SMPTE Announce Two Appointments

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has announced the hiring of two new staff members for key leadership positions.
Peter Symes will join the Society as Director of Standards & Engineering at the end of June. Heather Tomko recently joined as Director of Marketing.
Symes has nearly 40 years experience in broadcast television and is currently manager, advanced technology for Grass Valley, Inc. In this role he is the liaison among many groups on a range of technology topics, with emphasis on issues related to industry standards and patents.
Symes began his television career in the planning and installation department of the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he led a group responsible for acquisition and installation of studio cameras and related systems. Subsequently he worked in product management roles in Philips and at Central Dynamics Limited in Montreal.
He moved to the United States in 1983, joining Grass Valley Group as a product manager responsible for products including the 300-series production switcher and the Kaleidoscope digital effects system. During his 23+ years with the company he has represented Grass Valley in a number of organizations including ATSC and SMPTE. He holds several patents and is the joint recipient of an Emmy award for the architecture of a digital picture processor.
Heather Tomko comes to SMPTE with a creative and marketing background, having recently served as Director, Creative Services for the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. During her eight-year tenure at SCTE, she received three promotions for her outstanding service to the Society, increasingly giving her more responsibility in the marketing and communications department. Tomko graduated cum laude from Salisbury University.
(DS/SP)