many of us. So until next year I leave you with this. . .

Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write. But those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” It is in this vein that we gather in the desert; to learn with the best; to unlearn some of our preconceived notions; and relearn things we thought we already knew. From our classrooms and workshops to our exposition floor it has been evident that the APP, our Members, Sponsors, and conference Attendees ensure that they take every opportunity to learn and grow both personally and professionally. We are so very excited to see what the future holds, when we boldly go where no piercer has gone before.

point-76-banquet-2016-app-conference

Point 76: Member Updates – Aaron Pollack

Elections
2016 Elections are in full swing at the APP office. We currently have four Board of Directors positions that will end their terms at Conference 2017. Check your email inbox for your ballot. Remember that to participate in voting or running for a position on the Board of Directors the nominee must have completed a membership renewal if necessary, and have all necessary membership documentation including BBP and First Aid/CPR on file with the front office.

Conference Certificates and Photos
Certificates and photos from Conference 2016 are being processed and will be released soon. Keep an eye out for both! The photos will be posted to an official tumblr page for easy access, and will be promoted through email and conference social media pages.

Certificates will be mailed upon completion.

Conference 2016 Recap
Conference 2016 was a resounding success. We had a week jam packed with classes, expo, and our biggest raffle ever!

By the end of the week we had 986 attendees and gave away over $165,000 worth of generously donated prizes.

Thank you to every person who attended, all of our volunteers, our corporate sponsors, vendors, and those who donated.

Conference 2017 will be held June 11–June 16, 2017
at Bally’s Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

Point 76: Election Time is Upon Us – Derek Lowe

I’m sure many of you are burned-out on election talk given how divisive and controversial the recent U.S. Presidential election was. I’m optimistic we can get through the upcoming APP election with much less friction and vitriol; not to mention far fewer TV ads and automated phone calls.

As a 20+ year member of the APP, I was around before there were elections for Board positions. I’ve participated in all of the elections (I’m pretty sure) and I’ve seen that process change, for the better, over the years. I believe the current system is the best we have ever had. It is a little ironic that being an outstanding piercer has almost nothing to do with how qualified or effective someone will be to serve on the Board of the Association of Professional Piercers, but it’s the truth.

Being able to execute flawless septum piercings all day long doesn’t mean someone is good at time management. Being the head piercer at a well-known studio doesn’t mean someone is good at working with others to solve problems. Just because someone seems to be nice when you talk to them on Facebook, it doesn’t mean their personal life is in-order and they will be able to dedicate the time and energy necessary to complete their duties as a member of the Board. Enjoying hanging out with someone for a couple of hours at Conference doesn’t mean they handle conflict well and are open to compromise. Just because you like the idea of a candidate who wants to “shake things up”, it doesn’t mean they have any idea about the legal structure and requirements of running a non-profit organization.

Having 1,000,000 Followers on Instagram doesn’t mean someone has an understanding of the APP’s mission statement of education.

It can be difficult to know what skills and experience a candidate has that will be applicable to serving the APP. For the last few years, I have started doing three things to help me make a more-informed decision about my colleagues who are trying to get elected.

I look for a history of successful service to the APP. Members who have worked on subcommittees, volunteered at Conference and/or offered up their time and services to the organization in other ways, consistently prove to be Board members that finish their terms and are effective at helping the APP move forward.

I really read the bios the candidates present during the process. I want to know how they have helped the APP and what skills and experiences they have that will be directly applicable to being an effective Board member.

I reach out to candidates and ask them questions about their experience and their ideas. I try to find out in what ways they think they can be effective and what ideas they have about the current state of the APP as well as the future of the organization.

It is my hope that for the upcoming election, and all future elections, the membership will put thought and time into why we are casting the votes we are. Instead of just voting for names you recognize, or people you like, dig a little deeper. Demand a little more of the people who want to represent our industry and our profession to the rest of the world. Thank you and happy voting!