TV: Hail to the Chief- Actors' Equity Association President Kate Shindle Checks In!

Who better to hear from on Presidents Day 2016, than Actors' Equity Association President, Kate Shindle? Below, watch as she discusses the challenges of her new position (which she took on in May 2015), as well as goals for the future, and more! And now, a word from your President...

Shindle made her Broadway debut in Jekyll & Hyde. Other notable Broadway roles include Sally Bowles in Cabaret (after headlining the national tour), Vivienne in Legally Blonde and The Mad Hatter in Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland. As a producer, Shindle was an associate on the Broadway premiere of the Tony-nominated A Christmas Story: The Musical. She has performed at regional theatres including La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego), The Old Globe (San Diego), Alley Theatre (Houston), Huntington Theatre (Boston), Portland Center Stage (Oregon), Bay Street Theatre (Sag Harbor), Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and special engagements at Carnegie Hall, Birdland Jazz Club and 54 Below, among others. Film credits include Lucky Stiff, Capote and The Stepford Wives. On television, she has appeared in "Law & Order: SVU," "Gossip Girl" and "White Collar."

During her studies at Northwestern University, Shindle earned the title of Miss America 1998, effectively using her position to advocate for HIV prevention and education. She was a panelist and moderator at the World AIDS Conference, has spoken twice at the National Press Club, and was praised for "shattering every ugly stereotype about Miss America." She remains a dedicated AIDS activist and has been a vocal supporter of marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community.

Actors' Equity Association ("Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 Actors and Stage Managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks.