Historic photographer, Charles Gatewood teaching a class
our brochures in foreign languages as well.
We recently had a number of members accepted into the organization from Mexico and
South America. I’d like to think this was due
in part to the Seminarios Educativos that the
APP sponsored a few years back, which laid
the groundwork and foundation and served
as a catalyst for those piercers to form the
LBP. What they have done there can paint a
perfect picture of what can be done in other
countries with the support of the APP.
SD: What was your favorite moment of the
APP confe rence this year?
MH: The conference is always full of great
memories and it’s always hard to pinpoint
any favorite moment! My favorite parts will
always be seeing friends that I don’t get
to see often and meeting new friends that
I’ll be able to have the same sentiments
about years down the road. It was also very
gratifying hearing the excitement from our
membership and non-members alike with
the job our current board is doing with the
organization.
Steve Joyner
(APP Legislative Representative)
Sean Dowdell: What significant changes in
legislation should the industry be aware of
that went into effect in 2014 and 2015?
Steve Joyner: Some of the more significant
changes that occurred in
2014-2015 involved Ohio passing new laws
and regulations to include the ability to buy
pre-sterilized instruments and supplies, as
well as the APP being invited to work on the
American Food and Drug Organization’s
(AFDO) federal committee.
SD: Is there any interesting legislation that is
being put into motion in the upcoming year
of 2016?
SJ: The interesting areas involving any
regulatory affairs leans more towards getting
Health Departments trained in certain states,
scarification getting rules and regulations
in a couple of states, California polishing
their regulations and figuring out the jewelry
standards, and our involvement with the
American Food and Drug Organization
(AFDO) committee. The AFDO is creating
some guidelines for instrumentation and
manufacturing of products used in the piercing and tattooing industries. There is more to
be revealed on that at a later date.
SD: What was your favorite moment at any
conference in the past?
SJ: One of my favorite moments at conference was this year. The twenty-year
timeline panel was for me, not only a great
bit of history, but I could also feel a lot of the
positive energy. I’ve been around the industry
since 1987, the APP since 1995, and a
member since 1997...to hear and walk down
memory lane was emotive. It was an honor to
sit and tell my part of the history among my
colleagues of the past and present.
Jef Saunders
(APP Membership Liaison)
Sean Dowdell: How has the APP changed
over the last ten years? What do you like or
dislike about the changes?
Jef Saunders: What I like about this question
is that it forces me to really look at my attitude about the organization ten years ago,
before I was a member or a participant, and
now, as both an APP Business Member and
a person who serves on the Board of Directors. Ten years ago, I felt like the APP didn’t
want me as a member. What I have realized
since joining is that I was wrong. Very wrong.
8
InkSpiredMagazine.com
Instructors Chrissy Shull, Rob Hill & Courtney Maxwell