Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/681774
SAGAFTRA.org | Spring 2016 | SAG-AFTRA 31 president, Ken Howard, we will focus on member outreach to maximize the solidarity and bargaining strength of our remarkable union." Carteris was elected to her first term as executive vice president at the inaugural SAG-AFTRA Convention in 2013 and reelected at the convention in 2015. Carteris recently recurred on the primetime series Code Black and previously hosted her own talk show, Gabrielle. She became a household name playing Andrea Zuckerman on Beverly Hills, 90210, which ended up being one of the longest-running one-hour series in television history and has been viewed in more than 100 countries. Carteris previously served Screen Actors Guild from 2008 to 2009 as an alternate National Board member and in 2010 she began a three-year term as a National Board member. Her previous American Federation of Television and Radio Artists service includes two consecutive terms on the AFTRA Los Angeles Local Board and the AFTRA National Board, three terms as AFTRA convention delegate/actor category and, in 2011, she was elected Los Angeles Local president and national 2nd vice president. She was a part of the G1 (Group for One Union) and helped with developing the plan to merge SAG and AFTRA. Prior to her first term as executive vice president at SAG-AFTRA, Carteris also served SAG-AFTRA during the transition year as national vice president, Los Angeles. Damon is a New York actor and voiceover performer and SAG-AFTRA New York Local fourth vice president. She is the chair of the national Government Review Committee and MOVE N.Y. Committee and also serves on the Executive, Finance and Government Affairs and Public Policy committees. Currently serving on the President's Task Force on Education, Outreach and Engagement and as the chair of the Member Outreach Relations and Education Committee, she is a fierce advocate for education and empowerment for performers nationwide. Damon is also a SAG-AFTRA Foundation Board member and is the primary elected liaison for Foundation programming in New York, including creation of the Actors Center at 1900 Broadway and the upcoming screening room and program space at West 54th St. A founding member of the President's Forum for One Union and G1, she co- led the Operations Workgroup as a key architect of the merger while serving as the Screen Actors Guild New York Division vice president. Rebecca Damon with Whoopi Goldberg at an A Call to Arts event in March. I n a historic vote at its April 9 meeting in Los Angeles, the SAG-AFTRA National Board unanimously chose Gabrielle Carteris to be the union's new president. LEFT, ANGELA WEISS; RIGHT, MICHAEL YARISH/CBS PATRICK LEWIS/STARPIX Carteris will serve out the remainder of the term of Ken Howard, who passed away March 23. Under the union's constitution, Executive Vice President Carteris had been serving as acting president until the board met to choose a successor. Howard, who was SAG-AFTRA's first elected president, was re-elected to a two-year term Aug. 20. "I am deeply honored to be chosen by the SAG-AFTRA National Board to serve the union and its members as president," said Carteris. "Ken was a great union leader, friend and mentor. He left big shoes to fill, but with the support of the National Board of Directors and the membership, I am committed to improving the lives of all SAG-AFTRA members." The National Board also elected Rebecca Damon to serve as executive vice president in a historic decision that means for the first time, the top three SAG-AFTRA officers are women. "It's an honor to serve our members and I'm grateful for Gabrielle's trust and the support of my colleagues," said Damon. "As executive vice president, I will continue working to expand SAG-AFTRA's reach and to increase opportunities for members across the country. Following the peerless example of our beloved late Carteris, in her recurring role as nurse Amy Wolowitz on the CBS series Code Black, with co-star Melanie Chandra.