Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career.
I am a screenwriter mostly for kids animation. I’ve been in the biz for about 12 years now, starting in production at Hasbro as a Production Assistant, then Script Coordinator, Writers’ Assistant, then Writer. These days I live the mostly freelance life, but I am always seeking out new staffing and development opportunities, and I am constantly developing original IP to pitch. It’s my dream to be a showrunner on a full in-house union production so I can build an amazing show with the wonderful and talented people I’ve come to know.
Who/What made you want to begin volunteering within the Guild?
Back in February 2020, we had our first meeting of the Writers’ Craft Committee and our intrepid co-chair Mairghread Scott was looking for volunteers to run the various sub-committees. Mairghread’s dedication to TAG and to advocating for our craft was inspiring so I signed up to run the Craft’s Networking sub-committee. Last year, I was joined by the awesome David Avallone and together we’ve also worked with TAG Director of Communications Alexi Drosu helping out with TAG’s presence at local conventions. We host monthly mixers for the Writers’ Craft Committee as well as a yearly field day, regular WCC at the Movies events, and occasional joint mixers with other craft committees.
What is the best part about volunteering?
The community, hands down. Animation folks are simply the best, they make sometimes-taxing things like networking and volunteering feel easy on a bad day, and like a big party on a good day.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned while volunteering?
I don’t know that there’s been something very unexpected… but maybe one is how many people don’t know that there even IS an animation guild. This was very evident when I volunteered at the TAG booth during Comic-Con where tons of people came by wondering who we were.
What are some skills or knowledge that you’ve gathered from volunteering that help you in other areas of your life?
I’ve garnered a good amount of people skills (at least, I hope!) in the course of setting up and hosting networking events.
How has contributing to the Guild as a volunteer impacted your life?
I’ve found it very gratifying to set up a place for our community to socialize. It’s been a great way for me personally to stay connected–especially when so much of our work these days is done from home.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about volunteering.
Say yes, but set boundaries! There will always be endless opportunities to help out. That means you can find your niche, but it also means you can’t give too much of yourself. It can be tough, but do your best to strike a balance.
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