This is an evolving story. Check back for updates.]

American Philatelist editor Mark Kellner is leaving that post at the end of April, The Virtual Stamp Club has learned. He became AP editor at the beginning of 2019 when Martin Miller left.

Kellner and his family live in Salt Lake City, where he had been working for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper. The New York City native had no comment when asked about leaving APS.

The APS has now posted the job opening here. It also has openings for Director of Expertizing and a staff accountant.

“I think the ultimate struggle was whether he wanted to make the life-change move to Bellefonte,” the central Pennsylvania city where the APS headquarters are, APS executive director Scott English told VSC. “We wish him well.”

[press release]
ATA Seeks New Executive Director

The American Topical Association is recruiting for an executive director, as Vera Felts (below right) is planning to retire after 10 years of service to ATA. Applications are now being accepted.

The position requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, proficiency with computer and database operations and experience in financial management and budgeting. The executive director works with the board and members in a wide range of tasks, including development and implementation of publications, promotions, meetings and stamp shows. The position requires strong organization skills and accurate record-keeping. Member communication is frequent, by mass mailings, email and phone. Experience in the philatelic arena is required. Experience in graphic design and website management is a plus.

Training will be provided. The ATA office will be relocated to the successful applicant’s city, i.e. the person who is hired will not be required to move. Interested applicants may contact Dawn Hamman, ATA first vice president, for more information and to send resumes: dawnthephilatelist@gmail.com

[press release]
AFDCS Offers New Edition of Moon Landing FDC Catalog
Expanded Edition of the Moon Landing cachet catalog has landed.

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the historic event, the newly-revised edition of the first day cover catalog for Sc. C76 Moon Landing has 160 more items than the previous (2016) edition, thanks to the work of David S. Zubatsky and Bill Pry.

Published by the American First Day Cover Society, it may be downloaded from the Marketplace section of the AFDCS website, www.afdcs.org/mooncatalogs.html, for $30 for members or $35 for non-members. Printed copies (unbounded) are $37 and $42, respectively, and may be ordered online or from AFDCS Sales, Post Office Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0044.

The original 1975 edition, by Monte Eiserman and Harry L. Anderson, contained black-and-white illustrations of 205 FDCs, history of the designing and production of the stamp, the first day activities, plate number information, postmarks, and descriptions of the three first day ceremonies.

Now, nearly all the 1,372 illustrations are in color. The catalog includes a section, “Paul Calle: Putting His Stamp On The Moon,” about the artist who designed the stamp.

“The 1969 First Man on the Moon stamp is the most iconic space related stamp ever issued,” says stamp designer Chris Calle, Paul’s son. “As a collector of the C76 issue this is a most welcome catalogue for space collectors worldwide.”

The American First Day Cover Society is the world’s largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to the collecting of FDCs. Each issue of First Days is published in full color and includes articles, columns, and the best collection of FDC advertisements anywhere.

For more information on the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, write to the AFDCS, P.O. Box 16277 Tucson, Arizona 85732-6277, or e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org.

[press release]
Michael J. Ley has been elected president of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE). He served as the group’s secretary for four years before assuming the presidency. Ley is an accomplished exhibitor who has won single frame grand awards with three different exhibits, and six multi-frame grands with two exhibits. He is an APS accredited chief judge.

Other newly elected officers are Kathryn J. Johnson, vice president; and Kenneth R. Nilsestuen, secretary. Anthony F. Dewey was elected a director. Returning officers are Ralph DeBoard, re-elected treasurer; and Mark Schwartz, elected to another term as director. Directors Larry Fillion and Bill Schultz continue in unexpired terms.

The AAPE, founded in 1986, seeks to share and discuss ideas and techniques to help exhibitors at all levels of experience. Its website (www.aape.org) includes articles about exhibiting and exhibits that have been done by members

AFDCS Elects Four To Its Board

Members of the American First Day Cover Society, the largest not-for-profit organization in the world specifically for FDC collectors, have elected four people to its Board of Directors for three-year terms that began Jan. 1, 2019.

