Marjo Bernay, a veteran entertainment IATSE activist for over four decades, will be honored with a special Service Award from the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) at its 23rd Annual “Excellence in Production Design Awards. The ADG Service Award is given to exemplary employees or members with a long history of work for the Guild. The black-tie gala, themed “Landscape of the Imagination,” will be held Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. The announcement was made today by ADG president Nelson Coates ADG and awards producer Scott Moses ADG.
Trailblazer, pioneer, groundbreaker, innovator, feminist and labor activist are all labels that could be aptly applied to Bernay, a 40-year veteran from three IATSE Locals. Marjo followed in her father Josef Bernay’s footsteps when she joined IATSE’s Illustrators & Matte Artists (Local 790); Set Designers & Model Makers (Local 847); and later Art Directors Guild (Local 800). She was a leader in the unions as a business agent of Local 790 and Local 847 until they merged with the ADG (Local 800) in 2008. Bernay retired from the Art Directors Guild as manager, awards and events in 2013, and remains active on the ADG Board.
Bernay was a member of numerous organizations promoting the entertainment industry, including the California Film Commission, the Los Angeles Film Development Committee and the L.A. County Film Commission. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans and the first woman from the labor side to chair the Health Plan. In addition, she was VP and a member of the Executive Council of the California State Theatrical Federation and chairman of the Environmental Allocations Committee of the Permanent Charities Committee of the Entertainment Industry. She was a member of the Executive Committee of IATSE District 2 and first chairperson of the District’s Women’s Caucus.
As previously announced, Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns), the Oscar®-nominated and Emmy®-winning filmmaker, producer, theater director and choreographer whose films have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the prestigious ADG Cinematic Imagery Award. British production designer and set decorator Anthony Masters, nominated for an Academy Award® for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Benjamin Carré, best known for his work on The Phantom of the Opera and The Wizard of Oz, will be inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Oscar®-nominated production designer Jeannine Oppewall, sr. illustrator and production designer Ed Verreaux, scenic artist Jim Fiorito and set designer and art director William F. Matthews.
Final online balloting for the Excellence in Production Design Awards starts January 8th and ends January 31, 2019 and winners. ADG Awards are open only to productions when made within the U.S. by producer’s signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
Differences bubble up between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola on diversity programs
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion … could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More