Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1186820
For Members N E W S , I N F O R M AT I O N A N D B E N E F I T S 14 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2019 | sagaftra.org S AG-AFTRA elected and staff leadership were guests of the China Film Association during the Beijing International Film Festival in April. Participants appeared on industry panels, delivered keynote addresses and shared information with Chinese media and entertainment industry leaders. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, National Executive Director David White and Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Pamela Greenwalt joined producer Richard Gladstein on the trip, which included cultural exchanges with the China-U.S. Television and Film Development Forum, the Chinese Film Financing Summit, Mountaintop Productions and the Beijing Academy of Film. SAG-AFTRA's representatives addressed hosts and international film industry luminaries on topics including U.S. collective bargaining law, the global entertainment and media industry, globalization of film talent, filmmaking, crisis communications, member education and training, and legal and governmental issues. The visit provided a rare chance to meet face to-face with insiders in one of the world's largest entertainment industries. On Aug. 16, members of the China Film Association visited SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles and met with the union's leadership. The visitors learned about the history of the union, organizing strategies and toured SAG-AFTRA headquarters. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris speaks at a panel on the first day of the China-U.S. Television and Film Development Forum. T he union has elected its three top officers. Gabrielle Carteris and Camryn Manheim were chosen in August by SAG-AFTRA's national membership for two-year terms as president and secretary-treasurer respectively, while Rebecca Damon was elected executive vice president by delegates at the national convention in Los Angeles. Ballots for the national offices election were mailed to approximately 145,700 eligible voters on July 29, 2019. Of the total number of ballots, 30,837 were returned, equating to a return of 21.17%. In the election for president, Carteris received 13,537 votes, followed by Matthew Modine with 10,682 votes, Jane Austin with 5,048 votes, Queen Alljahye Searles with 1,096 votes and Abraham Justice with 367 votes. Manheim was elected to the secretary-treasurer position with 16,047 votes. Candidates Jodi Long, Chuck Slavin and Rob Stats received 10,251, 2,204 and 1,790 votes respectively. Said President Carteris, "I'm very grateful to all of the dedicated SAG-AFTRA members who participated in our union's elections. Their support is humbling and I vow to fight every day on their behalf. We will keep building on our commitment to honesty, transparency and a strategic vision that protects our members, strengthens our contracts, and fortifies our union. I look forward to coming together and working with all of the elected leaders from across the nation. Together, we will continue to build on our successes and further establish SAG-AFTRA as the world's premier and most powerful entertainment union." Secretary-Treasurer Manheim said, "I am honored to have been elected as our union's secretary-treasurer and to serve in partnership with Gabrielle Carteris. I'm grateful to all the SAG-AFTRA members who participated in this critical election. I'm eager to take on my new responsibilities and to further protect and strengthen our union. I promise to use my loud voice to GABRIELLE CARTERIS RE-ELECTED SAG-AFTRA PRESIDENT Rebecca Damon Re-Elected EVP, Camryn Manheim Elected Secretary-Treasurer SAG-AFTRA VISITS BEIJING Elections continues on page 110 Carteris Manheim Damon