And the new Academy post goes to … Meredith Shea.
The Array alum, who also spent a decade at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a membership and awards exec, has been set as its Chief Membership, Impact and Industry Officer, a newly created post.
Reporting directly to Academy CEO Bill Kramer, she is tasked with bringing together the Academy teams who lead the strategy and implementation for the Academy’s new-member cultivation and outreach, awards administration, rules and regulations, membership branch structural changes, member and industry engagement, film festival and international strategies, talent development programs, and industry DEAI and sustainability efforts.
“We are thrilled to welcome Meredith back to the Academy in this leadership position,” Kramer said in a statement. “Her vast knowledge of the film industry and Academy membership, along with her commitment to building and nurturing a diverse and equitable global film community, makes her a perfect professional for this new role.”
Shea recently served as the Director of Industry Relations at Array, the social impact collective founded by Ava DuVernay that is dedicated to narrative change. There, she oversaw Array Crew, the personnel database designed to connect underrepresented below-the-line crew members with studios. Before that, Shea spent a decade at AMPAS, overseeing its Directors, Film Editors, Short Films & Feature Animation and Writers branches, including the administration of the rules, submissions and voting for the Animated Feature and International Feature Film Oscar categories.
“I have a deep connection to the Academy and its membership,” Shea said in a statement. “This is a pivotal time in the Academy’s history, and it’s both a joy and an enormous responsibility to support our industry and lead initiatives that connect people and communities through film. I am incredibly thankful to Bill, Janet, and the Academy board for their insightful leadership and dedication to making positive changes in the world for filmmakers, audiences, and the industry.” I look forward to working again with the Academy’s exceptionally talented staff and dedicated members to support the Academy’s mission,” Shea said in a statement. ”
