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Gabrielle Carteris Elected SAG-AFTRA President, Decision Helps Union Make History

By Jonathan Franks
Published on: 14:11 PST, Apr 9, 2016

It’s official – actress Gabrielle Carteris is now the elected president of SAG-AFTRA!

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the union board elected Carteris to serve as the official president of the union on Saturday.

Gabrielle Carteris expressed her excitement and gratitude for the elected position in an official statement.

“I am deeply honored to be chosen by the SAG-AFTRA National Board to serve the union and its members as president. Ken [Howard] 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.”

Gabrielle first stepped into the role of acting president of SAG-AFTRA last month after its former president Ken Howard passed away. According to the report, Carteris will serve as the official SAG-AFTRA President for the remainder of Howard’s term, which ends in August 2017.

However, if she decides to run for reelection at that time, Saturday’s election positions her as the incumbent president.

The fact that the former Beverly Hills 90210 star is now serving as the SAG-AFTRA President is monumental in itself. However, what makes it even better is the ripple effect that her election apparently caused when it came to another key position in the union.

In addition to serving as the acting president for SAG-AFTRA, Carteris was also the executive vice president of the union. Therefore, by being elected as the new president, her recently vacated position of Executive VP was given to Rebecca Damon. This particular shift on the board makes history for the union since it is the first time that the top three officer positions have been filled by women.

In a statement of her own, Rebecca Damon expressed gratitude for Gabrielle Carteris trusting and supporting her with her new assignment. Like Carteris, Damon also paid her respects to the late Ken Howard in her statement as well.

“It’s an honor to serve our members and I’m grateful for Gabrielle’s trust and the support of my colleagues. 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 president, Ken Howard, we will focus on member outreach to maximize the solidarity and bargaining strength of our remarkable union.”

Before she served as the Executive Vice President of SAG-AFTRA, Gabrielle Carteris served as a national vice president for SAG-AFTRA in Los Angeles. Long before the SAG-AFTRA merger in 2012, Carteris served in a number of other delegate, officer, and board positions over the years – including a position with the Group for One Union (G1) committee. That committee in particular was responsible for developing the SAG-AFTRA merger plan.

National Executive Director David White, the top paid staff member of the union, reportedly congratulated Gabrielle Carteris on her newly elected position.

White stated that he knows Gabrielle “understands the needs and aspirations of [their] members” and he is “excited to work with her to continue advancing the goals” of the SAG-AFTRA union.

He also congratulated Rebecca Damon for her election to serve in the same EVP role that Carteris vacated. White referred to Damon as a “deeply experienced and effective leader who will work with President Carteris and the national board to engage and empower members throughout the country.”

Gabrielle Carteris and the union’s board definitely have their work cut out for them. According to the Hollywood Reporter, an upcoming project for the board is preparing for negotiating the union’s TV & theatrical contract. The fact that the contract expires in mid-2017 can potentially speak volumes about Gabrielle Carteris’ overall leadership and success in her presidential role – which will undoubtedly give her a significant advantage if she decides to run for reelection next year.

[Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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