WGAE’S MONA MANGAN ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO RETIRE

"This has been an enormously exciting and challenging job and one I'm thrilled to have had for so many years," said Mona Mangan. "The challenges the Guild has faced have been interesting, complicated, and difficult at times, but I'm extremely proud of the accomplishments that our Council and staff and I have achieved on behalf of our members. I'm very grateful to the members and staff who have helped make this job so rewarding. I can only hope that my new projects will be as professionally and personally rewarding as my work at the Guild has been."

In response to Mangan's announcement, the WGAE Council has decided to form a search committee to find a new executive director. The members of the committee will be appointed at an upcoming Council meeting, and Mangan will serve as an advisor to the search committee. No timetable has been established for the search's completion, and Mangan will continue to serve as WGAE executive director until her successor has joined the Guild and a transition period has been completed.

"On behalf of our members, I want to thank Mona for loyally serving the WGAE for almost three decades," said Chris Albers, president of the Writers Guild of America, East. "Mona has guided our union through many difficult times and she has provided continuity and endless support for members like myself who hold office. I'm extremely grateful that Mona will help us find a suitable successor and that she will continue to help us through the transition."

Mangan joined the WGAE in 1979 as an assistant executive director. She became associate executive director and then executive director in 1984. As executive director, she served as chief negotiator for several staff news contracts, PBS contracts and took an active role in several MBA (Minimum Basic Agreement) negotiations. During her tenure as executive director, the WGAE grew from 2,500 members to almost 4,000 members today and assets grew from $ 150,000 in unreserved funds to $ 14.7 million. In addition, the WGAE joined the AFL-CIO, became politically active and engaged in lobbying efforts, and organized both in the news and basic cable areas during this period.

Mangan is also a trustee for the Writers Guild Pension and Health Funds, serving on the finance, benefits and administrative committees. She has also served as board member of the AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees and chairperson of its Arts, Entertainment and Media Industries Committee; national governor of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a governor of the New York NATAS chapter; treasurer of an International Affiliation of Writers Guilds; treasurer of the Unions for the Performing Arts (NY), vice president of the Pan-American Federation of Arts, Mass Media and Entertainment Unions, and serves on the U.S. Executive of Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale (the international copyright association).

Prior to joining the WGAE, Mangan was a trial lawyer for U.S. Department of Labor. She also worked in the U.S. Senate and was employed on numerous political campaigns.

The Writers Guild of America, East is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, broadcast, cable, and news media. The WGAE is active in legislative activities on the state, federal and international levels with a special focus on globalization, labor, communications, and copyrights. It also conducts a number of programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to, and on behalf of writers.