Danny Lin Elected President As Animation Guild Names New Executive Board

The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, has announced the results of its 2025 officers and executive board election, ushering in new leadership amid ongoing industry upheaval.

Danny Lin has been elected president, succeeding Jeanette Moreno King, who chose not to seek re-election after a transformative six-year run in the role (she finished fifth in our 2024 American animation industry power list), but who will remain on the board as secretary. Four officers ran unopposed: Lin, vice president Roger Oda, business representative Steve Kaplan, and treasurer Paula Spence. David DePasquale won the race for sergeant-at-arms, while King was elected Secretary.

Of her upcoming term, Lin said in a release:

I could not be more honored or grateful to serve as the incoming President of The Animation Guild, a Union that has evolved so much in the past decade and only continues to grow in both size and power. But this is a bittersweet moment of celebration for me. So many of our members are out of work and struggling to pay their bills while our employers axe productions, enact sweeping layoffs to boost their stock value, and chase their shiny new toy, Generative A.I.  In the face of these challenges, we must cultivate hope, community, solidarity, humanity, and art. These are beacons of light in dark times, and they are qualities I see reflected in our newly elected Executive Board and in each and every member of The Animation Guild. We will continue to organize, to fight, and to win.

King added:

I believe it’s important to keep leadership fresh and welcome new ideas. Danny Lin will bring a valuable perspective as a digital native and a strong communicator, and I’m confident the Guild is in good hands. I ran for secretary because I love this Union and want to continue contributing in a supportive role. While new ideas and strategies are vital to our growth, I also believe our institutional memory helps ground the decisions we make as a board to ensure a strong and successful future.

The newly elected Executive Board members are Marissa Bernstel, Rachael Cohen, Kolja Erman, Chrissy Fellmeth, Andy Garner-Flexner, KC Johnson, Claire Morrissey, Roma Murphy, Dan Pinto, Mike Rianda, and Candice Stephenson. Bernstel, Stephenson, and Cohen will also serve as Trustees.

The new officers and board will be sworn in on December 2, 2025, beginning a three-year term. The election was overseen and certified by the American Arbitration Association.