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Three Honored with AFTRA Founders Awards A t the final AFTRA National Board meeting on March 24, President Roberta Reardon honored three AFTRA veterans with the president's Founders Award. Broadcast member Belva Davis was honored for her dedication to AFTRA. A past national vice president, national EEO Committee chair, president of the San Francisco Local and recipient of the union's highest honor, the George Heller Memorial Gold Card, Davis will be retiring this year after six decades as a newsperson. Actor and former Mouseketeer Paul Petersen was honored for his work in protecting "the most vulnerable among us: infants and minors in the entertainment industry." Petersen founded the national advocacy group A Minor Consideration in 1990, advocating for the rights of child actors, and served as the chair of AFTRA's national Young Performers Committee. Former SAG-AFTRA Co-National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth was honored for her lifelong dedication to trade unionism and AFTRA, in both the Local and national staff leadership (read about Hedgpeth's departure, page 23). "We stand at this historic point today because of Kim's leadership, her belief in us collectively and her belief in our future," the award reads. "For all this, Kim is a founder of AFTRA because she has exhibited deeply felt union values her entire life." John McGuire Gets Last SAG Card DAVIS HEDGPETH PETERSEN SAG-AFTRA Senior Advisor John McGuire received an honorary membership in Screen Actors Guild and the last SAG card in a ceremony shortly after the merger was approved on March 30. McGuire was bestowed the honor by SAG's Board of Directors for his 43 years of dedication to advancing the cause of actors. Pictured, from left, are McGuire and SAG-AFTRA National Co-President Ken Howard. Third Time's the Charm: THE ROAD TO MERGER cont'd January 16, 2012 – The G1 approved the merger package and sent it to the AFTRA and SAG national boards for approval. January 27, 2012 – SAG's National Board of Directors approved the merger package with 87.1 percent voting in favor. January 28, 2012 – AFTRA's National Board approved the merger package with 94 percent voting in favor. February 27, 2012 – Ballots were mailed to the members. March 30, 2012 – Members vote overwhelmingly to approve merger, creating SAG-AFTRA. 32 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2012 | SAGAFTRA.org check out this video