Here are the vote totals:

Cynthia Scott 123;
Ralph Nafziger 114;
Doug Kelsey 110;
Lorraine Bailey 101;
Jim Tatum, Jr 69; and
James Hogg 51.

Scott, Nafziger, Kelsey and Bailey were elected to the Board. Nafziger, Kelsey and Bailey are incumbents. Scott has served on the Board before.

There were 155 ballots submitted, of which 152 were valid. There were also write-in votes for D.A. Lux, Eric Wile and Mark Thompson (who is already on the Board).

Scott is a past Americover show chair. Nafziger is currently Recording Secretary, while Kelsey is Executive Secretary. Bailey is a past AFDCS Sales chair.

Board chairman Mark Goodson thanked Elections Committee chair Otto Thamasett and committee members Neal Parr and Foster Miller, all members of the Robert C. Graebner Chapter of the AFDCS, for their work in counting the ballots in this year’s election, and the Nominating Committee chaired by D.A. Lux for recruiting the candidates.

He also thanked retiring Director Allison Cusick for his many years of service on the AFDCS Board. Cusick, by the way, will now chair the Distinguished Service Award committee, a post which may only be held by a past DSA winner.

Four seats on the AFDCS Board of Directors are elected each year for three-year terms, beginning Jan. 1. In addition to the 12 elected directors, the president, the editor of the official journal First Days, and the general counsel serve on the board ex officio, if not elected to the board in their own right.

The current board, plus directors who will be seated on Jan. 1, will now vote for the elected officers (president, executive vice president, first vice president, recording secretary, treasurer) and a chairman of the board, to serve one-year terms.

AFDCS directors are not compensated nor reimbursed for their travel expenses. The board meets annually at Americover, the society’s annual show and convention, which in 2019 will be held July 26-28 in Saint Louis, and conducts business via other means throughout the year.

For more information on the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org or write to the AFDCS, P.O. Box 16277 Tucson, Arizona 85732-6277, or via e-mail at afdcs@afdcs.org.

[press release]

The fascinating story of the first permanent English colony in America in 1607, and the stamps for an exposition to mark its tercentenary, was told by Roger S. Brody RDP FRPSL to the members of The Royal Philatelic Society London on 17 January.

Roger’s in-depth presentation, accompanied by superb material on display, told how the Jamestown settlement in Virginia, named after King James I, was built in 1607, and would shape the nation’s government, language, customs and beliefs for the future.

The idea of stamps for an exposition to mark the 300th anniversary was initially dismissed by the Postmaster General, until President Roosevelt expressed his approval. Three stamps were issued, 1c, 2c and 5c. Sadly, while millions were expected to attend, the exposition was not a success, resulting in very few covers posted on the opening day.

Gerald Bodily FRPSL, giving the vote of thanks, drew attention to the drawings of the 1c and 5c designs, essays, and the only known forgery of the 1c, discovered in California in 1950.

Those wishing to visit The Royal Philatelic Society London at 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY, or be a guest at one of its meetings, are asked to contact the Administrative Office (020 7486 1044).

In the photo above, Roger Brody RDP FRPSL (left) receives The Royal Philatelic Society London 150th anniversary medal from Patrick Maselis RDP FRPSL, the Society’s President.

Nominations are now underway for the 2019 American Philatelic Society elections. Each candidate who wishes to run must obtain 10 nominations, either from an APS chapter (often a local club) or a nominating form signed by 10 members.

The ballot is included each election in the May issue of the official journal American Philatelist. Those elected take office at the General Membership meeting during APS StampShow. This year, that will be held on August 3rd.

Those seeking office at this time are:

President
Robert Zeigler, Indianapolis, IN*

Board of Vice President (running as a team of 3)
Cheryl Ganz, Winfield, IL*
Patricia (Trish) Kaufmann, Lincoln, DE*
Jeff Shapiro, Fayville, MA*

Secretary
Stephen Schumann, Hayward, CA

Treasurer
Bruce Marsden, Short Hills, NJ

Directors-at-Large (4 will be chosen)

• Michael Bloom, Portland, OR
• Rich Drews, Palatine, IL
• Peter McCann, University Park, FL
• Mark Schwartz, Philadelphia, PA

All of these people are currently serving in these positions; there is one candidate for every open seat on the Board. Those with an * after their names have already obtain sufficient nominations to confirm their candidacies, as of the date of this posting (January 23, 2019).

