AMA Board of Directors

The Artist Management Association is governed by a Board of Directors who serve a one-year term. They serve as the stewards of the organization’s mission and resources, responsible for establishing policies and maintaining fiduciary oversight. The Board oversees the Director whose role is to implement the mission and manage the day-to-day operations.

 

Pat Bates, President
Owner, Pat Bates & Associates

Pat’s love affair with photography and the art world began when she studied photography in college with the renowned American photographer Jan Groover. After graduating, Pat worked as a color printer for the esteemed photographer Joel Meyerowitz, once again learning from the best of the best.  
With a profound knowledge of art, design and décor, Pat knows what to retain from the past and how to combine it with her innate ability to be ahead of the curve. When she opened her artist rep and management agency Pat Bates & Associates in 1994, she was already focused on what was to come – nesting, food, consumer’s expanding interest in home décor and travel, the expansion of the boutique hospitality world, and the formation of new kinds of families who would then redefine their- and our - notion of how we live.


Mary Dail, Vice President
Owner + Creative Director, Big Leo Productions

Mary Dail is the owner and Creative Director of Big Leo Productions, an agency representing a talented and diverse constellation of directors, photographers, and stylists with expertise in food and beverage, hospitality, interiors, lifestyle, and beauty.
Mary founded Big Leo in 2003 in New York City after an inspiring era as Photography Editor with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia where she met some of the industry’s most accomplished creatives from photographers and stylists, to creative directors, editors, and producers. Her commitment to advocating on behalf of artists and their businesses in the commercial photography industry was the motivation behind starting her own agency.


Vanessa Stevens, President Emeritus
Owner, VS+Company

Vanessa Stevens is the founder and principal agent of VS+Company, a creative agency dedicated to representation of artists, and post-production and printing for commissioned and fine art photography.

Vanessa established the company in 2011 to provide calibrated attention to the careers and work of a select roster of leading artists, including representation of the renowned still life photographer Raymond Meier with whom she has worked since 1997, and management of the creative director Malin Ericson. In addition, VS+Company represents Lauren Coleman and works with other emerging photographers and creatives. Vanessa also provides strategic and artistic oversight to commercial and fine art projects, and manages all aspects of client relationships.


Heather Elder, Communications Director
Owner, Heather Elder Represents

Heather Elder started her career as an account executive at an ad agency and while working on the Polaroid account, realized her love for commercial photography. She left to become an agent and producer for a photographer where she combined her account executive skills with her marketing and sales skills to developed her own style that quickly became Heather Elder Represents.


Dean Snyder, Partnership Director
Owner, Print & Contact

Dean Snyder is a father, founder, and champion of developing artists.

Print & Contact was born in 2014, inspired by Dean’s extensive experience as an executive producer for stills, motion, and event production. Immersed in the world of fashion, Dean broke into their industry and launching his career in the 90s, producing runway shows for Diesel, Miguel Adrover, Rag & Bone, Victoria Beckham, Alexander Wang and countless others.

As a production executive, Dean seamlessly applied his knowledge of the idiosyncrasies within the world of fashion to produce events for clients including but not limited to APC, Dior, Dior Homme, and Longchamp. While his career progressed, Dean incorporated global photo and video shoot productions into his repertoire.


Walter Schupfer, Treasurer
Owner, Walter Schupfer Management

Walter Schupfer was born and raised in a small village just outside of Vienna, Austria. Discovered by Helmut Lang at the age of 15 he soon after made his pilgrimage to America where he began his career as an internationally recognized fashion model. From the moment he embarked on his travels his objective was to satisfy his wanderlust and go in search of discovering the world of opportunities that awaited abroad.


Stacy Fischer, Director of Events
Owner, Exposure

In 1996, Stacy Fischer created Exposure NY from a desire to think outside of the box when it came to representing talent and establishing client relationships. After graduating with a major in photography and a minor in art history, Fischer found herself working at a photo agency in New York City but always felt that she needed more room to grow. Ultimately, Stacy was fired from that job and on her way out the door decided that it was time for her to branch out on her own. And Exposure NY was born!


Gregg Lhotsky, Director at Large
Global Managing Director, B&A

For most of his career Gregg has nurtured the careers of creative people. Gregg is the Global Managing Director of B&A, an agency that represents over 150 artists including; Photographers, Illustrators, CGI and Animation Studios, Stylists, Hair and Makeup artists, Directors, and Production Companies.  Operating out of their New York City offices, he runs a team of agents and support staff in New York, London, Berlin and affiliates in China and Australia. 


Erica Chadwick, Director of Business Affairs
Founder, ETC Creative, Inc.

Erica Chadwick is the founder of ETC Creative, Inc., which opened in 2005 and represents national photographers and directors and facilitates all aspects of production for its clients.

Erica discovered a passion for photography at 14 when she took a high school elective class. Mesmerized by the magic of the darkroom and the slice of life that photography revealed, she went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree with First Honors in Photography from Exeter School of Art and Design, in Exeter, England. 


Jonny Bell, Director of West Coast Events
Managing Director, Giant Artists

Jonny has been working in the photography industry for over sixteen years. He started his career working with image licensing and editorial assignments in London, collaborating with a prominent syndication agency and their newspaper and magazine clients. His journey took a significant turn when he joined the esteemed Magnum Photos agency, where he had the privilege of working alongside some of the world's most revered photographers, delving into the historic archives of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt and Eve Arnold among many others. During this tenure, Jonny engaged in projects with a wide range of clients including editorial outlets, NGOs, brands, agencies, and large-scale publishing endeavors involving groups of photographers and individual monographs.


Laura Hinds, Director of Engagement
Owner, Beauty & Photo

Laura Hinds grew up in Los Angeles, California, fully immersed and engaged in the worlds of physical fitness, photography, film, and art. Her dad owned one of the first full-service gyms in LA, whose clientele included professional and Olympic athletes and entertainment celebrities. Her stepfather was a commercial TV director with a passion for photography. Her mom was always fashion-forward and favored family outings to art museums and galleries.

It is no surprise that Laura has spent her 30 + year professional career, currently as the owner of the artist agency Beauty & Photo, specializing in the spaces of sports, fashion, entertainment, and culture. She works with some of the most highly sought-after photographers and directors across various categories and creative disciplines, championing and connecting them with top-tier brands, advertising/media agencies, and designers equally passionate about creating stunning work. 


Stephanie Pesakoff, Director of Programming

Owner, Illustration Division

Stephanie Pesakoff is the founder of Illustration Division. Nearly three decades deep into her love affair with art, culture and making the world a more beautiful place, Stephanie remains as passionate about her work today as she was when she first started. Her deep commitment to supporting and nurturing creative talent is evident in her ongoing advocacy for both her roster of illustrators and the broader illustration community.


Founding AMA Board (2020 - 2022)

Kelly Montez (Apostrophe), President
Howard Bernstein (Atrbute), Vice President
Jen Jenkins (Giant Artists), Vice President
Heather Elder (Heather Elder Represents), Treasurer
Vanessa Stevens (VS+Co), Communication Director
Stacy Fischer (Exposure NY), Director at Large
Carol LeFlufy (Eye Forward), Director at Large