Officers

 

Local 871 elections occur every three years. The current Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, and Delegates began their term in January 2022.

Board of Directors

Contact: BOD871@ialocal871.org
See Bios below

Executive Officers


President Marisa Shipley
Vice President Amy Hartman
Secretary Katie Sponseller
Treasurer Aaron Albucher
Sergeant at Arms      Suzan D. Lowitz

 

Directors


Emily Ruth Carter
Emma Danoff
Carol Kiefer
Will Landman
Kelly Larson
Tim McDaniel
Holly McGreevy
Nick Patapoff III
Jim Revis
Scott Root
Amy Thurlow
Jamie Tunkel
Charlene Walters

Board of Trustees

Contact:  BOT871@ialocal871.org

Olga Lexell Script Coordinator
Marilyn Penn-Lindley Production Accountant
Jeremy Powell Script Coordinator 
Dee Schuka Asst. Production Accountant
Michele Tedlis Sorbo Script Supervisor

 

Delegates

Contact: delegates871@ialocal871.org

Patric Abaravich         Business Representative
Aaron Albucher          Asst Production Acct
Alexandria Beaudry   Asst Production Acct
Doug Boney               Production Office Coordinator
Emma Danoff             Script Supervisor
Alex Eldridge              Writers' Assistant
Debbie Ezer               Script Coordinator
Andrea A. Friedland   Production Office Coordinator
Suzan Lowitz              Script Supervisor
Alexandra Hartman    Script Coordinator
Amy Hartman             Writers' Assistant
Crystal Hopkins          Art Department Coordinator
Carol Kiefer                Art Department Coordinator
Will Landman             Writers' Assistant
Kelly Larson               Writers' Assistant
Olga Lexell                 Writers' Assistant
Sue Palmer                Script Coordinator
Nick Patapoff III          Production Office Coordinator
Marilyn Penn-Lindley Production Accountant
Jeremy Powell           Writers' Assistant
Jim Revis                   Production Office Coordinator
Scott Root                  Production Office Coordinator
Mel Ray Sandvik        Asst Production Acct
Holly McGreevy Scott Production Accountant
Rhianna Shaheen      Asst. Production Coordinator
Marisa Shipley           Art Department Coordinator
Michele Tedlis Sorbo Script Supervisor
Amy Thurlow              Script Coordinator
Jamie Tunkel             Script Coordinator
Charlene Walters       Teleprompter Operator

 

LA County Federation of Labor Delegates 

Contact: lafed.delegates@ialocal871.org

Isabelle Carasso
Andrea A. Friedland
Crystal Hopkins
Olga Lexell
Suzan Lowitz
Lesli Lytle
Marisa Shipley
Jim Revis
Patric Abaravich

Board of Directors - Bios

Executive Officers

I am an Art Department Coordinator and a member of 871 for the past 6 years. In that time I have served on the Young Workers Committee, the ad-hoc ADC PR Committee, chaired the #ReelEquity campaign, and in my last term as Vice President also served as chair of the Bylaws Committee and member of the Negotiations Committee. During my term, some of my goals are to increase member involvement and continue to push for pay equity for all members.

I come to Los Angeles by way of Colorado, Montana, and Singapore, but have spent most of the last decade working as support staff for television writer’s rooms. I joined Local 871 in 2018 when writer’s assistants and script coordinators organized, and have been blown away by the tangible improvements in my work life since being union-represented, particularly the access to consistent health care and rate improvements through the street rate initiative and our last round of negotiations. I am driven to pay that change forward through increasing member engagement, building inter-local solidarity, and continuing the fight for the livelihood we all deserve.

 

I am a Production Coordinator and I have been a member of Local 871 for the last four years. The last of which, I served as a member of the Negotiations Committee and I am looking forward to continuing that work to achieve pay equity for our crafts. I was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, earning my bachelor's degree in Radio & Television Production from The University of Akron. I spent several years working with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts in the capacities of Project Management and Business Relations; as well as with Cinemark Theatres in Operations Management. I returned to school at Columbia College Chicago, where I earned my master's degree in Cinema Art + Science, Creative Producing. I have lived in Los Angeles ever since. I am honored to be elected as Secretary for this term and I will work to serve our membership the best that I can.

I was actually born and raised in this business with my dad. Started my career in New York as a coordinator until I moved to L.A in 1979. After joining the local out here, I had moved up to asst prod. acct. I have been a proud member, back when it was 717 and then later became 871. I had proudly for 12 years on the board and delegate back in the '90s into early 2000s. Working on many productions, and seeing a lot of change over the years since 1966. I have served on the Lilly la cava fund for 12 yrs as the treasurer.

