By Josh Lederman
WASHINGTON (AP) --Vice President Joe Biden has chosen a top film industry official and former spokeswoman for John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign to be his new communications director, the White House said Monday.
Kate Bedingfield joins the vice president's team just as Biden is seriously considering whether to run for president. But White House officials are subject to strict limitations on engaging in political activity, and Bedingfield's duties are expected to focus on the vice president's official activities, not on preparations for a potential campaign.
Bedingfield returns to the White House from the Motion Picture Association of America, where she was vice president of corporate communications and the top spokeswoman. She previously held senior media roles in the Obama White House and worked for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
"She will be a key adviser to me, a terrific asset to our office, and an important member of the entire White House organization," Biden said in a statement.
While Biden hasn't made a decision about 2016, he has been discussing the possibility with political advisers and reaching out to longtime donors. On Saturday, he returned to Washington from Delaware at the last minute for an unusual meeting with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a rising Democratic star whose endorsement is highly sought.
In the 2008 campaign, Bedingfield's role included defending Edwards against campaign-trail attacks and issuing critiques of his opponents — including, on occasion, then-Sen. Barack Obama.
Her tenure at the MPAA coincided with the growth of online piracy, which has posed major problems for U.S. film studios and prompted MPAA lawsuits. Former Sen. Chris Dodd, the MPAA's chairman, called Bedingfield a "trusted adviser and a strategic thinker."
Bedingfield starts work on Monday, the White House said. The role has been vacant since March.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More