A Message from the Local Conservatory Chair
Dear SAG-AFTRA Washington-Mid Atlantic Brothers and Sisters,
I’ve enjoyed my five-year tenure as conservatory chair and want to thank all the presenters, coordinators, participants, and staff members who supported the conservatory and continue to make it a reality.
I’m very happy to announce that the new chair of the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory Committee is Kathryn Klvana.
Many of you already know Kathryn as a talented, award-winning voiceover and on-camera performer. But you should also know of her behind-the-scenes service to union members, including as delegate to the AFTRA National Convention, member of the SAG-AFTRA Local Executive Board and co-chair of our Freelance Committee. Kathryn is also a longtime member of the Conservatory Committee, and has both coordinated and led conservatory workshops.
Given her extensive background and strong work ethic, Kathryn will bring innovative ideas to the conservatory and we’re all the beneficiaries of her time and talents.
Thank you again and congratulations to Kathryn Klvana!
In solidarity,
Don Hagen
Conservatory Chair, SAG-AFTRA Washington-Mid Atlantic Local
Members Celebrate SAG-AFTRA’s New Logo
From left, local SAG-AFTRA members Jack Jenkins and Rick Kain, Washington-Mid Atlantic Executive Director Pat O’Donnell and member Jimmy Lee West.
On May 1, members of the Washington-Mid Atlantic local joined together for the unveiling of the new SAG-AFTRA logo. In celebration of our new identity, members united over cake, ice cream and a lively webinar/presentation arranged by the national SAG-AFTRA communications and marketing team.
The new SAG-AFTRA logo was developed in partnership with global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale. It depicts a figure standing in a forward-looking pose, reaching skyward. The figure signifies the union’s primary brand attributes: strength, excellence and unity in front of the camera and behind the microphone.
The SAG-AFTRA National Board voted by supermajority to approve and implement the union’s new brand at its April 13 plenary in Los Angeles.
“I think the new logo is terrific and will serve us well,” said SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard. “It captures the humanity we bring to our crafts — whether we are actors, broadcasters or recording artists, we bring excellence to all that we do.”
SAG-AFTRA President Howard Visits D.C.
At left, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard live on SiriusXM Radio being interviewed by Maggie Linton on The Maggie Linton Show on April 25. At right, Howard tours NPR headquarters with National Broadcast Chair and Local Board member Joe Krebs and Local Board member and NPR News anchor Jack Speer.
At left, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard visits the NPR newsroom. From left, NPR newscaster Jamie McIntyre, National Broadcast Chair and Local Board member Joe Krebs, Howard, NPR talk show host Susan Stamberg and Local Board member and NPR News anchor Jack Speer. At right, Howard at the National Newseum, standing before the Berlin Wall. From left, local Executive Director Pat O’Donnell, Newseum producer/host Frank Bond, Local Board member and WUSA-TV shop steward Bruce Leshan, Speer and Krebs.
Jane Love Celebrates 25 Years with Union
The membership and staff of the SAG-AFTRA Washington Mid-Atlantic Local wish to commend Associate Executive Director Jane Love for 25 years of valued service. The local expresses its gratitude and appreciation for her many years of service, her advice and guidance, her steadfast belief in representing all members of the union in their special craft, her patience in educating members and producers on myriad collective bargaining issues and, above all, her love and advocacy for hundreds of individual performers over a span of two and a half decades.
Jane Love, we salute you!
Pat O'Donnell
Executive Director, Washington-Mid Atlantic Local
ABC7 News Anchor Maureen Bunyan Knighted
On June 13, ABC7 News Anchor and SAG-AFTRA member Maureen Bunyan was knighted and inducted into the Order of Orange-Nassau, a Dutch civic order. The Order of Orange-Nassau is a chivalric honor given to those who deserve recognition for exemplary contributions to society. Bunyan was born in Aruba, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
At the ceremony, Ambassador H.E. Rudolf Bekink read a decree by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. “It is an honor to induct Maureen Bunyan into the Order of Orange-Nassau, one of the highest honors the Dutch government can bestow. Ms. Bunyan’s life exemplifies the highest commitment to helping the people of Aruba and Washington, D.C., and building bridges between the kingdom and the United States,” said Bekink.
