![Danny Lin [c/o The Animation Guild]](https://dev.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/The-Animation-Guild_Danny-Lin.png "The Animation Guild_Danny Lin")
The results of the 2025 Animation Guild Officers and Executive Board election have been announced. Four of the six officers ran unopposed: President Danny Lin; Vice President Roger Oda (previous board Trustee); Business Representative Steve Kaplan (incumbent); and Treasurer Paula Spence (previous board Recording Secretary). Two officers won by vote count: Secretary Jeanette Moreno King(previous board President) and Sergeant-at-Arms David DePasquale(previous board Member at Large).
“I could not be more honored or grateful to serve as the incoming President of The Animation Guild, a Union that has evolved so much in the past decade and only continues to grow in both size and power,” says Danny Lin. “But this is a bittersweet moment of celebration for me. So many of our members are out of work and struggling to pay their bills while our employers axe productions, enact sweeping layoffs to boost their stock value, and chase their shiny new toy, Generative AI. In the face of these challenges, we must cultivate hope, community, solidarity, humanity and art. These are beacons of light in dark times, and they are qualities I see reflected in our newly elected Executive Board and in each and every member of The Animation Guild. We will continue to organize, to fight and to win.”
Current President Jeanette Moreno King decided not to seek re-election but will remain on the Executive Board in a new role. “I believe it’s important to keep leadership fresh and welcome new ideas. Danny Lin will bring a valuable perspective as a digital native and a strong communicator, and I’m confident the Guild is in good hands,” says King. “I ran for Secretary because I love this Union and want to continue contributing in a supportive role. While new ideas and strategies are vital to our growth, I also believe our institutional memory helps ground the decisions we make as a board to ensure a strong and successful future.”
The following 11 Guild members were elected to the Executive Board (in alphabetical order):
- Marissa Bernstel
- Rachael Cohen
- Kolja Erman
- Chrissy Fellmeth
- Andy Garner-Flexner
- KC Johnson
- Claire Morrissey
- Roma Murphy
- Dan Pinto
- Mike Rianda
- Candice Stephenson
The following three candidates received the most votes and are therefore appointed as Trustees:
- Marissa Bernstel
- Candice Stephenson
- Rachael Cohen
Officers and Executive Board members will be sworn into office on December 2, 2025, when their three-year term will officially begin.
The ballot count was overseen by the AAA, and the results were certified on November 8, 2025.
The Animation Guild, also known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. The labor union represents more than 5,000 artists, technicians, writers and production workers in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.
