"Regina Render and Lisa Layer are two long-time DGA executives who have served the membership with excellence and dedication," said DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth. "As Assistant Executive Directors, they now take on additional duties as part of the DGA's senior management team. Regina and Lisa are skilled and capable executives and I know that they will do a great job in their new positions."
Render joined the DGA in 2001 as a Special Assignments Executive focusing on diversity, contracts and immigration issues. In her new role, she will serve as the Guild's chief diversity executive as well as liaison to city and county government.
Before joining the DGA, Render was a Business Representative at the International Cinematographers Guild, where she was in charge of coordinating and supervising membership functions and involved in the negotiations of multiple television contracts. Prior to that, Render was Senior Representative at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, where she represented the AFL-CIO to business, community, labor and government. While there, she managed key organizational and administrative functions and coordinated labor initiatives on public policy issues, multi-union campaigns and political action. Render has a long history of civic engagement, including being appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley to the Neighbor to Neighbor program, which developed and coordinated community response programs and activities after the civil unrest of the 1992 riots.
"Regina's new position will allow her to utilize her many years of previous experience in local government relations while continuing to focus on the Guild's efforts to encourage studios and networks to hire more minorities and women," Roth said.
Layer joined the DGA in 1997, serving as an Administrative Assistant and Field Representative in the Guild's Chicago office while she earned a Master's Degree in labor relations. In 2004, Layer transferred to the Guild's headquarters in Los Angeles as a Field Representative. She was promoted to Special Assignments Executive in 2008.
Working primarily in the areas of independent film and reality television, Layer focuses on organizing, managing agreements and introducing the Guild to the members who work in these genres. As part of these duties, Layer works closely with the Independent Directors Committee and the Reality Television Committee. Layer also represented the Guild at a number of prominent film festivals.
"Lisa has already built a strong rapport with the independent film community which will enable her to continue to reach out to this important demographic," added Roth.
Prior to joining the DGA, Layer worked in New York City as an agent's assistant at ICM. Layer received her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts at NYU.