“Maureen does so much for so many people here in the D.C. region, it is hard to believe that she has time left over to devote to projects in Aruba,” says ABC7 General Manager Bill Lord. “We’re all very proud that Maureen is part of the ABC7 family and we congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.”
Bunyan is a 44-year veteran of television news who anchors the 6 o’clock weeknight newscasts for ABC7/WJLA-TV.
Maureen Bunyan, left, with Dutch Ambassador H.E. Rudolf Bekink.
She is known as a leader in the newsroom and an advocate for women and minorities in journalism. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and a founder of the International Women’s Media Foundation.
In recognition of her contributions to broadcasting, she has been inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame and honored with numerous professional and community service awards.
The knighting and induction into the Order of Orange-Nassau took place during a private reception at the residence of the Dutch ambassador in Washington, D.C.
SAG-AFTRA congratulates Maureen Bunyan on this remarkable accomplishment!
BSC Meeting Report
By Joe Krebs
Local Board Member/National Broadcast Chair
Dozens of terrific ideas — that was the result of a new approach we took at our National Broadcast Steering Committee meeting in New York on June 7.
For the first time ever, we spent most of the afternoon in breakout sessions to brainstorm about a half dozen topics, all aimed at answering the challenge: What can we do better? What can we — as members, as staff, as locals and as a large national union — do better?
There were four small groups of eight to 10 members. Each group produced energetic discussions and ensured that everyone who wanted to be heard was heard.
After the sessions were completed, we received reports from the groups. Those ideas and suggestions presented were collated and prioritized for action by local BSCs, including our own here in the Washington-Mid Atlantic Local.
In addition, we had reports from SAG-AFTRA Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro, about recent developments and challenges around the country, on the continuing discussion about broadcast initiation fees, new technology and jurisdiction issues, and recent organizing efforts.
We are currently looking at dates and schedules and hope to have our next national BSC meeting sometime in the fall.
The June 7 National Broadcast Steering Committee meeting took place in the SAG-AFTRA New York Local office. At right, National Broadcast Chair and Local Board member Joe Krebs and SAG-AFTRA Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro
Courage Award Named for WUSA 9 Anchor Andrea Roane
On April 15, the National Breast Cancer Foundation handed out its first-ever Andrea Roane Courage Award in honor of WUSA 9 anchor Andrea Roane. The award recognizes more than 20 years of Buddy Check 9 — a WUSA 9 initiative created by Roane that asks women to do a breast self-exam on the ninth of every month, then call their “buddy” to remind her to do the same.
Roane is best known to viewers for her passionate reporting on breast health issues and promoting the importance of early detection in the fight against breast cancer. She has served as a member of the Capital Breast Care Center Community Advisory Council, a sustaining director of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and on the Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center Health Disparities Initiative Community Advisory Board. Roane is an advocate for breast cancer research and a broadcast trailblazer who proudly wears many hats and sits on numerous boards, advisory councils and organizations.
D.C. Labor FilmFest Showcases Workers
The SAG-AFTRA Washington-Mid Atlantic Local thanks all of the members who attended the SAG-AFTRA-sponsored screenings of Kinky Boots and Billy Elliot during the 2014 D.C. Labor FilmFest on June 2 and 16.
Organized and presented by the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, the Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute and the American Film Institute, the 2014 DC Labor FilmFest boasted an array of new films and beloved classics about work and workers, from American offices to the far-flung factories of the global economy.
The Washington-Mid Atlantic Local distributed a total of 145 VIP tickets and raffled off six D.C. LaborFest T-shirts to local members.
“There was excellent turnout from the local at the screening [and an] enthusiastic response from the crowd when we thanked SAG-AFTRA for sponsoring the show,” stated Chris Garlock, director of the DC Labor FilmFest. “Thanks so much for your support again this year!”
Photo: Barbara Pinolini
SAG-AFTRA Sponsors GI Film Festival
SAG-AFTRA was a proud sponsor of the 2014 GI Film Festival. Held in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area from May 19 to 25, the GIFF is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of military service members through film.
