Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521235
58 M PS E . O R G was sporadic, attending a few meetings before dropping out for a while. However, as his career progressed, he found himself drawn back to the organization. Ethel Crutcher, the managing director at the time, played a pivotal role in welcoming Avram back into the fold. Avram's commitment to the MPSE deepened when he joined the Board, eager to contribute his expertise and insights to the sound editing community. Serving as a judge for many, many sound award submissions and participating in discussions about sound technology and industry trends, Avram embraced his role as a Board member. Over the years, Avram's involvement with the MPSE ebbed and flowed. Despite periods of hiatus, he always found his way back to the organization, recognizing the value of staying connected to his peers and staying abreast of developments in the field of sound editing. As Avram transitioned into retirement, he made the decision to step down from his position, allowing a new generation of sound professionals to take on leadership roles within the organization. Beyond his contributions to the film industry, Avram's engagement extended to his local community in Pasadena. Drawing on his organizational skills and desire for civic engagement, he became involved in various Pasadena initiatives related to city planning and neighborhood advocacy, leaving a lasting impact on the community he called home. When Avram retired in 2014, and after working for Adam Schiff in his campaign office for six months, he volunteered to serve the West Pasadena Residents' Association (WPRA), a very active and influential presence in the city. The WPRA Board asked Avram to find and recruit tunnel-boring engineers who could help Pasadena and South Pasadena respond to the Caltrans' (and Metro's) upcoming 710 Tunnel Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (or DEIR). The 710 freeway tunnels would run from West Pasadena through South Pasadena and terminate in El Sereno, adversely affecting every neighborhood along the route. Many residents in the area felt that Caltrans' messaging in favor of building the tunnels was biased, was based on misleading information, and postulated false assumptions. But the public couldn't prove it. City officials didn't know where the truth lived. Consequently, Avram volunteered to find professional consultants as Avram and Tina in the desert near Dubai, November 2023.