Members of the Writers Guild of America East appointed three vice presidents to oversee the union’s key labor sectors and elected four new members to the board of directors, noting recent changes to the union’s constitution.
In the 2022 union board election, Sarah David was elected district vice president for online media and Kathy McGee was elected district vice president for broadcast, cable and broadcast news (both are already board members), announced WGA East on Thursday. Incumbent Vice President of WGA East, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, will now serve as delegate for the film, television and broadcast industry.
Board members Monica Lee Bellais, Caitlin Fontana, Gina Gionfrido, Tian Jun Gu, AM Homes and Erika Saleh, who will act on behalf of the Guild’s Film, Television and Streaming Sector, were also elected. New members Susan Rinkunas and Jessica Schulberg join the board to represent the online media industry, while Gayle Lee and new members Justin Raphael DiLauro and Elizabeth Godwick were elected to the Broadcast, Cable and Streaming constituency.
The election brings the total number of board members to 20, consisting of 12 members representing film, television and broadcast, five representatives from online media and three representatives from broadcast, cable and news streaming, as well as five directors. Previously, the board consisted of 19 members and three directors.
Election turnout with votes counted by Votenet Solutions was 12.8% among film, television and broadcast members, 10.7% among online media members and 14.8% in broadcast, cable and streaming news. A total of 6,786 members voted.
The 2022 board election implements changes first approved by members in June this year to appoint separate vice presidents for the union’s largest labor sector and allow each labor sector to vote for its own council members. In addition, union members supported the balance of the board so that each labor sector is represented proportionately.
The constitutional changes arose out of an internal debate that came to a head in 2021 due to the guild’s aggressive organizing in the digital media industry in recent years, with some board members and candidates concerned about prioritizing digital media priorities. The union conducted a survey of members and board members who met with an outside facilitator and labor lawyer, and ultimately the constitutional changes were approved by 98% of members who voted in June.
5:46 am Updated to reflect Takeuchi Cullen becoming the sole vice president of film, television and streaming.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
