2025 VES Oregon Board of Managers Election
OFFICIAL BALLOT
For the March 2025 – February 2026 Term
- Official Voting Deadline: February 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM PST
- Voting is open to Current VES Members with primary addresses within the Oregon Section ONLY
Candidate names are listed in random order. Please vote for ALL the candidates you feel would best serve the Section Board of Managers. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.
Candidate Statements and Bios are listed below the ballot.
Rob Blau
Job Title or Description: CTO, Rhumbix
Candidate Statement:
Hi, I am currently on the Oregon board and am the section treasurer since it started. I am also on the VES awards committee, helping to put together the awards show every year. I enjoy volunteering for the VES, bringing the community together, and helping make our local events a reality.
Neil Taylor
Job Title or Description: Senior Roto Paint Artist at Laika
Candidate Statement:
Thank you for considering me for the opportunity to serve on the Board of Managers for the Oregon Chapter of the VES! As a VFX artist who has worked in Oregon for years, I have also spent the little free time I have creating my own CG animated short film, which I will complete this year and debut at the Manzanita Film Festival (founded by Oregon VES member Justin Graham and his wife Pam). My passion for visual storytelling and dedication to my own personal artistic growth are qualities I bring because I want to inspire my fellow artists to be bold and share their personal work. Fostering a culture where members feel encouraged to create, experiment, and push their artistic boundaries strengthens both our individual voices and our community as a whole. As a board member, my goal is to inspire you to make your art that only you can make, and to share it. I also want to encourage artistic collaboration, and help make our community a place where ideas flourish and our shared knowledge of the craft gets put to use on projects we care about. I would be honored to serve and contribute my enthusiasm, if nothing else. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel Short
Job Title or Description: 2D Supervisor
Candidate Statement:
I am excited to apply for the Social Engagement position on the VES Portland Chapter Management Board. I recognize the importance of fostering strong connections among local VFX artists and would love the opportunity to continue building and maintaining our network through engaging events.
I currently organize Pints + Pixels, a monthly networking event for post-production professionals, creating a valuable space for artists to meet and collaborate. I plan to bring the same enthusiasm to VES by organizing regular social gatherings at local bars and venues, ensuring consistent opportunities for members to connect.
Building on the great work of previous managers, I aim to maintain successful events. With my background in visual effects and passion for community-building, I’d be honored to contribute to the VES Portland Chapter.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to support and strengthen our local VFX community.
Adam Sager
Job Title or Description: VFX Supervisor / Compositor in TV, Film & commercial industries
Candidate Statement:
Hello, hello. I’m Adam. Most of you know me. I began my VFX journey in paint/roto at Laika on Coraline, and now split my time between compositing out of my home office and providing on-set vfx supervision to various feature, tv and commercial productions.
Honestly, I’m not super enthusiastic about adding an additional time-commitment to my life. Amidst the existential crisis we are all experiencing while trying to maintain professional relevance in this AI-driven world, work commitments, the 4 children I still have at home, and trying to put my nose in a book as often as I can (to restore/retain cognitive function), I’m not sure committing myself to monthly VES board meetings is the most rational decision I could make. But…. I know our Oregon chapter is rather small, and the current board has done an amazing job this past year+ to get this chapter up and running, so I want to make sure I’m doing my part to ensure this chapter stays healthy and active.
Spoke to Holly recently about her needing to hand-off the responsibilities of scheduling and managing the screenings at Kennedy School, and figured that might be a helpful way for me to contribute.
I’m probably not selling myself very well here, but salesmanship has never really been my thing. Anyhoo… I’m here to help and support the chapter. Much respect and admiration to you all. I hope 2025 is treating you far kinder than 2024.
Hope to connect with you all soon.
-Adam
Jasmine Carruthers
Job Title or Description: Compositor
Candidate Statement:
To Whom It May Concern,
I’d love to be on the board! After my experience as panel support during this year’s nomination event, I found it super fulfilling. Not only because I got to support the VES but also because I got to spend time with fellow artists that I admire. I loved facilitating the event with others! I’m very proud of my organizational and communication skills, *and* I have experience successfully building communities. It’s something I genuinely enjoy doing. My goals align with the society’s mission, and because of that I believe I’m a perfect fit.
Thank you for your consideration!
Jasmine Carruthers
Anthony Barcelo
Job Title or Description: Freelance VFX and Compositing Supervisor / artist
Founder / Owner / Principle artist at Barcelo Media LLC
Candidate Statement:
I have been in the entertainment industry since 1989. First as a performer onstage and in front of the camera, then on set in production, and then finally post-production editorial and color eventually landing in visual effects primarily focused on compositing and creative supervision. I have had the privilege of working in house for major Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and Sony. I have also had the honor and pleasure of working for companies of all sizes including ILM, Wētā FX, SPI, MPC, Scanline, Pixomondo, Digital Domain among others
I have been a proud member of the VES since November 2008; happily sponsoring many members and volunteering when my work and family life would allow it. Now that my kids are older, I find myself having a little more bandwidth and time to devote to things I care about like my writing, photography and hopefully helping the VES grow in Oregon as a member of the Board of Managers.
Some things I would love for our chapter to explore and try to implement would be:
– greater membership outreach in places like Bend
– sponsored master class or social events in collaboration with local companies like Intel, Autodesk, Wacom, Weiden & Kennedy, CMD, Dark Horse Comics
– reaching out to state and local organizations like Oregon Film, OMPA, Pints & Pixels, and Oregonian Media Group to see what can be done to expand and innovate Oregon’s film and vfx incentives
Thanks for your consideration