Senior Staff Changes Announced at International Cinematographers Guild

HOLLYWOOD,
Calif., June 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The International Cinematographers
Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) is undergoing major staff changes
in both their Western and Eastern Region offices, it was announced today by
National Executive Director Rebecca Rhine.

Alexander Tonisson, Xiomara Comrie and Heather Pearson Join the ICG Staff

Alexander Tonisson, Xiomara Comrie
and Heather Pearson Join the ICG Staff

Alexander
Tonisson, a 14-year veteran of the labor movement, has been hired as the
Guild’s new Western Region Director. He most recently served as Director of
Field Services to the International Federation of Professional and Technical
Engineers (IFPTE, LOCAL 21) running the day-to-day field staff operations in
all four regional offices, including all representation, legal work, bargaining
and internal/external organizing. Alex is accomplished in program
development, coalition building, labor organizing, campaign planning and
directing, contract negotiations, directing labor communications, managing
union staff and research and legal strategy. “I am very excited about
bringing my skills and experience to work with the Guild’s members and
staff,” Tonisson stated.

Joining
him at Local 600’s Los Angeles office as Assistant Western Region
Director is Xiomara Comrie, until now the Guild’s Lead Business
Representative and acting Western Region Director. She originally joined the
ICG in 2008 as a Business Representative after a 20-year career as a camera
assistant. As the National Diversity Officer of the ICG, Xiomara also works
alongside the diversity and women’s committees to increase awareness and
promote inclusion and access within the membership and the industry. 

Heather
Pearson will become the new in-house Legal Counsel, succeeding the
retiring David Adelstein. Pearson was most recently Senior Counsel at the
Writers Guild of America West. She graduated from UC Davis Law School and was a
captain in the United States Army.

Also
joining the International Cinematographers Guild in their New
York office as an Eastern Region Business Representative is Anna
Nowlan, a second generation of labor and community organizers in her family,
with more than 15 years of experience. She was most recently Lead Organizer for
New Jersey Communities United in Newark, NJ.

Rebecca
Rhine described these and other staffing changes as being “on a scale
we have not experienced before.” She added, “It feels to me as if we
are at a pivotal moment in our development. This presents an opportunity to
move into a higher gear to meet and exceed our members’ expectations.”

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS GUILD (ICG): The International Cinematographers Guild
(IATSE Local 600) represents approximately 9,000 members who work in film,
television and commercials as Directors of Photography, Camera Operators,
Visual Effects Supervisors, Still Photographers, Camera Assistants, Film
Loaders, all members of camera crews and Publicists. The first
cinematographers’ union was established in New York in 1926, followed
by unions in Los Angeles and Chicago, but it wasn’t until 1996
that Local 600 was born as a national guild. ICG’s ongoing activities include
the Emerging Cinematographer Awards and the Publicists Awards Luncheon. The
Guild also publishes the award-winning ICG Magazine.

PRESS CONTACT: Weissman/Markovitz Communications Rick Markovitz  l  216067@email4pr.com   l 818-760-8995   CONNECT WITH THE ICG: Website: icg600.com Facebook: facebook.com/icglocal600  Twitter: twitter.com/ICGLocal600 Instagram: instagram.com/icglocal600