SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White Announces Departure

SAG-AFTRA’s longtime National Executive Director David White will step down this spring, after 12 years in the role, the guild announced on Friday.

White, who took his post as the guild’s chief negotiator in 2009, oversaw the 2012 merger of SAG and AFTRA, developed agreements for new media sectors to address digital era work, helped modernize payment and contract systems, and, along with SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, led SAG-AFTRA’s efforts to combat sexual harassment through new protocols, guidelines and rules.

“David has been an invaluable advocate for our members and deserves immense credit for SAG-AFTRA’s success over the past decade,” said Carteris in a statement. “He brought us out of a dark time and into a period of stability and tremendous accomplishment. I know personally that David has been offered numerous opportunities to leave SAG-AFTRA over the years, and I will forever be grateful that he made the decision to stay and see us through the most challenging days of the pandemic.”

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White, who had previously served as general counsel for the guild from 2002-2006, will stay on as a strategic advisor during the transition to new leadership.

“I have loved my time at SAG-AFTRA,” said White in the same announcement. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the union and its membership and to work alongside such an outstanding executive team and staff.”

Also on Friday, SAG-AFTRA announced its National Board held a special meeting during which they gave Carteris the green light to begin talks with longtime Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who’s been GC since 2006 and COO since 2014.

After a due diligence review of Crabtree-Ireland, the National Board will consider a proposed employment agreement at its next meeting.

In his current role, Crabtree-Ireland oversees all legal affairs for the guild and oversees its government affairs & public policy, governance, equity & inclusion, and international affairs, among a long list of other duties. He also serves in leadership positions on multiple SAG-AFTRA boards and is a longtime adjunct professor at USC’s Gould School of Law.