The Academy: Steven Spielberg, Laura Dern, Sharen K. Davis Among Board of Governors Selections
[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
THE ACADEMY ELECTS 2016–17 BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Runoff election required for Film Editors Branch
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced its newly elected 2016–17 Board of Governors. A runoff election is required for the Film Editors Branch.
“I’m honored and privileged to welcome the Academy’s new Board,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “I thank our members for actively participating and taking another step toward inclusion, one that will bring new ideas and perspectives as we continue to expand our global outreach while leading our community forward.”
Those elected to the Board for the first time are:
Laura Dern, Actors Branch
Sharen K. Davis, Costume Designers Branch
Steven Spielberg, Directors Branch
Roger Ross Williams, Documentary Branch
Laura Karpman, Music Branch
Kevin Collier, Sound Branch
Incumbent governors reelected to the Board include David Rubin, Casting Directors Branch; John Bailey, Cinematographers Branch; Jan Pascale, Designers Branch; Mark Johnson, Producers Branch; Nancy Utley, Public Relations Branch; Jon Bloom, Short Films and Feature Animation Branch; and Robin Swicord, Writers Branch.
Returning to the Board after a hiatus are governors William M. Mechanic, Executives Branch; Leonard Engelman, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch; and Craig Barron, Visual Effects Branch.
The balloting in the Academy’s Film Editors Branch produced a tie between candidates Maryann Brandon and Mark Goldblatt, necessitating a run-off election. Voting will begin Monday, July 25, and end Thursday, July 28. The Academy last held a runoff election in 2015 for the Writers Branch.
The Board of Governors also includes the three governors-at-large appointed in January by Cheryl Boone Isaacs: Reginald Hudlin, Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Gregory Nava.
The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. The Board of Governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission.
For a full list of Academy governors, click here.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 53rd Annie Awards: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Makes History with Clean Sweep of 10 Wins - February 21, 2026
- 6th Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA) Awards: ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ Take Top Honors - February 21, 2026
- 76th Berlin Film Festival Awards: ‘Yellow Letters’ Wins Golden Bear for Best Film; ‘Queen at Sea’ Nabs Two Among Festival Unrest Over Politics - February 21, 2026
53rd Annie Awards: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Makes History with Clean Sweep of 10 Wins 
6th Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA) Awards: ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ Take Top Honors 
76th Berlin Film Festival Awards: ‘Yellow Letters’ Wins Golden Bear for Best Film; ‘Queen at Sea’ Nabs Two Among Festival Unrest Over Politics 
‘Flies (Moscas)’ Review: To Be a Fly on the Wall is to See All in Fernando Eimbcke’s Quiet Family Drama [B-] Berlinale