According to Variety, Courtney B. Vance has been appointed as president of The SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
Current President, JoBeth Williams, is retiring after leading The SAG-AFTRA Foundation for 10 years. The transition will take place at the organization’s 4th Annual Patron of the Artists Awards, honoring Jennifer Aniston, Greg Berlanti, Ava DuVernay, and Mark Ruffalo on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. Vance will begin his tenure with the launch of the Foundation’s first-ever Entertainment Industry Council (EIC), which will advise the foundation on its work to support performers in all stages of their career. The Council will function in partnership with the Foundation’s Actors Council.
“We are proud to announce Courtney B. Vance is the new President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. He embodies our values of education and dedicated service to artists, and he is a remarkable role model,” said JoBeth Williams in a statement. “As for me, it has been a profound honor to serve as President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation for the past decade. I look back at the great strides we have made over the past 10 years with a fondness and deep pride in what we have accomplished. Though it is bittersweet to step back from this role, I have every faith that Courtney will continue the Foundation’s legacy and do the organization proud.”
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to SAG-AFTRA artists and families while serving the public at large through its Emmy®-nominated children’s literacy program Storyline Online.
“The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a vital organization and it is a privilege to shine a light on it in my new role as President. My parents raised us to be helpers and just as there are no small roles, there are no small jobs. This is an opportunity to help people and educate artists who are the backbone of our industry,” said Vance, who is married to actress Angela Bassett. “JoBeth set a high bar and I look forward to building upon her legacy with our new Entertainment Industry Council and our Actors’ Council. Together, we will raise increased funding for our assistance and scholarship funds, and continue creating more robust, free programs for our artists. I can’t wait to get started.”