DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth today announced that the Directors Guild of America has established a Political Action Committee to funnel DGA support of candidates for federal office.
"Over its sixty year history, the Directors Guild of America has earned an important place of influence on a variety of meaningful issues impacting all of our members," commented Roth. "The DGA-PAC creates a better conduit for the singular expression of the Guild's voice in future debates."
Founded in 1936 as the Screen Directors Guild by thirteen leading directors of the day, the Directors Guild of America was formed in 1960 by the historic merger of the SDG with the Eastern-based Radio & Television Directors Guild.
"We recognize that the DGA is comprised of ten thousand individuals with diverse opinions covering a broad spectrum of political thought," said DGA President Gene Reynolds. "We are mindful of our obligation to avoid committing the Guild to a political position in contrast to the views of our members. The DGA-PAC will be extremely careful in selecting opportunities to assist candidates who are clearly committed to a position on specific issues that benefit the Guild and its members."
The DGA-PAC will be governed by an Executive Committee reporting to the Guild's National Board consisting of Reynolds, Roth, DGA Secretary Treasurer Sheldon Leonard, DGA National VP Jane Schimel, the Chairpersons of each DGA Council, and three at-large members appointed by Reynolds, including DGA President's Committee Chairman Elliot Silverstein, DGA National Board member Burt Bluestein, and former National VP Tom Donovan.
