by Guild Staff
The Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, Local 700 of IATSE, has voted to name Scott George as its new National Executive Director, effective February 1, 2025. He will succeed Cathy Repola, who will retire January 31 after serving in her current role since 2016.
George, who has been the Western Executive Director of Editors Guild for the past eight years, will now serve as the top staffer at Local 700, which is the second-largest of the 13 Hollywood locals of IATSE and has offices in Los Angeles and New York.
“Now more than ever, unionism is vital to protect the interests of workers in our rapidly changing industry,” said Editors Guild President Alan Heim, ACE. “The passing of the baton from Cathy to Scott ensures strong, stable leadership of the Guild for many years to come.”
“Serving as National Executive Director of Local 700 has been the great honor of my career, and I am immensely pleased to be handing the reins to Scott, whom I have mentored and worked with for many years, and who is so passionate about the labor movement,” said outgoing National Executive Director Cathy Repola.
A third-generation member of IATSE Local 683, George began his career working on Hollywood’s film laboratory shop floors. His election as a shop steward sparked a passion for advocating for union members.
In his tenure as the Business Representative Local 683, George successfully led the local to overcome significant financial challenges and negotiate transformative contracts. His leadership during the technological shift to digital movie theaters culminated in the successful merger of Local 683 with Editors Guild in 2010. George joined Editors Guild staff after the merger.
“I want to thank the Editors Guild Board of Directors for giving me this opportunity,” George said. “I am both humbled and honored to lead the Local as we tackle the unparalleled challenges currently facing our membership, such as the contraction of work opportunities and emerging technology.”
He added: “I look forward to working with the Board, the membership, and our staff to further strengthen our unwavering unity and define our continued growth as an organization.”
Repola will leave the Guild with a remarkable legacy. Earlier this year, she joined the other heads of the Hollywood locals in a successful Basic Agreement contract negotiation with film and TV producers. The daughter of a union official, she has enjoyed a remarkable 32-year tenure with the Guild and was instrumental in steering complex contract negotiations, managing key administrative mergers, and guiding the organization through pivotal transitions within the industry, including a worldwide pandemic and destabilizing industry strikes.
Motion Picture Editors Guild is the largest union representing post-production professionals in the entertainment business. Based in Los Angeles and New York, it has approximately 8,500 active members, including picture editors, sound editors, mixers and other job categories. MPEG is Local 700 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
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