In addition, APS members elect two of the Trustees on the American Philatelic Research Library board. This year’s candidates are:

• Greg Galletti, Mount Airy, MD
• Melanie Rogers, Chicago, IL*

Again there are two candidates at this time for two open seats. Neither is an incumbent, and I don’t believe either has served on the APRL board in the past.

As Chapter #1461, The Virtual Stamp Club is entitled to submit nominations. We are presently working out how that might be possible for a chapter that rarely meets physically.

Less than four months after American Philatelic Society executive director named Martin Miller as part of his “senior leadership team,” responsible for all “content” (editorial matters) at the USA’s largest stamp collecting organization, Miller has decided to leave, and a replacement has been named. The APS press release, with a correction to the number of years Kellner has been an APS member: It will be 47 years on January 1, 2019:

APS Welcomes New Leadership in Content Management

Today the American Philatelic Society named Mark A. Kellner as Chief Content Officer replacing Martin Miller. Miller, who joined the APS staff in October 2017, will be taking a new position closer to his home in South Carolina.

Kellner, who recently became a Life Member of the APS, first joined the Society in 1972 and his collecting interests include United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel. After attending Boston University’s College of Communications, Kellner began a journalism career including philatelic and non-philatelic newspapers.

Mark was an enterprise reporter for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, and a 24-year contributor and columnist to The Washington Times. He also wrote a tech column on handheld computing for the Los Angeles Times, and earlier was a reporter at the Times Leader in Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania.

“Mark’s career as a journalist, editor, and author remind us how diverse and talented the APS membership can be,” said APS Executive Director Scott English. “With the experience that Mark brings to the team, we will be able to bring exciting content to the APS membership both in print and online.”

Kellner’s career included serving as Editor-in-Chief for PC Portables, News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, editor of the Adventist News Network, and News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines. He has also authored three books, including WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

“It’s the privilege of a lifetime to serve the American Philatelic Society and its members,” Mark said. “I look forward to developing and enhancing content for the website and keeping The American Philatelist and Philatelic Literature Review at the top of the field.”

Kellner will join the APS staff on January 7, 2019.

About Mark
A Life Member of the American Philatelic Society who first joined nearly 47 years ago, Mark A. Kellner has collected stamps for many years. His interests include stamps from the United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel.

Mark began his journalism career by contributing a stamp column to the Queens Tribune in New York City, owned by another collector, Gary Ackerman, who later served 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also wrote for Linn’s Stamp News and spent several years as Stamp Collector’s Washington, D.C., correspondent. During that time, he was the first to report plans by then-Postmaster General Anthony M. Frank to release a commemorative honoring Elvis Presley, which was released in January 1993.

Along with his philatelic writing, Mark’s been a newspaper reporter and columnist in New York City; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City, Utah. His most notable connections were with The Washington Times, where he was a contributor for 24 years, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, where he was an enterprise reporter.

Mark also served as Editor-in-Chief of PC Portables magazine, as well as News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, and as a staff writer for Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News, and Unix Today. He’s the author of WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

For 11 years, Mark served at the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, first as editor of the movement’s Adventist News Network news service and then as News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines.

The Kellners currently reside in Salt Lake City, along with Jacques Kellner, Mark’s father, who introduced Mark to stamp collecting, a lifelong pursuit for both men.

“We do expect to move,” the New York City native tells The Virtual Stamp Club. His immediate predecessor, Martin Miller, spent one week a month working from home in South Carolina. Miller’s predecessor, Jay Bigalke, spent three weeks a month working from home and one in Bellefonte. Executive director Scott English has expressed a preference for someone working in-house full-time.