Chris Keyser Elected President of Writers Guild of America, West

5:23 PM PDT 9/16/2011 by Jay A. Fernandez

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The new board member defeated former president Patric Verrone, who led the guild into the four-month strike of 2007-08.

Chris Keyser has been elected the new president of the Writers Guild of America, West, with 60.2% of the vote. He defeated Patric Verrone, the former president who led the guild into the four-month strike of 2007-08. Keyser succeeds John Wells in the position.

•Labor

Howard Rodman was elected vice president and Carl Gottlieb was elected secretary-treasurer. All officers will serve two-year terms.

“I congratulate Patric on an excellent, positive and constructive campaign," said Keyser. "These past few months have reinforced for me how open and democratic this Guild is and how engaged so many of our members are in the issues that shape our working lives. That passion and involvement is the key to our success and leaves me, even in these difficult times, optimistic about our future.

"I want to thank John Wells, whom I succeed as Guild President, for his years and years of service. I – we – owe him a very great debt of gratitude. Now I look forward to making real progress on all those issues – among them enforcement, engagement, organizing, communication and diversity – that have been the focus of this campaign. And I look forward to working with Writers Guild, East, with SAG and AFTRA and the DGA, as well as our other sister unions, to find common solutions to our common challenges."

Billy Ray, David S. Goyer, Dan Wilcox, Linda Burstyn, Carleton Eastlake, Thania St. John, Ian Deitchman and Alfredo Barrios, Jr. were elected to the WGAw board of directors and will serve two-year terms.

A total of 2,102 ballots were cast in the elections.