Steven Spielberg, Laura Dern Newly Elected to Academy's Board of Governors

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Director Steven Spielberg and actress Laura Dern were among the new members elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors, the Academy announced Monday.

Also newly elected to the board were Sharen K. Davis, representing costume designers; Roger Ross Williams, representing the Documentary Branch; Laura Karpman, for the Music Branch and Kevin Collier for the Sound Branch.

Each of the Academy's 17 branches have three representatives on the board.

"I'm honored and privileged to welcome the Academy's new board," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. "I thank our members for actively participating and taking another step toward inclusion, one that will bring new ideas and perspectives as we continue to expand our global outreach while leading our community forward."

Re-elected to the board were David Rubin of the Casting Directors Branch; John Bailey of the Cinematographers Branch; Jan Pascale of the Designers Branch; Mark Johnson of the Producers Branch; Nancy Utley of the Public Relations Branch; Jon Bloom of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch; and Robin Swicord for the Writers Branch.

There was a tie between Maryann Brandon and Mark Goldblatt in the Film Editors Branch, so a runoff election will be held next week.

Returning to the board after a hiatus are William Mechanic of the Executives Branch; Leonard Engelman of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch; and Craig Barron of the Visual Effects Branch.

The election results come on the heels of the Academy's announcement last month that it has offered membership to 683 people, with an eye toward bolstering the diversity of its ranks in the wake of the "OscarsSoWhite" debate that arose following the second straight year of all-white nominees in the Oscar acting categories.

— City News Service, photo via WikiCommons