Karen Westerfield has been elected business representative of Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild, IATSE Local 706, becoming the first woman — and the first Asian-American — to hold the guild’s top post since it was chartered in 1937. She previously served as the guild’s vice president, recording-secretary and sergeant-at-arms.
Westerfield, a three-time Emmy-winning makeup effects artist who worked for 12 years on the Star Trek TV franchise, defeated incumbent Randy Sayer by a vote of 422-349. More than a third of the guild’s 2,215 eligible members cast ballots in the race. Financial reports filed with the Department of Labor show that Sayer was paid $247,313 last year.
The election was a rerun of one held in January, when the guild’s elections committee found that the ballots had not been secured properly before counting. In that race, Sayer beat Westerfield by just 18 votes. All of the guild’s other officer, board and trustee races also were run again.
In the only other contested officer election, David Abbot defeated Raissa Patton, 422 votes to 287, to become the guild’s secretary-treasurer.
Incumbents running unopposed who were re-elected include president Julie Socash, vice president Kim M. Ferry, recording secretary Daniel Curet, and sergeant.-at-arms Sherrita “Sherriann” Cole.
In the other races, 17 candidates were elected to the executive board representing makeup artists and 12 were elected representing hairstylists, and five candidates were elected to the board of trustees representing makeup artists and five representing hairstylists.
The post Karen Westerfield Defeats Incumbent Randy Sayer To Become First Female Business Rep Of Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild appeared first on Deadline.
