DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth announced the promotion of two executives overseeing the Guild’s Communications Department. Morgan Rumpf has been promoted to Associate Executive Director, Communications and Sahar Moridani has been promoted to Assistant Executive Director, Communications.
“Morgan’s leadership of the Guild’s Communications Department and dedication to the Guild and its members over the past nine years has been exemplary. We are fortunate to benefit from his energy, expertise and ideas and I look forward to watching Morgan continue to excel in his new position,” said Roth. “Sahar has taken leadership of the Guild’s press and public relations to a new level of excellence and her work on behalf of the Guild’s membership for the past four and a half years has been tireless.”
Morgan Rumpf joined the DGA in 2003, serving as Director of Communications and Media Relations until 2007, when he was promoted to Assistant Executive Director, Communications. In his new position as part of the Guild’s executive leadership team, he will continue to oversee all of the Guild’s internal and external communications efforts including the recently re-launched website, the DGA Monthly, the DGA Quarterly, media relations, mailroom and special campaigns such as the Guild’s 75th Anniversary activities last year. He will continue to report directly to the National Executive Director. Rumpf has an extensive background in media, nonprofit management and independent filmmaking. He served for five years as executive director of Outfest: the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Previous to Outfest, Rumpf was lead trainer for the Arts Leadership Initiative, a program for business professionals seeking to become effective board members for nonprofit arts organizations. Immediately prior to joining the DGA, Rumpf served as a consultant to a consortium of six nonprofit independent film organizations exploring the possibility of consolidating fundraising and programming efforts. Rumpf received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA’s School of Theater Film and Television and is an alumnus of the intensive nine-month non-partisan leadership training program in public affairs conducted by Coro Southern California.
Sahar Moridani joined the Guild in 2007 as Director of Media Relations. In her new position, she will continue to serve as the Guild’s primary spokesperson and will be responsible for managing and implementing the Guild’s messaging on issues ranging from collective bargaining to digital theft to entertainment community activities and events. Moridani was previously the director of communications for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and press deputy for the Mayor of Los Angeles. In Washington, D.C., Moridani served as special assistant to the U.S. State Department spokesman, managing the traveling press corps and coordinating international media events for the Secretary of State. Moridani began her government service in 1999 after being selected as a Presidential Management Fellow. She received her master’s degree from the School of International Relations & Pacific Studies at UCSD and her bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from UCLA. She will continue to report directly to Rumpf.
About the DGA
In the 76 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent 14,500 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media. www.dga.org
