On September 14, the DGA’s Women’s Steering Committee’s (WSC) celebrated its WSC Squad Mentorship Program with a brunch at the Guild’s Los Angeles Headquarters. The event brought together the leaders, mentors and proteges of the Program to recognize their efforts.
The brunch began with WSC Co-Chair Shaz Bennett and new Squad Leaders Ashley Eakin and Marie Jamora, thanking the Guild for their support of the program, and introducing the women who established the Squad program: Hanelle Culpepper, Maria Burton, Tara Miele, Maureen Bharoocha, Amy Aniobi, Lena Khan and Amber Sealey.
The WSC Squad Mentorship Program creates a solid community of working Directors within the WSC and pairs mid-career Directors with established mentors who provide frank guidance and discussions around the unique issues that women Directors face. The Squad gives support and prepares them as they seek to advance their careers. The program debuted in February of 2021 and has since gone through four rotations with the most recent fifth class upcoming. The fifth class of 12 mentor/mentee pairings will be announced in the near future.
The WSC Squad Mentorship Program is co-chaired by Directors Shaz Bennett, Jean Lee, Ashley Eakin and Marie Jamora. The WSC Co-Chairs are Shaz Bennett, Shawn Pipkin-West, Valerie Weiss and alternate Rachel Raimist.
ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring networking events, screenings and seminars, and fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities.