Writers Guild of America West Announces Candidates for 2015 Officers and Board of Directors Election
LOS ANGELES -- The Writers Guild of America West's Nominating Committees have announced the initial list of candidates for the 2015 WGAW Officers and Board of Directors election.
The Officer candidates are as follows: President – Joan Meyerson, Howard A. Rodman; Vice President – David A. Goodman, Carl Gottlieb; Secretary-Treasurer – Marjorie David, Aaron Mendelsohn.
There are 17 candidates nominated to run for eight open seats on the WGAW's Board of Directors as follows: Andrea Berloff, Cynthia Riddle, Meredith Stiehm, Mara Brock Akil, Carleton Eastlake (inc.), Patric M. Verrone (inc.), Jeff Westbrook, Cole Haddon, Zak Penn, Alfredo Barrios, Jr. (inc.), Karen Harris (inc.), Ari B. Rubin (inc.), Aaron Fullerton, Courtney Ellinger, Luvh Rakhe, Billy Ray (inc.), Dan Wilcox.
*Editors’ note: WGAW internal rules require candidates to be announced in an order determined by lot; (inc.) denotes an incumbent candidate.
In addition to the candidates selected by the Nominating Committees, eligible members may also be nominated by petition. Members seeking nomination for the office of President, Vice President, or Secretary-Treasurer must obtain 50 member signatures in support of their petitions. Members seeking nomination for the Board of Directors must obtain 25 member signatures in support of their petitions. The deadline for submitting signed petitions to the WGAW is Thursday, July 23, 12:00 p.m. (PT). Members may submit online nomination petitions by visiting the members-only section of the WGAW's website at: www.wga.org.
The WGAW will host its annual "Candidates Night" town-hall forum, where Guild members may meet and pose questions to their Officer and BOD candidates, on Wednesday, September 2, at its L.A. headquarters.
Guild members will receive candidate, non-candidate, and rebuttal statements, if any, with their ballots prior to the election. Candidates may mail additional campaign materials at their own expense.
The voting period concludes on Monday, September 21, at 12:00 p.m. (PT). Members may vote online, by mail or in person from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (PT) at the WGAW on Sept. 21. In accordance with labor law, proxy voting is not permitted in Guild elections of officer or Board members. Ballots will be counted on Monday, Sept. 21. Election results announced pending final tally.
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national, and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.