AEA Welcomes New Western Regional Director

Actors' Equity Association ("AEA" or Equity) has announced that Gail E. Gabler will be the union's new western regional director/assistant executive director effective Monday, December 1, 2014.

"Gail is an accomplished and experienced union leader," said Executive Director Mary McColl. "She will be integral to Equity's continued work to bring Los Angeles theater to the forefront and use her organizing and member mobilization skills on behalf of the entire membership in the western region.

As western regional director, Ms. Gabler will oversee the union's operations in 14-states, including collective bargaining, contract administration and staff development. She will supervise a staff of 19. In her capacity as assistant executive director, Ms. Gabler will be part of the executive team, working alongside three other assistant executive directors and the executive director to implement and support the union's long term strategic plan.

Ms. Gabler has more than 20 years of experience in the labor movement. As an organizer, she has led successful campaigns that resulted in more union jobs, and has been at the helm of several member mobilization strategies that increased member participation in key campaigns. Ms. Gabler has also negotiated union contracts, developed bargaining strategies and, through her skills as a coalition-builder, she has initiated labor-management partnerships.

"This is an exciting opportunity to represent Actors' Equity Association's western region," said Ms. Gabler. "I look forward to calling on my labor movement experience in the support and service of Equity's incredibly talented and dedicated membership."

Ms. Gabler joins Actors' Equity Association directly from her most recent position as Director of Staff Development for SEIU Local 721 in Los Angeles where she had also served as Director of Member Leadership and Action. While there, she led staff training and member mobilization programs. Prior to her move to L.A., Gail spent six years at SEIU Arizona, where she directed internal organizing and representation for the first six years of that newly formed local union. She also worked as an organizer for SEIU International, leading campaigns in a number of different industry sectors. Gail has worked as the Policy Team Manager at Ounce of Prevention Fund, a public education and policy project to benefit children in Chicago and was the Organizing Director for Teamsters Local 743 during its trusteeship. In addition to her union work, she served as an organizer for National Organization for Women, ran successful Get-Out-The Vote efforts and was instrumental in the passage of early childhood legislation in Illinois.

Ms. Gabler graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a major in government from Harvard.

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