Ebs Burnough has been elected to chair the Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees, with Sean Bailey and Gigi Pritzker elected as vice-chairs.
Burnough will replace Pat Mitchell, whose term as chair will expire in October 2021 after being named to the post in 2014. Mitchell and Ebs co-chair the CEO search committee, with Bailey and Pritzker also on the committee. It is responsible for finding the organization’s successor to Keri Putnam, who announced her departure in March of this year.
Currently, Burnough serves as the chair of the Institute’s racial equity and justice task force. He is a former Obama-era White House advisor, serving as the White House deputy social secretary and senior advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama. In addition to his work with Sundance, Ebs currently serves as the managing director of production company Hatch House Media and serves on the boards of both the Steppenwolf Theater and Mrs. Wordsmith, an education and technology company.
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Bailey, who is the president of production at Walt Disney Studios, recently served as the chair of the 2021 Festival Task Force and is the chair of the marketing committee.
Pritzker — the veteran indie producer, and CEO and founder of Madison Wells — chairs the building committee and sits on the racial equity and justice task force.
Robert Redford, the Institute’s president and founder, said Mitchell’s “leadership as Chair came at a critical period of transition and growth, which she helped navigate with a strong, steady hand. We thank Pat for her service and ongoing Trustee support and welcome Ebs to his new role as Board Chair. Ebs is committed not just to culture at large, but the evolving culture of our organization; he has shown a depth of understanding and commitment to the Institute.”
“Redford saw a need 40 years ago to create a space where artists could fail and try again; where new ideas and new voices could be nurtured and supported. That same need continues today, and the original lab programs he created continue year-round, supporting artists from around the world,” said Mitchell, who will continue on as a trustee after Ebs assumes the role of chair.
For his part, Ebs offered: “I could not be more honored to step into this role at this transformative and crucial time in our cultural landscape. I am immensely grateful for Pat’s tireless commitment and Bob’s incredible vision; and I pledge to continue to serve the Institute’s mission, as well as, advocate for conversations and actions across Sundance and the storytelling community at large to ensure all voices are heard.”