The festival presented films from both new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American armed forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty.
In addition to presenting feature, documentary and short film screenings, the GIFF also presented panel discussions, educational forums and special events including a kick-off cocktail party, Hollywood meet-and-greets, and an awards presentation.
From left, SAG-AFTRA Associate Director of Legislative Advocacy Kerri Wood Einertson, SAG-AFTRA N.Y. Local Board member Marc Baron, Co-founder and President of GIFF Brandon Millet, SAG-AFTRA National Board member Susan Snyder, and SAG-AFTRA member and U.S. Army Reserve Col. F. Lee Reynolds
Holliday’s 9th Annual Golf Classic
Johnny Holliday
The ninth annual Johnny Holliday Scholarship Golf Classic was held on June 16 at the Bretton Woods Golf Course in Germantown, Maryland. Holliday, the longtime voice of University of Maryland football and men’s basketball and co-host of Nats Xtra on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, partnered with the Youth Leadership Foundation, which held the first scholarship classic in 2006.
In 2011, Holliday started the Community Champion Award, which is presented annually at his event in recognition of a local community leader “who exemplifies a spirit of service, commitment to the local community and devotion to the betterment of society.” This year, the award went to Leon Harris, lead news anchor for Channel 7/WJLA.
NPR Social Storyteller Moderates Twitter Campaign around Women in Technology
Davar Ardalan, SAG-AFTRA member and senior producer of NPR’s Tell Me More with Michel Martin, oversees the live broadcast and leads social media campaigns for the program. As a social storyteller, she is a driving voice across social media platforms and has proven success engaging diverse communities and influencers.
Ardalan recently concluded moderating an entire month of Twitter chats around #NPRWIT — Women in Technology. Throughout March, women innovators across the globe participated in live-tweets about a day in their lives using #NPRWIT. A master inventor from IBM, a technology executive from American Express and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to South Africa represented some of the women taking part, allowing followers to experience the impact that women are making across the world in the field of technology, science, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The monthlong series was incredibly successful, with approximately 9,000 tweets reaching 16 million people and creating 77 million impressions on Twitter. Many of the women engaged were African-American, Latino and Asian-American influencers in the technology world.
“As a longtime NPR journalist, I found these chats invigorating and inspiring,” explained Ardalan. “There were times when I viewed the interactions as if they were coming from live guests, sitting right there with me in the studio, but would then remember the full scope of what we were doing in 140 characters all over the world. I believe that social media is an open door to freer speech, expanded idea-sharing and inspired innovation, and that it makes me a better and more informed journalist.”
To add to her already impressive list of accolades, Ardalan was recently selected as a 2014 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient — an award granted to American citizens who have distinguished themselves within their ethnic group while exemplifying the values of the American way of life.
“For me this is recognition of my family’s collective history,” explained Ardalan as she told the story of her grandfather’s immigration from Iran to Ellis Island in 1919, and of the discovery of a mountain in central Iran being named after her grandmother, Helen Jeffreys of Weiser, Idaho, a public health nurse who traveled as part of President Truman’s Point Four mission.
Congratulations to Davar Ardalan, from your friends and peers at SAG-AFTRA!
Broadcaster Receives Fifth Award from the White House Correspondents’ Association
SAG-AFTRA member Peter Maer has been a CBS News White House correspondent since September 1998, and is now the proud recipient of yet another Merriman Smith Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage from the White House Correspondents’ Association. Maer, who has been honored with the award on four previous occasions, has received several Murrow Awards for coverage on various national events.
Maer got his big news break during the 1976 election, when he was assigned to cover Jimmy Carter’s presidential transition. On Jan. 20, 1977, Maer was allowed the honor of flying into Washington, D.C., with Carter for his presidential inauguration. “I never thought I’d cover an impeachment. I never thought I’d cover the son of a president, the modern day version of the Adams, and I never thought I’d cover a black president,” said Maer. “And I’m still going strong.”
While many former reporters on the beat complain about burnout, Maer explained during an interview with U.S. News & World Report that what keeps him going is his love of politics, history, the institution and the challenges he’s faced.
