Ken (White Shawdow) Howard, a moderate, elected Screen Actors Guild president

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-sag25-2009sep25,0,1803812.story

He defeats main rival Anne-Marie Johnson with 44% of the vote while his coalition consolidates its power on the national board, winning a majority of the 22 seats up for grabs on the 69-member board.

By Richard Verrier

September 25, 2009

Ken Howard scored his second big win this week.

Screen Actors Guild members elected the veteran character actor, who on Sunday won an Emmy for his role in HBO's "Grey Gardens," as the group's new president, capping a bitter election campaign that divided Hollywood's largest union.

Howard soundly defeated "In the Heat of the Night" actress Anne-Marie Johnson, SAG's first vice president, who was backed by the faction that swept outgoing president Alan Rosenberg into office four years ago. A coalition led by Howard consolidated its power on the national board, winning a majority of the 22 seats up for grabs on the 69-member board.

That further tilts the balance of power inside the 125,000-member union toward a group of moderate actors endorsed by Tom Hanks and George Clooney who led a revolt against the union's leadership. The group triggered the firing of the union's former union executive director, Doug Allen, and appointed former general counsel David White as interim executive director.

A similar shift at the top recently occurred at the Writers Guild of America, West, where members tapped "Southland" executive producer John Wells over "MASH" writer Elias Davis, who had been strongly supported by former President Patric Verrone. Verrone led the union during last year's three-month strike by screenwriters.

FULL story and photo at link.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Interesting!

I am related to Anne-Marie Johnson by way of marriage.
I didn't know she was running for this. :shrug: