Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/756468
83 Q4 2016 / CINEMONTAGE 83 Q4 2016 / CINEMONTAGE lexicon and issues of a labor union board during my first year, I witnessed moments when Ron could be abrasive or impatient. It didn't take long, however, to recognize these were facets of some of his many strengths. He had little patience for willful ignorance. He especially bristled if a producer or a member had an agenda against the membership's best interests. A proverbial one-word definition of Ron would be "integrity." It has imbued his years at the Guild and as a trusted advisor to IATSE leaders. It's almost strange that Ron isn't more full of himself. He's appreciated, respected and successful. He has nothing left to prove (off of a motorcycle). Instead, he's never forgotten that he is in service to the membership, whose improved quality of life can be attributed in part to Ron's over three decades of service to the Guild. His retirement is well earned, but he will be missed. David Bruskin Motion Picture Editors Guild Story Analyst Representative, 2001-14 n When Ron became the Guild's Executive Director in 1985, he had done his homework. He had the foresight to realize what the union needed to move on into the future. To begin that long process — a process not unlike editing itself — he knew he needed to form crucial partnerships to make it happen, and intuitively understood that we needed a highly respected member to be our President. When Carol Littleton decided to run for President, she also brought with her a slate of like-minded, forward-thinking people to run for the Board. I was lucky enough to be part of that slate. Our new Board, with Carol and Ron's leadership, was able to lead the Guild away from cronyism and nepotism, and transform it into a vital industry organization. I watched as Carol and Ron, and later Donn and Ron, grew our organization. We became a national guild, and saw the beginning of the end of 35mm film as the medium in which we worked. In 2002, I had the honor of becoming President of our Guild. It was on the heels of tremendous growth for us with the creation of a national post-production local. We were still experiencing some growing pains but we stayed steadfast in our resolve to create the best for our membership. And that required a collaborative approach with Ron — as our leader — and the Board. I was proud to be in the thick of it. As President, I soon realized that I had the added bonus of getting to know Ron as a person and not just as Executive Director. Over my nine-year tenure, we established a great working relationship that included incredibly lively conversations, debates and discussions. But, always, there was mutual respect and fondness for each other. This helped as we tackled the changing structure of the Guild, which included hiring a management consultant who helped us re- organize so that we could better serve our members. We have been lucky to have Ron at our helm. We have all seen first-hand how the Guild grew stronger, both within the IA and for our members. It all happened because of Ron. He knew what our future could be in 1985, when no one else quite saw or understood how much we could change and how far we could go. I, for one, will forever be grateful that we have had Ron in our lives. Lisa Zeno Churgin, ACE Motion Picture Editors Guild President, 2002-10 Sergeant-at-Arms, 1999-2001 Editor Representative, 1994-97 Assistant Editor Representative, 1988-90 n More than 50 years ago and freshly graduated from high school, I started work in the Sound Department at Universal Studios in 1965. In that year, General Motors still had a Chevrolet assembly plant in Van Nuys, Lockheed was still making airplanes in Burbank and Kaiser still had a steel mill in Ontario.