Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/605448
78 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2015 | SAGAFTRA.org Darius Rucker's album Southern Style and NPR's Code Switch team. The evening's special moment came with the presentation of an unprecedented four George Heller Memorial Award gold cards to members and staff for their dedication to union service. The awards, which are a surprise to the recipients, were given to President Howard, Miami Local member Dave Corey, National Executive Director David White and Associate National Executive Director Mathis Dunn (see page 82). Other highlights of the convention included a conversation with special guest Lynda Obst, a producer known for her work on Interstellar, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Contact, Hope Floats, One Fine Day, Sleepless in Seattle, The Siege, The Fisher King, Adventures in Babysitting and more. She was interviewed by Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz. Obst has also written books about the film industry, including Hello, He Lied and Sleepless in Hollywood. Saturday began with a presentation by White, which provided a dynamic update to convention delegates on the state of the union. White discussed leadership and activism, union operations, upcoming initiatives and future strategic goals, as well as recent industry trends, including the impact of technology on the media industry. "We can become the thought and action leaders of this emerging economy," he said. "By helping to shape the future of our industry, we can build a better future for our union and all Top left, marquee lights celebrate the start of the Gala Under the Stars on Oct. 2 at the Warner Bros. backlot; top right, delegates and guests dance the night away; above, master of ceremonies Kevin Frazier (Entertainment Tonight) addresses the guests at the gala. "Our fight is with our employers. And I will do my best to make sure that is our battle." — Jane Austin, SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer MATT PETIT X3