Are you interested in learning more about the Guild or contributing to member-run efforts? A great way is to join a TAG committee. You can start by simply attending a committee meeting to see if it’s something you’d like to be a part of.
Committees are focused on particular needs within the Union’s larger oversight. Nearly all elected Guild leadership have full-time jobs, and committees can help by diving deeper into specific issues and bringing knowledge and recommendations to the Executive Board. Participating in or leading a committee is a valuable way to grow and learn, plus you will make connections and build leadership skills that may help you in your career!
Along with committees, TAG also has groups, which are less formal gatherings of members with shared goals. Learn more about TAG’s committees and groups below.
COMMITTEES
TAG committees are created by TAG’s president, and all committee members are appointed by the president. Committees are constitutionally organized, made up of members in good standing who work together on shared goals. Learn more here.
Animators Committee
This craft committee is reaching out to as many animators, union and not-yet-union alike, to build and organize a committee infrastructure that helps foster unity and community in their craft. Goals include data collection, defining job classifications, and education to promote the growth of in-house animator jobs. Chairs: Karli Melder & Drew Newman
Color Designers Committee
The Color Designers committee brings recognition and visibility to the craft of Color Design while highlighting and addressing issues of pay equity in their industry. Chairs: Teri Hendrich Cusumano & Jack Cusumano
Constitution Committee
The Constitution Committee examines The Animation Guild’s Constitution and By-Laws cover-to-cover in an effort to ensure TAG’s governing documents are inclusive and intelligent, uphold and support the mission of our organization for the well-being of its members, and are drafted in such a way as to thoughtfully and meticulously position TAG for the future while honoring its past. Chair: KC Johnson
committee-constitution@
Designers Committee
The Designers Committee strives to organize efforts that are of interest or concern to designers by working to inform, educate, track industry trends, and share experiences as they relate to design. They wish to connect the design community and give a platform to share workplace issues and experiences. Ultimately, the Design Committee will serve as a resource and a community to help designers in the animation industry thrive. Chairs: Carl Beu, Steve Eat, & Jessica Marfisi
Education Committee
The Education Committee aims to be a resource for skills training and to help animation educators better prepare future members for surviving the industry. Chair: Pete Michels
committee-education-
Family and Membership (FAM) Committee
The Family and Membership (FAM) Committee is dedicated to outreach, advocacy, and member activism, while also providing a community and resources in support of member and family wellness. Chair: Katya Bowser
Keep up to date on FAM Committee events and initiatives here.
Memorial Committee
The Afternoon of Remembrance is an annual, non-denominational ceremony to honor all the members of our animation community who died the previous year. It is not meant to supplant private family services. Instead, it is a way for our animation community to come together to remember our friends and colleagues. The Memorial Committee plans, organizes, and oversees the event. Chair: Tom Sito & Eugene Salandra
People of Color (POCC) Committee
The People of Color Committee (POCC) aims to support ethnic minority members within The Animation Guild and address the systems of race and class that prevent American animation from being representative and inclusive. Through outreach, activism, and initiatives to engage the Guild and the animation industry at large, the POCC’s aim is to support Black and Indigenous members for the benefit of all members. Chairs: Lauren Andrews, Crystal Kan, & Nicole Chen
Political Action League (PAL) Committee
The Political Action League (PAL) exists to support the IATSE PAC fund. Our mission is to educate our members regarding political activities and legislation that threaten our Union, members, benefits, and the compensation we seek to defend and advance. Chair: Steve Kaplan
Sign up to join the PAL Committee and receive emails.
Click here for more information on the IATSE PAC.
Queer TAG (QT) Committee
The Queer TAG (QT) Committee seeks to assemble the LGBTQIA+ community in the industry and in the Union, spread visibility throughout the industry, foster community, address LGBTQIA+ issues within the general work of TAG, and promote security for our growing community. Chairs: Andy Garner-Flexner & Alex Quintas
Storyboard Committee
The Storyboard Committee’s mission is to facilitate a thriving community of events, resources, sub-committees, and channels of communication for a healthy culture and to best represent the storyboarding craft and its needs in negotiations. Chair: Jake Hollander
Do you want to be a Storyboard Craft rep? Learn more here.
animationstoryboardgroup@gmail.com
TAG Member Engagement (TAG ME) Committee
TAG ME, formerly known as TAG-TAG, stands for TAG Member Engagement. The group’s ultimate goal is to engage a supermajority of TAG members to be strike-ready and empower our Union to enforce a contract post-ratification.
