Rebecca Rhine has been named the new national executive director of the 7,700-member International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) succeeding Bruce Doering effective December 1, it was announced on Sunday (10/18) by ICG president Steven Poster during the Guild’s national executive board held in Century City, Calif.
As such, Rhine becomes the first woman in a largely male dominated industry to hold that position in the Guild working in film, television and commercials, representing DPs, camera operators, VFX supervisors, still photographers, camera assistant, film loaders, all members of camera crews, and publicists. Doering is retiring from the Guild, after a tenure of 30 years, at the end of December, 2015, and will aid in a smooth transition of duties.
To assume her new ICG position, Rhine departs as executive director of Municipal Executives Association, labor representatives for managers in the city and county of San Francisco, a position she held for eight and a half years. Prior to that she served as Northern Area director of SEIU Local 1000, a union representing more than 95,000 California employees. From January, 2002 to September, 2005, she was assistant national executive director of AFTRA involved with national oversight of public policy and strategic planning. Earlier Rhine served as executive director of AFT University Council (UC-AFT) representing lecturers and librarians on the nine University of California campuses and served for more than 10 years as executive director of an AFTRA/SAG Local in San Francisco. She is a graduate of Golden Gate University.
Working with the national executive board and officers of the Guild, Rhine will take on responsibilities that include negotiating and administering the Guild’s local agreement with the major producers, supervising a full time staff of 50 and working closely with other IATSE Locals and the International to advance the interests of the union.
Said Poster, “Given the complexity and uniqueness of the ICG, our Guild is extremely fortunate to have an executive of Rebecca’s stature take the position that Bruce Doering filled so well for 30 years.”
“I am extremely gratified for the opportunity to join such a creative and distinguished organization and look forward to building on the substantial progress made by the Guild on a wide range of industry issues that impact working men and women,” commented Rhine.
The ICG search process was handled by the national officers in close collaboration with the worldwide executive search firm of Korn Ferry. The recommendation was then approved by the national executive board at their regularly scheduled meeting this weekend.
