Thomas Schlamme Elected President of Directors Guild

Veteran television director Schlamme succeeds Paris Barclay, who served a pair of two-year terms

Thomas Schlamme Directors Guild
Directors Guild of America

Thomas Schlamme has been elected president of the Directors Guild of America, the second consecutive DGA president to come from the ranks of television rather than film directors.

The election took place in Los Angeles at the DGA convention, which meets every two years and chooses a president as part of its agenda. Schlamme will replace outgoing president Paris Barclay, a television director who served two two-year terms, the traditional length of service for a guild president. (There is, however, no rule prohibiting a president from serving more than that.)

Prior to winning the presidency, Schlamme had served as the Directors Guild’s third vice president. He also chaired the guild’s negotiating committees during its last two contract negotiations.

He is one of the best-known and most respected television directors in the history of the medium, with a track record that includes “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” “Mad About You,” “The Americans” and his Aaron Sorkin collaborations on “Sports Night,” “The West Wing” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”

The job is open to any Directors Guild member who is based in Los Angeles, though presidents are usually elected from the ranks of guild vice presidents.

Also in the election, Betty Thomas retained her position as first vice president, while the second through sixth vice-president positions went to Brooke Kennedy, Jon Favreau, Ron Howard, Lesli Linka Glatter and Laura Belsey.

Vincent Misiano was elected to the national vice president position, while Michael Apted retained his position as secretary-treasurer.

The election came on the heels of the departure of the guild’s longtime national executive director, Jay Roth, who was celebrated in an emotional ceremony at DGA headquarters on Thursday. Russell Hollander succeeded Roth in the position.

The complete election results:

President
Thomas Schlamme

National Vice-President
Vincent Misiano

Secretary-Treasurer
Michael Apted

Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Scott Berger

First Vice-President
Betty Thomas

Second Vice-President
Brooke Kennedy

Third Vice-President
Jon Favreau

Fourth Vice-President
Ron Howard

Fifth Vice-President
Lesli Linka Glatter

Sixth Vice-President
Laura Belsey

Board Members
Zetna Fuentes
Karen Gaviola
Julie Gelfand
Nicole Kassell
Cleve Landsberg
Michael Mann
Kathleen McGill
Christopher Nolan
Kimberly Peirce
Liz Ryan
Steven Spielberg

Alternate Board Members
Jon Avnet
Valerie Faris
Todd Holland
John LiBretto
Seith Mann
Don Mischer
Jonathan Mostow
Matthew Penn
Donald Petrie
Dee Rees
Rosemary Rodriguez
Bethany Rooney
David O. Russell
Oz Scott
Millicent Shelton
Morgan Spurlock
Tim Story

Associate Board Members
Alan B. Curtiss
Louis J. Guerra
Duncan S. Henderson
Dennis W. Mazzocco
Tom McDermott

Second Alternate Board Members
Lee Blaine
Mimi (Marian) Deaton
Courtney Franklin
Bill Miller
Mary Rae Thewlis
Michele “Shelley” Ziegler

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