Academy Elects Five First-Timers to Board; 11 Incumbent Governors Re-Elected and One Back After a Hiatus

K.K. Barrett (production design), Patricia Cardoso (directors), Jennifer Fox (producers), Andy Nelson (sound), and Chris Tashima (short films) will become part of the newly formed board, alongside 50 other members.

Following the recent elections held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 17 seats on its 55-person board of governors, the results are now in. Among the newly constituted board, there are five newcomers, one returning member, and 11 continuing incumbents.

The five first-time governors include Patricia Cardoso (directors branch), acclaimed for her work on "Real Women Have Curves" and succeeding Susanne Bier; Jennifer Fox (producers), an Oscar nominee for "Michael Clayton" and a five-time producer of the Academy’s Governors Awards, succeeding Jennifer Todd; K.K. Barrett (production design), known for his work on "Her" and succeeding Tom Duffield; Andy Nelson (sound), a 24-time Oscar nominee and winner for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Les Misérables," succeeding Gary C. Bourgeois; and Chris Tashima (short films), an Oscar winner for "Visas and Virtue," who becomes the first governor of the short films branch.

Furthermore, the previously unified short films and feature animation branch, with three seats on the board, has now been divided into two separate branches. This election cycle saw one incumbent governor, Bonnie Arnold, mandated to take a two-year hiatus from the board due to completing two three-year terms. Therefore, the board did not hold an election to replace her.

Additionally, Susanne Bier, Jennifer Todd, and Tom Duffield, having also completed two three-year terms, were required to take a two-year hiatus. Gary C. Bourgeois, on the other hand, ran for re-election but was unsuccessful.

Returning to the board after a two-year hiatus is former board vice president Lois Burwell (makeup artists/hairstylists), an Oscar winner for "Braveheart," filling the seat previously held by Bill Corso.

The 11 incumbents reelected to the board include Rita Wilson (actors), Kim Taylor-Coleman (casting directors), Paul Cameron (cinematographers), Eduardo Castro (costume designers), Jean Tsien (documentary), Pam Abdy (executives), Terilyn A. Shropshire (film editors), Laura C. Kim (marketing/public relations), Lesley Barber (music), Brooke Breton (visual effects), and Howard A. Rodman (writers).

The incumbents whose seats on the board did not come up for a vote this cycle remain unchanged.

With the results of this election, the board now comprises 53 percent female members and 27 percent non-white members.