SAG-AFTRA has honored President Gabrielle Catereis, Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon and Chief Operating Officer Duncan Crabtree-Ireland with George Heller Memorial Award gold cards.
The award is presented every two years at convention and bestowed based on contributions and years of service to SAG-AFTRA or its predecessor unions. Recipients are selected by a subcommittee comprised of past recipients and National Honors and Tributes Committee members from around the country.
The union announced the awards Saturday. It’s in the third day of a four-day convention at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The convention is closed to the news media.
Carteris was re-elected president in August to remain as top elected officer of the performers union with 13,537 votes, or 44% of ballots cast, compared to 10,682 for Matthew Modine; 5,048 for Jane Austin; 1,096 for Queen Alljahye Searles and 367 for Abraham Justice. She’s best known as the Andrea Zuckerman character from “Beverly Hills 90210.” She also starred in the Fox series “BH90210” as the president of a fictional actors union.
SAG-AFTRA convention delegates narrowly re-elected Damon on Friday to a two-year term as executive vice president of the performers union. Damon has been in the executive position since April, 2016, succeeding Carteris in the slot. Damon was part of the successful efforts to merge the Screen Actors Guild with AFTRA in 2012, which brought in broadcasters and recording artist into what had previously been just an actors union. Damon has credits on “The Guiding Light,” “As the World Turns” and “One Life to Live” in addition to working as a voiceover performer.
Crabtree-Ireland serves as chief operating officer and general counsel of SAG-AFTRA and is responsible for broad operational oversight and organizational accountability. Crabtree-Ireland also oversees the legal aspects of collective bargaining and contract enforcement for all SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreements, as well as SAG-AFTRA’s legal, government affairs, professional representatives, international affairs, governance and diversity operations. He joined the Screen Actors Guild on its staff in 2000.