TORONTO — The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) in Ontario announced Victoria Harding (above) has been appointed as executive director of DGC Ontario, effective today.
Harding first joined DGC in 1989, then worked as a location manager and production manager, in addition to serving as an elected officer of the executive board for seven years. In 2013, Harding joined DGC Ontario’s staff as associate executive director.
As executive director, Harding will oversee all operations and business activities for DGC Ontario and act as the lead negotiator for standard agreement negotiations with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), due to take place later this year, says the press release announcing her appointment.
“Victoria brings an exciting vision to our organization, strengthened by her decades of institutional memory and unparalleled understanding of our membership at a time when we need it the most,” said executive chair Annie Bradley, in the release. “The significance of appointing Victoria, who will be not only the first member to serve in this role, but also the first female executive director of DGC Ontario, is profound to me.”
Bradley added: “I was elected to the position of chair on a platform of accountability, transparency and inclusion. With Victoria stepping into the executive director role, I feel one step closer to delivering on this promise.”
“To say I am honoured to lead this organization is an understatement,” said Harding. “My whole career has led me to this moment. I am dedicated to serving this membership and advancing our organizational goals, protecting and elevating the 3,000 key creative and logistical production specialists we represent.”
In a statement issued by the CMPA this afternoon, Warren Ross, the CMPA’s general counsel and vice-president of national industrial relations, welcomed Harding’s appointment.
“Over her years of involvement with DGC Ontario as a member of its bargaining committee and as associate executive director, we have had the pleasure of working collaboratively with Victoria Harding, both alongside one another and across the bargaining table,” said Ross, who also serves as the CMPA’s lead negotiator. “Throughout this time, she consistently demonstrated herself as an extraordinarily knowledgeable, deft and passionate advocate for the thousands of industry professionals she represents.”
Ross added: “We look forward to building on the allyship between our organizations, which Victoria has been key in establishing, for the benefit of our respective memberships and the production sector at large.”