Maer received the award at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on May 3 in Washington, D.C.
Congratulations, Peter, from your friends and peers at SAG-AFTRA!
Recording Artists & Singers Rock a Patient’s World
The WMA Local’s Recording Artists & Singers Committee (RASC) enjoyed a congratulatory and entertaining meeting on June 13.
The "RASCals" have forged a productive relationship with Musicians On Call (MOC), including a musical showcase at the Hard Rock Cafe and opportunities to network with various music industry-related organizations.
In honor of MOC’s commitment to bringing comfort in the form of music to the bedsides of hospital patients, the RASCals made a donation to MOC’s Rock a Patient’s World Room Sponsorship Program in the Washington, D.C., area. MOC directors Katy Epley and Michelle Hughes were guest speakers for a meeting and presented a plaque to the RASCals for their ongoing support. Members of the RASCals noted that the uplifting and therapeutic work delivered by Musicians On Call was an honor to support and that MOC has been the RASCals’ most supportive organization in collaborating events.
This donation sheds a positive light on SAG-AFTRA’s commitment to the community and to our members who offer their talents to support this good work. Go RASCals!
SAG-AFTRA members and staff with MOC staff and volunteers.
The Race Card Project Wins Peabody Award
Michele Norris
Among this year’s Peabody Award winners for excellence in electronic media are two SAG-AFTRA members, host Michele Norris and Senior Producer Walter Watson of NPR for The Race Card Project.
Norris began The Race Card Project in 2013 to foster a wider conversation about race among her readers as she invited people to distill their “thoughts, experiences or observations about race into one sentence that only has six words.” The project has since grown into a rich and powerful archive capturing thousands of people from all over the U.S. and the world who have submitted their candid thoughts on race in six-word essays.
“Despite all the talk about America’s consternation or cowardice when it comes to talking about race, I seemed to have found auditorium after auditorium full of people who were more than willing to unburden themselves on this prickly topic,” wrote Norris on The Race Card Project website. “The postcards that were supposed to serve as a conversation starter wound up instead serving as an epilogue.”
The Peabody judges stated that the six-word submissions “became the basis of compelling reports about race, pride, prejudice and identity.”
The George Foster Peabody Awards program, named after businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, recognizes distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, online media, producing organizations and individuals.
Lary Lewman Gets His Star
With sincere admiration and great affection for host and narrator of Consumer Survival Kit and Outdoors Maryland, among many other productions, Maryland Public Television installed a permanent star for Lary Lewman on its Walk of Fame on June 5.
WJLA & WTOP Win Murrows for Coverage of Navy Yard Shootings
Allbritton-owned Channel 7/WJLA and Hubbard all-news channel WTOP, 103.5/103.9/107.7 FM, pick up national Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association for breaking news coverage of the September 2013 Navy Yard shootings. “Breaking news coverage is the No. 1 priority for our news department,” says WJLA General Manager Bill Lord. “Our team is always ready to get to the story first and to stay with the breaking news event until it has been resolved. This is a great honor for all the hardworking and talented professionals who do this work every day, and we are extremely pleased to be recognized once again as a national leader on this field.” Says WTOP Senior News/Sports Director Mike McMearty, “The WTOP newsroom takes pride in its coverage of breaking news. To win a national Edward R. Murrow award in this category is especially gratifying. On-air, online and across all social media platforms, WTOP gave its listeners the important information they needed to know on that awful day in September 2013.
In Memoriam
SAG-AFTRA extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of our recently deceased members:
Dan Scanlan
Longtime member and Washington, D.C.-based news broadcaster Dan Scanlan passed away on May 11 at the age of 74 from heart complications.
Over the years, Scanlan worked for NBC News Radio, AP Radio, Mutual Broadcasting System and WINS-S/New York. He also served as an AFTRA shop steward and local executive board member for many years. Scanlan was retired but continued contributing as an anchor and newswriter for WestwoodOne and NBC News Radio.
Bob Burns
Bob Burns, 77, formerly with the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Voice of America, passed away on June 2 at a nursing home facility in Alexandria, Virginia, where he had been under care during the past year for a number of health issues.