Interested in joining? Fill out the interest form here.
Technical Directors (TD) Committee
The mission of this committee is to move Technical Directors out from the shadows and bring light to the work they do and the value they contribute to animation. Their goal is to form a unified coalition of the many and disparate skill sets operating under the TD classification, and in doing so, foster a greater sense of solidarity and community as they begin working together against the studios’ abuses of their labor. Chairs: Steve Gallant & Emily Abele
Testing Committee
The Testing Committee addresses the issue of excessive and unpaid skills evaluations, more commonly known as “testing.” It hopes to dismantle this industry norm from the inside out by educating ALL of our membership on the role they play in perpetuating the standard of doing enormous amounts of work without compensation. The committee intends to do this through member outreach, with specialized approaches to both subordinates and supervisors, data collection, and the spreading of educational materials to our members and beyond. Chairs: Danny Ducker & Erica Smith
Visit the Testing webpage where you can learn more and submit tests.
Timing Committee
The Timing Committee’s goals are to maintain dialogue among animation Timing Directors, monitor industry working conditions, facilitate networking opportunities, maintain outreach in cooperation with other Union classifications, and heighten awareness and visibility of our invaluable contribution to animation productions. Chairs: Christine Smith Ishimine & Ray Kosarin
Sign up for email notifications or information.
WARP Committee
The Worker Action Readiness Planning (WARP) Committee is focused on giving the Negotiation Committee the backing it needs from the rank-and-file members of the Guild: first, by researching and planning timelines and toolkits for potential action; and second, by building solidarity and engagement within the membership. Chairs: Brandon Jarratt & Kyle Neswald
warp@tag839.org or sign up for email notifications or information here.
Writers Craft (WCC) Committee
The Writers Craft Committee’s goal is to better connect and represent writers in Local 839, meeting regularly to engage this group of members. Chair: Mairghread Scott
Learn more about the craft through the committee’s informative virtual panel series. You can sign up for the committee email list here.
Check out the WCC’s Showrunning Training Series here.
Young Workers Committee
The purpose of the Young Workers Committee is to foster a positive relationship (and stimulate engagement) with our newer (typically younger) members. YWC aims to engage our new members through social events so that they come to develop relationships to and through the Guild, hopefully laying the groundwork for our key long-term goal. Chair: Nora Meek
GROUPS
Groups are less formal than committees and are governed by fewer rules. They are similar to committees in that they are made up of members working together for common goals. Learn more here.
Black Artists Group
The Black Artists Group is an open forum providing a safe space for Black artists to speak openly about issues they are facing inside and outside the industry. Leaders: Jupey Krusho, Kimson Albert, & Lauren Andrews
BlackArtistsGroup839@gmail.
Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodiverse Voices (DDNV) Group
The DDNV Group aims to recognize, uplift, and support Deaf, Disabled, and Neurotypical-identifying members within the community. They strive to bring accessibility, inclusion, and respectful representation within TAG and animated media, while also nurturing a safe environment for members inside and out of the office. Leaders: Bryan Bae & Marie Lum
Experienced Workers Group
The Experienced Workers Group hopes to provide networking opportunities, support, exploration of best practices (in regard to seeking and maintaining employment), commiseration (for members beset by ageism), and mentorship to interested younger workers. Leaders: Brad Rader, Steve Muller, & Llyn Hunter
Workplace Equality Group
All employees have the right to fair/equal treatment at work, and the right to recognition for their work. The goal of the Workplace Equality Group is to combat discrimination, harassment, and hostility toward employees. Leaders: Kathy Bauer, Connie Allen, & Robin Brigstocke