Paris Barclay was elected president of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation at the guild’s National Biennial Convention held at DGA National Headquarters in Los Angeles. Additionally, 147 delegates representing more than 15,000 members of the DGA elected a new slate of officers and members of the National Board of Directors.
Barclay has history of service to the guild, most recently serving four terms on the National Board as first vice president, beginning in 2005 and as third vice president from 1999 to 2005. Barclay joined the guild in 1992 and began his service as a member of the African American Steering Committee in 1993. He joined the Western Directors Council in 1997 as an alternate and was elected a full council member in 1999 and has served on the council for 16 years. In 2007, the guild honored Barclay with the Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award for extraordinary service to the DGA and its membership.
“I am profoundly honored to be elected president of the DGA,” said Barclay to the assembled delegates after the vote. “The DGA has worked for more than three-quarters of a century to advance the creative and economic rights of directors and their teams, and I look forward to continuing this strong tradition of service.”
“There are few members who have served the guild as thoroughly and in as many capacities as Paris Barclay – and all while maintaining an impressive career as one of the most active television directors in the business” said outgoing president Taylor Hackford. “I’m thrilled to see him take his place as the next DGA president, and I know he’ll do a terrific job navigating the DGA through whatever terrain may lie ahead.”
Barclay’s service to the guild has included the chairmanship or participation in numerous committees. He co-chaired the African American Steering Committee from 2000-2002, and has co-chaired the Guild’s Diversity Committee since 2004. Barclay has served on the Single-Camera Creative Rights Negotiating Committee since 1996, and created and coordinated the Single Camera Directors Prep Program in 2001. As current chair of the DGA Political Action Committee, Barclay has helped the DGA maintain an engaged and effective presence in Washington, D.C.
Barclay has also directed over 130 episodes of television, including: Sons of Anarchy, Glee, Smash, House M.D., Cold Case, NCIS: Los Angeles, In Treatment, The Good Wife, CSI, Lost, The Shield, The West Wing, ER and NYPD Blue. In addition to episodic directing, Barclay has been an active director-producer, currently serving in that role in Sons of Anarchy and previously for In Treatment, Cold Case, City of Angels and NYPD Blue.
The following officers were elected to serve alongside Barclay. Vincent Misiano was elected national vice president; Apted, a past-DGA president, was re-elected secretary treasurer.
Also elected were first vice president Betty Thomas; second vice president Gary Donatelli; third vice president Thomas Schlamme; fourth vice president Jace Alexander; fifth vice president Jon Favreau; sixth vice president John LiBretto. and assistant secretary treasurer Scott Berger.
