SAG-AFTRA Announces Ohio-Pittsburgh Local Executive Director

LOS ANGELES (April 17, 2014) —SAG-AFTRA announced today the appointment of a new Executive Director for its Ohio-Pittsburgh Local, Brian Lysell. Lysell officially assumed the position on Monday, April 15.

Lysell joins SAG-AFTRA with an impressive body of work, having worked for the labor unions that represent hotel employees in New York City - as a grievance officer, business agent, vice-president, and ultimately chief of staff and delegate to the New York City Central Labor Council.  He has represented workers on the shop floor, in mediation and at arbitration, and has logged in hundreds of hours negotiating with employers at the bargaining table.

Ohio-Pittsburgh President Paul Martino said, “We are excited to welcome Brian to the SAG-AFTRA family and look forward to the growth and guidance that will come from his expertise and leadership.”

The son of a boilermaker and postal worker, Lysell grew up in Pittsburgh and received two bachelor’s degrees from Pennsylvania State University.  He graduated law school with honors from the University of South Carolina where he received the James Petigru Compleat Lawyer Award – Bronze Medallion. Immediately prior to joining SAG-AFTRA, Lysell worked as an attorney at Callison, Tighe & Robinson, LLC in South Carolina.

About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 165,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.

Follow SAG-AFTRA on Twitter (twitter.com/sagaftra) and Facebook (facebook.com/sagaftra).

###