Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY has announced six executive additions and the promotion of veteran exec Mercedes Cooper ahead of the narrative change collective’s 10th anniversary.
Founded in 2011 by DuVernay, ARRAY is a multi-platform arts and social impact collective, made up of ARRAY Releasing (the film distribution arm), content company ARRAY Filmworks, ARRAY Creative Campus (the hub for programming and production) and the non-profit group ARRAY Alliance.
“Ava and I are thrilled to welcome these dynamic executives to the ARRAY team as we enter our 10th year of mission-driven, narrative change work,” Tilane Jones, president of ARRAY, said in a statement. “And it is a true thrill to elevate our long-time colleague Mercedes Cooper whose dedication and vision is unparalleled.”
A nine-year veteran of the company, Cooper has been promoted to vice president of public programming. Cooper joined the company in 2011, serving as an assistant before going on to head efforts as director of marketing. Most recently, Cooper transitioned to programming, launching the collectives Amanda Cinema, overseeing ARRAY’s year-round programming slate and curating the inaugural edition of ARRAY 360, a six-week program of films and festivities centering on Black artists, women filmmakers and people of color.
Recent hires for ARRAY include Dee Tuck, who joins as the chief technology officer from GitHub/Microsoft, and Allison Biggs, ARRAY’s new chief of staff, joining from One Campaign. Former NBCUniversal exec Sharon Liggins serves as vice president of publicity. The ARRAY Filmworks team also welcomes two new additions, as Montserrat Gomez joins as director of current programming from Quibi and Janaé Désiré comes in as manager of development from CAA.
Pictured: (far left) Cooper; (top row, left to right): Garnes, Biggs, and Tuck; and (bottom row, left to right): Désiré, Liggins, and Gomez.
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