Members Recognized for Exceptional Union Service

The first day of the 2024 Special Convention on June 22 brought the return of the George Heller Memorial Awards. The awards coincide with each biennial national convention and recognize SAG-AFTRA members and staff for their years of dedicated service to the union and its members. Considered the union’s highest service award, each recipient receives a gold union membership card. In keeping with its tradition of secrecy, the award announcements proved to be a complete surprise for its four honorees: SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Mid-Sized Locals Michele Proude; Vice President, Recording Artists/Singers Janice Pendarvis; and former National Board members Sheila Ivy Traister and Stacey Travis.

PROUDE, who has previously served as New England Local president and participated in several local and national committees, is known for her open and communicative leadership style. Throughout her years of performance and unionism, she has become an invaluable resource of knowledge about the union and its constitution, and is an advocate for performers in smaller markets outside of Los Angeles and New York. First elected as national vice president of mid-sized locals in 2019, Proude is currently serving her third vice presidential term.

Singer, songwriter, voice actor and SAG-AFTRA vice president, recording artists/singers, PENDARVIS’ legacy within the recording industry started with her work alongside noted artists such as Sting, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Peter Tosh and the Rolling Stones. She has made it her mission to improve work opportunities and contract protections for union vocal artists, and she is a tireless advocate for musical talent. In addition to serving her second vice presidential term, Pendarvis works as an associate professor of voice at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

TRAISTER has more than 44 years of cumulative union service. In the past, she has served as a SAG-AFTRA National Board member and president of the Colorado Local. Her work over the years has focused on inclusivity, particularly for Asian American and Pacific Islander performers and performers with disabilities, and she currently serves on five national committees. Outside of her union duties, Traister works as an instructor at the Colorado Film School and can be seen lecturing film students about the benefits of using union talent and union membership.

TRAVIS’ dedication to her fellow members and union spans over 18 years. First elected to the then-SAG Board in 2008, she has brought revolutionary changes to low budget contracts. She has also spearheaded a decade’s work toward combatting industry ageism by supporting the removal of ages and birthdates from the Internet Movie Database. She also devotes her time and energy to ensuring members are educated about contract changes and opportunities, and helps to drive SAG-AFTRA’s legislative agenda in California and Washington, D.C. In their acceptance speeches, each recipient thanked their fellow members for the honor and reflected on how union membership has positively impacted their
careers and personal lives.

Established in 1956, the gold cards were created in memory of noted stage performer George Heller. A co-founder and former national executive secretary of AFRA, the American Federation of Radio Artists, Heller was the driving force behind negotiating and achieving the AFTRA Pension and Health Plan — an entertainment industry first — shortly before his premature death at age 49 in 1955.

The George Heller Award honorees are selected by the SAG-AFTRA National Honors and Tributes Committee. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher provided opening remarks, and Washington-Mid Atlantic Local President and NBC4 Washington Investigative Reporter Tracee Wilkins served as emcee. Among the presenters were previous gold card recipients, including former SAG-AFTRA National Vice President, Actor/Performer William Charlton; former National Board member David Hartley-Margolin; National Board member Bill Mootos; and former Executive Vice President Ned Vaughn.

This item originally featured in the 'SAG-AFTRA' summer 2024 magazine issue.