WGAW Announces Candidates for 2016 Board of Directors Election

Contact: Gregg Mitchell (323) 782-4574
The WGAW's Nominating Committee has announced the initial list of candidates for the 2016 WGAW Board of Directors election.

LOS ANGELES -- The Writers Guild of America West’s Nominating Committee has announced the initial list of candidates for the 2016 WGAW Board of Directors election.

There are 14 candidates nominated to run for eight open seats on the WGAW’s Board of Directors as follows: Matthew Weiner, Patric M. Verrone (inc.), Ligiah Villalobos, David Slack, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Ali LeRoi, Courtney Ellinger, Marjorie David (inc.), Glen Mazzara, Dan Wilcox, Zoanne Clack, Jonathan Fernandez (inc.), Chip Johannessen (inc.) and Richard Keith.

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 Committee, eligible members may also be nominated by petition. Members seeking nomination for the Board of Directors must obtain 15 member signatures in support of their petitions. The deadline for submitting signed petitions to the WGAW is Friday, July 22, 12:00 p.m. (PDT). Members may submit online nomination petitions by visiting the members-only section of the Guild’s website: www.wga.org.

The WGAW will host its annual “Candidates Night” forum, where Guild members may meet and pose questions to the candidates, on Wednesday, August 31, at WGAW headquarters in Los Angeles.

Guild members will receive candidate, non-candidate, and rebuttal statements, if any, with their ballots prior to the election. Candidates may distribute additional campaign materials at their own expense. The voting period concludes at 12:00 p.m. (PDT) on Monday, September 19. Members may vote online, by mail, or in person from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (PDT) at the Guild on September 19. In accordance with labor law, proxy voting is not permitted in Board member elections. Ballots will be counted on September 19 and election results announced when the tally is complete.

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.