 

I came to the film industry by way of being a child performer in my native Los Angeles, and journeyed from there as a theatrical actor, dancer, costumer, lighting and sound technician, prop master, and stage manager. I've been an 871 script supervisor for thirty-one years (after working nonunion for eight years) and am serving my fifth term as Sergeant at Arms. An avid supporter of the Labor Movement, I expressed that passion by walking my first picket line in 1970, and continue to be active in politics. I created the 871 Benefits Committee, serving as chair for the last nine years, and continuing to learn about our intricate pension and health benefits. I dream of the day when every member receives union benefits and is assured of a life of fulfilling work and abundance.

 

Directors

Kelly Larson is from a family of Union workers, starting with her grandfather who was a glass union worker in San Francisco. She came to Los Angeles in 2009 to pursue studies in Film Production and Screenwriting and has never left. She has worked in TV for nine years now, and has worked in writers' rooms as well as shadowed and covered set work for multiple shows under various studios. Her passions are writing, producing, dogs, cats, and any show with Jennifer Garner in it.

She's excited to be a BOD member as well as a Delegate and to work on uniting our crafts while pushing us forward to living wages, unity with other locals and guilds, and communication for old and new members. She also encourages you to reach out to her with pictures of your pets so that she can tell you how perfect they are.

I am a Production Coordinator.

In 2009, the reality show I was Coordinating organized and I joined 871.

I spent the first several years pretty inactive. I finally decided to start going to meetings and get involved where I could. One of the best decisions I could have made.

Serving as a Delegate and now as a Board Member, I am excited to serve our membership.

Thank you for your votes, I am grateful for your confidence in me. I look forward to hearing from you.

I am a graduate of the University of Kansas. All through college, I worked as an intern on multiple sets in the local market, and after college, I left Kansas to pursue a career in the LA market. From college all through current, I have worked on Film and Television sets or in the office in multiple capacities. I have worked consistently in network and cable TV production offices since 2014 (Season 15 of CSI) starting as an office PA, then as a production secretary, APC, Production Coordinator, Production Supervisor, Associate Producer, 2nd Asst Accountant. My tentpole goals for this term are to build external bridges between other locals/representatives/etc & internal solidarity between our crafts, plus assisting in Modernizing / Digitizing as many processes in our local as possible.

I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts where I graduated with a BA in Film Production. I initially focused on becoming a Cinematographer and have on-set experience in the camera, grip, and electric departments in the ultra-low-budget world. Early on in my career, I switched to writing and soon found my home in the television writers’ room as a Writers’ PA, Showrunner’s Assistant, Writers’ Assistant, and Script Coordinator. Shortly after Writers’ Assistants and Script Coordinators unionized, I got involved with 871 because I believe that we have immense power when we organize together for better, safer, and kinder workplaces. I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors and am hopeful that the work we do will make a difference in each and every one of our members’ lives.

I joined Local 871 as a Script Coordinator; my first Script Coordinating job was pre-unionization, and I am greatly appreciative of the benefits joining the union has provided my crafts. During my time in Hollywood, I’ve seen the prevailing attitude amongst my peers shift drastically, resulting in the formation of a community that lifts each other up and believes in our value. As such, I continue my fight for better working conditions and fair pay. I am a member of the 2022 Pay Cable Agreement Negotiations Committee and the 2022 Low Budget Theatrical Agreement Negotiations Committee. I am honored to be serving on the first 871 Board where Script Coordinators and Writers’ Assistants have full voting seats.

I was born and raised in Southern California and started working in the entertainment industry in 2000 for Disney. I then worked in news at CBS Radio’s KFWB 980 before transitioning over into television in 2004. In 2007 I was introduced to teleprompting, and five years later, I came to terms with the idea that teleprompting wasn’t just a stepping-stone, rather an interesting craft that could make a pretty cool career. Because I enjoyed this newly found passion, I decided to join Local 871. I currently work on a variety of tv productions, as well as live events. Due to the pandemic, I have transitioned and now also specialize in teleprompting remotely on all types of live or recorded events and shows. I pride myself in sharing my experience and knowledge with others regarding the interesting niche that is teleprompting, in hopes of helping them navigate smoothly through this industry. I previously represented the local as a Delegate and served on the Board of Directors during the 2016 term. I am very passionate about labor and equality issues and feel very honored to be serving another term on this board, and again given the opportunity to represent my craft as a Delegate.