SDC Announces Results Of 2020 Executive Board Election

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional stage directors and choreographers throughout the United States, announced the results of its 2020 Executive Board election at its Annual Membership Meeting on Monday night. In addition, this year's President's Award for Extraordinary Service was given to the SDC Membership At-large in recognition of their strength, vision, and resilience in facing the demands on their lives and livelihoods since the onset of the pandemic.

Michael John Garcés was elected to serve a second term as Executive Board First Vice President and Melia Bensussen, will continue as Secretary. Joseph Haj and Casey Stangl, newly elected officers, will serve as Second Vice President and Third Vice President respectively.

"Between them, Michael John, Melia, Joe, and Casey bring a collective 25 years of Board experience to their service as officers," said SDC Board President Evan Yionoulis. "With the continuity of Michael John and Melia's service and the addition of Joe and Casey as officers, SDC will lead with strength and purpose as we continue to confront the challenges brought on by the pandemic and to advocate for racial equity in the field."

Hope Clarke, Susan Stroman, Maria Torres, and Tamilla Woodard were newly elected to the board to serve as At-large members. Incumbent Board members Desdemona Chiang, Joseph Haj, Anne Kauffman, and John Rando were reelected to three-year terms. Melia Bensussen and Casey Stangl were also reelected as Northeast Regional Representative and Western Regional Representative respectively. Said Yionoulis, "We are pleased to welcome Hope, Susan, Maria, and Tamilla, and we recognize and thank Sheldon Epps, Seret Scott, and Leigh Silverman for their invaluable work as they complete their service on the Executive Board. These three Members have touched every single piece of the DNA of the organization, serving on every committee, fundamentally shaping the Union."

The meeting began with the presentation of the President's Award for Extraordinary Service. This award has been given each year to a Member or small group of Members whose contributions have been deeply meaningful to the Union. Past winners have been recognized for chairing negotiating committees, for taking a public stand on behalf of the Union, and for leading the Board through a particularly difficult year. This year's award was presented to the SDC Membership by Yionoulis.

"In any year, deciding whom to acknowledge for extraordinary service is a challenging task. However, this year, the 25th anniversary of the President's Award, a year when we have, as individual Members and as a Union, faced greater obstacles than ever before in our history, when we are looking ahead to an uncertain future, but when we have seen that when we are united, we empower and protect: ourselves, our Union, and each other, it was clear there could only be one option: To bestow this honor upon the SDC Membership."

SDC Executive Board

President - Evan Yionoulis, Executive Vice President - John Rando, First Vice President - Michael John Garcés, Treasurer - Michael Wilson, Secretary - Melia Bensussen, Second Vice President - Joseph Haj, Third Vice President - Casey Stangl

Members of Board

Saheem Ali, Christopher Ashley, Anne Bogart, Jo Bonney, Mark Brokaw, Rachel Chavkin,
Desdemona Chiang, Hope Clarke, Liz Diamond, Lydia Fort, Leah C. Gardiner, Liza Gennaro, Linda Hartzell, Anne Kauffman, Dan Knechtges, Pam MacKinnon, Kathleen Marshall, D. Lynn Meyers, Lisa Portes, Lonny Price, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Bartlett Sher, Susan Stroman, Seema Sueko, Eric Ting, Maria Torres, Tamilla Woodard

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