Ben Whitehair Elected SAG-AFTRA EVP, Now Second-Ranking Union Officer

Ben Whitehair, a staunch supporter of SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, has been elected executive vice president of the union at its fifth biennial convention. He succeeds Rebecca Damon in the post, which is the union’s second-highest elected position.

Whitehair, whose credits include Better Call Saul and Z Nation, was one of the leaders of the union’s “Unite for Strength” ruling party that helped get Drescher elected president.

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Drescher supporters from Unite for Strength and its USAN and UnionStrong affiliates swept the seven other vice presidential elections, assuring that the ruling party will remain in power for another two years, even though in the national elections last August, members voted for a split ticket, electing Drescher president, and Joely Fisher, a leader of the MembershipFirst opposition party, as national secretary-treasurer.

In today’s VP races, Michelle Hurd was elected to represent Los Angeles; Ezra Knight was elected to represent New York; Michele Proude was reelected to represent the union’s midsize locals; Suzanne Burkhead was reelected to represent its small locals; William Charlton was reelected to represent actors and performers; Bob Butler was reelected to represent broadcasters, and Janice Pendarvis was elected to represent singers and recording artists.

Delegates from the union’s 25 locals in attendance at the virtual convention, which began today, also will hear from AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler and vote on amendments to the SAG-AFTRA Constitution and a slew of resolutions over the weekend.

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