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DGA President Jack Shea Resigns. Guild's National Board Elects Martha Coolidge first Woman President of the DGA
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DGA President Martha Coolidge- click image for larger view |
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Directors Guild of America President Jack Shea announced his resignation at a special meeting of the DGA National Board of Directors on Saturday, March 9, 2002, at the DGA Headquarters in Los Angeles. The Board immediately elected DGA First Vice President Martha Coolidge to succeed Shea, whose resignation took effect on the regularly scheduled National Board meeting the following day, March 10.
"It has been a tradition at the DGA for the President to only serve two terms," Shea said. "At our National Convention last June, I advised the delegates that I would run for a third term, in order to provide continuity of leadership for our upcoming contract negotiations. The delegates agreed that this was best for the Guild, and I was re-elected by acclamation.
"I also informed the delegates at that time that I intended to step down as President following a successful conclusion to our negotiations. Thanks to our outstanding Negotiating Committee, our negotiations were successfully concluded and our contract overwhelmingly ratified by our members. I feel it is now time for me to do what I said I would do."
With the National Board's action, Martha Coolidge became the first woman president of the Guild.
Coolidge has been active in the Guild for nearly two decades, serving as DGA First Vice President since 1995 and Co-chair of the Guild's Creative Rights Committee since 1992. She joined the Guild in 1983 and was elected to the Western Directors Council (1984), an Alternate to the National Board (1989) and to the National Board (1991).
"I am extremely honored to succeed Jack Shea as President of the Directors Guild," Coolidge said. "Jack's guidance has been a huge inspiration to me and, as President, I look forward to continuing the DGA's tradition of strong leadership."
"I'm proud of what I accomplished as DGA President over the past five years," Shea said. "I think that our National Board's selection of Martha Coolidge as our next President is an outstanding choice. In addition to having an outstanding career, Martha has always worked tirelessly for the Guild, and I know her overwhelming passion and unique experiences will continue to provide the DGA with the dynamic leadership and strong vision we have always had."
Coolidge has an extensive background in theatrical films and movies for television. Her features include Valley Girl, Real Genius (winner of the 1986 Grand Prix Award at the Paris Film Festival), Rambling Rose (which received three IFP Independent Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actress, and Academy Award nominations for Laura Dern and Diane Ladd), Lost in Yonkers and Angie. She has been twice nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (2000) and If These Walls Could Talk 2 — "1972" (2001). Coolidge also received the 1992 Crystal Award from Women in Film and is the 1998 recipient of one of the DGA's highest honors — the Robert B. Aldrich Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the Guild and its membership.
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DGA First Vice President Steven Soderbergh- click image for larger view |
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The DGA National Board also elected Steven Soderbergh to replace Coolidge as First Vice President. Soderbergh, who last year received two DGA Award nominations for his films, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, said that despite his active career, he feels it is extremely important for him to become more involved in the inner workings of the Guild.
"You make time for the things that are important to you," Soderbergh said. "I think it's important to give something back to the brethren. I'm really interested in what the Guild does — beyond what it does for me personally. The more I got involved, the more I understood that what the Guild does extends very far into the film and television community at large.
"I think it's also important that the people who are passionate about the Guild and who are holding positions of significant responsibility are people that members may find themselves working with on a film set the next day," he added. "It's important that the Guild leadership is made up of people who are also in the trenches and have a sense of what's important to the members who work."
Director Taylor Hackford (An Officer and a Gentleman, The Devil's Advocate, Proof of Life), who had been serving as an Alternate Board Member, was elected to assume Soderbergh's position on the Board.
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