SAG Division Elections Held in Hollywood and New York

Hollywood Board of Directors Re-elects Anne-Marie Johnson 1st Vice President;
New York Board of Directors Elects Mike Hodge 2nd Vice President

Los Angeles (Oct. 7, 2009) - The Screen Actors Guild Hollywood Division Board of Directors and New York Division Board of Directors elected the union’s 1st vice president and 2nd vice president on Monday. The Hollywood Division Board re-elected by acclamation Anne-Marie Johnson to the position of 1st vice president of Screen Actors Guild. The 1st vice president also serves as chair of the Hollywood Division Board. The New York Division Board elected Division President Mike Hodge to the position of 2nd vice president.

1st Vice President Anne-Marie Johnson said, "I am honored to have been re-elected 1st vice president of the Screen Actors Guild and I hope to continue to help lead with honesty, inclusion and determination. We are and will be facing extraordinary challenges and it is my responsibility, as SAG's 1st V.P., to do my best to continue to put the concerns and well being of SAG members first.

"I would again like to thank and express my deepest appreciation to Alan Rosenberg for his tireless dedication and love for this union, and to Connie Stevens for her hard work on behalf of the members. I look forward to serving alongside President Ken Howard, Secretary-Treasurer Amy Aquino and the newly elected and returning SAG board members. For the union’s sake, I hope we find that we have more in common with regard to the future of the Screen Actors Guild than it may appear."

New York Division President and 2nd Vice President Mike Hodge said, "I'm excited and looking forward to a year of very productive volunteering. We're not out of the woods yet, but I think we can make some real progress this year."

Johnson is a 25-year SAG member who has served the Guild on the Hollywood Division and National boards over the course of the last decade. She is an accomplished film and television actor and has starred in several successful television series, including In The Heat of the Night, What’s Happening Now, In Living Color and Melrose Place. Johnson co-starred as Donna Cabonna on The Disney Channel’s hit television series That’s So Raven, and for five seasons she portrayed Congresswoman Bobbie Latham on CBS’ hit military drama JAG.

Johnson appeared for two seasons on the hit UPN comedy Girlfriends as "Sharon Upton Farley." Her feature film credits include L.A. Riots Spectacular, Hollywood Shuffle, Strictly Business, I’m Gonna Git U Sucka, Robotjox, True Identity, Down in the Delta, Pursuit of Happiness and Legacy of A Hit Man.

Johnson has served three prior terms as 1st national vice president and has also served as chair of the SAG National Ethnic Employment Opportunity, Communications and Legislative committees.

Hodge has been on the Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors for nine years. As a national director, he has served as New York Division secretary and vice president. As a member of the New York Division Legislative Committee, he testified before the New York City Council in the successful effort to get city tax incentives and furthered lobbying efforts at the New York State Legislature. (The additional incentives have been significantly responsible for the growth of television and film production in the city and state.) He has also been a part of the Guild Governance, Communications and Negotiations committees. Hodge's acting has included guest-starring roles in television with recurring work on Law and Order and Fringe, as well as film, commercial and stage work, including four Broadway shows.

The Regional Branch Division will elect the 3rd national vice president at its next two-day board meeting October 15 and 16.

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About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation’s largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists’ rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents over 120,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org.

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