Ken Howard, Amy Aquino Continue SAG Roles

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Screen Actors Guild today announced the results of elections for its top two elected positions and National Board.

Ken Howard has been re-elected for a second term as Screen Actors Guild president, and Amy Aquino will continue in her role as secretary-treasurer. Both will serve two-year terms, beginning September 25.

Ballots for the national officers election were mailed to 100,994 paid-up SAG members on August 23, and 23,459 were tabulated today, for a return of 23.23 percent. Howard received 17,492 votes, with David Hillberg getting 3,047 votes, Sharon Rubin receiving 1,681 votes and Asmar Muhammad receiving 855 votes. Aquino ran unopposed and received 20,399 votes.

"There's nothing more important than members exercising their right to vote, and I'm very grateful for their continued support," said Howard. "With so many pro-merger candidates elected again this year, there's no doubt what members want, and I look forward to presenting a comprehensive plan to the SAG and AFTRA national boards in January."

"Two years ago, SAG members definitively set the Guild on the road to merger, and this election confirms they want it more than ever," Aquino said. "I'll continue working to strengthen SAG's operations and finances, and I'm honored to be able to help my fellow performers achieve the crucial goal of creating one union."

A working actor for more than 40 years, Howard has an extensive resume that includes work on television, movies and the stage, including the upcoming Clint Eastwood biopic J. Edgar. An Emmy and Tony Award winner, he helped create and starred in The White Shadow from 1978 - 1982, and has had recurring roles on 30 Rock, Dynasty, Melrose Place and Crossing Jordan. He is the author of the book Act Natural, and serves as the chancellor of the National Kidney Foundation.

Aquino's career in acting spans more than two decades. She has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including Moonstruck, Law & Order, Castle, Monk, ER, CSI and Everybody Loves Raymond just to name a few. She also has an extensive career in theater, and holds a master's degree from the Yale School of Drama.

Screen Actors Guild also announced election results for the National Board of Directors. Approximately one third of the 69 national board seats were open for election this year, representing Screen Actors Guild's Hollywood, New York and Regional Branch divisions.

Screen Actors Guild National Executive Director David White welcomed new members, as well as those who were re-elected.

"I would like to extend my congratulations to President Howard, Secretary-Treasurer Aquino and all of the new and returning members of the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors," he said. "I look forward to working with the officers and board members during such an exciting period in the Guild's life. We have a lot of terrific work ahead of us."

SAG's Hollywood Division elected 12 National Board members; the New York Division elected five National Board members; and seven National Board members were elected from the union's branches in Boston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Houston, Nashville, Nevada and Washington-Baltimore.

National Board members elected from the Hollywood Division: Tony Shalhoub, Ken Howard, Adam Arkin, Amy Aquino, Stephen Collins, D.W. Moffett, Scott Bakula, Ned Vaughn, Mimi Cozzens, Arye Gross, L. Scott Caldwell (three-year terms) and Kate Flannery (one-year term).

The following were elected to serve as National Board alternates and to the Hollywood Division Board of Directors (one-year terms): Valerie Harper, Ellen Crawford, Esai Morales, Stacey Travis, John Carroll Lynch, Lisa Vidal, Christine Lakin, Michael O'Neill, Mandy Steckelberg, Tara Radcliffe, Michelle Allsopp, Bob Bergen, Assaf Cohen, Jon Huertas, Sarayu Rao, Allen Lulu, Woody Schultz, Donal Logue, Patrick Fabian, Iqbal Theba, Bertila Damas and Parvesh Cheena.