Lesli Linka Glatter has been elected to a second term as president of the Directors Guild of America.
The veteran helmer known for her work on “Homeland,” “Mad Men” and numerous other TV series, was re-elected during the DGA’s biennial national convention held Saturday at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles. The guild reported that 164 delegates representing about 19,500 members took part in the convention to authorize a new slate of officers and members of the national board of directors.
“I am honored to once again accept the responsibility of serving as President of the Directors Guild of America,” Glatter said in a statement. “At this critical time for our industry, I am more committed than ever to our Guild’s mission of protecting the creative and economic rights of our members and working collaboratively both internally and externally on the issues affecting us all. As we embark on the next chapter of our Guild, I’m elated to work alongside an incredibly talented, creative and diverse Board, all of whom generously volunteer their time to advocate for their fellow members and do their part in building an industry where everyone can thrive. As a union, our power comes from our unity — and I am thrilled to say we are as strong and united as ever before. Together, we will continue our shared fight — along with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA — for an industry in which we are all fairly valued and celebrated for the work we do.”
Glatter’s re-election comes at a challenging time for the guild and the industry at large given the labor conflict between Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, which are both on strike. In June, the DGA ratified a new three-year contract with Hollywood’s major employers, in sharp contrast to writers and performers. With writers and actors in a work stoppage as both unions push for new contract terms for a new era of TV and film production, the DGA’s willingness to cut a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has spurred resentment among some members of WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Meanwhile, TV and film directors don’t have much to do at the moment despite having a deal. The combination of directors being idle and actors and writers waging war over what those guilds see as existential threats has spurred tension amid the heightened atmosphere of the dual strikes.
DGA members were inclined to support their incumbent leaders. In addition to Glatter, who was first elected in 2021, Laura Belsey was elected National Vice President and Paris Barclay was re-elected Secretary Treasurer.
Also elected were: First Vice-President Todd Holland; Second Vice-President Ron Howard; Third Vice-President Gina M. Prince-Bythewood; Fourth Vice-President Seith Mann; Fifth Vice-President Millicent Shelton; Sixth Vice-President Lily Olszewski; and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Joyce Thomas.
Glatter has served on the DGA’s board since 2003. She’s been a member since 1985. Her many other TV credits include the pilot of “Gilmore Girls” and episodes of “The Morning Show,” “The Newsroom,” “True Blood,” “Ray Donovan,” “The Walking Dead,” “Justified,” “The Leftovers” and “The Good Wife.” Her feature credits include 1995’s “Now and Then” and 1998’s “The Proposition.”