The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) has elected John Rakich as its new President, succeeding Mike Fantasia, a founding member of the group and President since 2018.
Also elected by the 2021 LMGI Board of Directors as Officers of the Executive Committee are 1st Vice President JJ Levine, 2nd Vice President Alison A. Taylor, Treasurer Ken Haber and Secretary Jen Farris. The LMGI is a global organization of career location professionals in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries.
Rakich made a statement about his new role at LMGI, “I am honored and humbled that the board has trusted me to lead the LMGI and am proud to carry on the incredible work done by our past presidents and board members, all equally responsible for bringing the Guild to where we are today. I look forward to working with this dedicated group of international location professionals to have us grow larger and stronger than before. It is exciting to show the world who and what we are, not only as indispensable creative collaborators but also as proven leaders and trailblazers, especially these days as we recover from the global pandemic.”
Newly elected board members Angus Ledgerwood (UK), Robin Macdonald (Vancouver, Canada), and Scott Trimble (CA) will serve alongside returning members Alison A. Taylor (CA), Ken Haber (CA), Jimmy Ayoub (NY), Edward Mazurek (CA), and Mac Gordon (GA).
Board members continuing with ongoing terms include Ken Brooker (Canada), Dan Connolly (UK), Jen Farris (GA), Eric Klein (NY), JJ Levine (CA), John Rakich (Canada), and Ryan Schaetzle (GA).
Said Election Committee Chair, Edward Mazurek: “With 15 excellent choices for eight open board seats, the 2021 election tallied the second-most votes in LMGI history. This is a testament to our nominees’ professionalism and superb reputations. Congratulations to our elected 2021 Board Members.”
Outgoing LMGI President Fantasia adds, “It’s somewhat bittersweet to step down from a Board that I had the privilege to serve on for well over a decade. I do so with the knowledge that the Guild is poised for even bigger accomplishments under the able guidance of John Rakich and the newly formed Board. I will still be involved in various Guild initiatives involving education, recruitment and retention, and I look forward to continue serving in any way I can.”
John Rakich has been working for over 20 years as a Location Scout and Location Manager with numerous credits spanning feature film and television projects (See, American Gods, Pixels, Hemlock Grove, Shadowhunters). John is also a long-time member of the Directors Guild of Canada in the Ontario District Council, now as board member and their current Locations Caucus Representative. He was also the first member from Toronto to join the LMGI in 2015.
All photos provided by LMGI. Full LMGI Board Member bios and photographs can be found at www.locationmanagers.org.
