Hello, my name is Sammi Turano and I am the owner and editor in chief of TVGrapevine. I have been a member of the CCA since 2012 and served on and chaired several non-coms for the Real TV Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Super Awards and Documentary Awards. 

I have also been a part of the Marketing and Women’s committees and have been a regular attendee of MAC meetings. I would like to submit my personal statement to be a part of the Board.

I have been working in the journalism field for the past eighteen years. It was a long, tough road, but one filled with hard work and determination. I came from humble beginnings, and I am always slowly but surely working my way to the next level of my career.

If I were to be a member of the Board, I would work to help bring the CCA to the next level and bring more eyes and ears to our shows, mission and vision. I would also make sure all  members are treated fairly and are equally represented. I believe everyone has something unique and special to offer and I want to make sure that is seen and heard by all. 

Being on the Board would be an incredible honor because I not only represent the women in the field, but I also represent the underdogs who have worked hard to get to where they are today. We all have different stories, and I think mine is one of inspiration and hope.

I hope you will consider me for a position on your Board and I look forward to working with you!

Greetings fellow CCA members! My name is Herb Stratford, and I’ve been a member since 2014. I’ve served on several nominating committees since then including the documentary awards every year since the second edition. I’m a member of both the Film and Television branches  and have run for a board seat just once, last year. I’m also a documentary filmmaker of both shorts and features and I program a number of film festivals across the country. I feel like I’m in a unique position to add value to the CCA board due to my diverse activities within the industry. I’m most dedicated to increasing our membership visibility within the entertainment world via my different relationships and to help make our events even more special. Some of you may remember that the awards show member pin was my idea, as it helped us as members be more identifiable to our guests at the big show every January. I proudly wear that pin every week when I go on my Television and radio spots here in Southern Arizona. My weekly reach in Arizona and Colorado is about 450,000 between media outlets and my in-theatre interviews at Roadhouse Cinema.

I hope you will support my candidacy to serve on YOUR board for 2026-2027.

I am submitting my candidacy for the new Open Seat on the Board of Directors. As one of the founding members of our nascent organization, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, organized by Joey Berlin and Rod Lurie, I have been active both personally as a member of committees and indirectly through my close friend and late board member, Jim Ferguson. Most recently, two challenges have encouraged me to step up and bring whatever talent and voice I could add to their solution: the replacement of CCA members by no-content Influencers in coverage of films and series; and secondly, the general lack of respect shown to our members as the industry is changing. The CCA has standards that deserve acknowledgement and respect. As my professional situation is secure, I should look to my colleagues’ situation. I am available by email at [email protected].

Patrick Stoner

Hello Fellow Critics Choice Association Members,

~ ~The Short of it~ ~

My name is Derek Sante. For 19 years I’ve been a CCA member in good standing that has worked with members to make positive changes for our industry and association. My first year as a Board of Director has allowed me to make the inroads and changes that matter to our members. Keeping this seat will allow me to take this service to the next level and grow transparency in our shared goals. Moving forward, I will continue my service by creating invaluable opportunities and help to make the association and brand flourish in many different ways. If you’ve talked to me or looked at what I’ve done, I hope you see someone that takes this role seriously and is doing it for all of us, CCA Board is a “We”, not a “Me” position. 

~ ~The Long of it~ ~

Over the past year, I’ve been an ear and bouncing board to all members. Listening to your issues and talking out plans and goals. This year I am submitting myself for a seat with the Board of Directors. Helping fellow Critics and the CCA is my goal, but by no means has this been a new one for me.

Whether you are aware of it or not, I have been working to help members and the association for 19 years.

Some of the things I have helped create, institute and grow include:

·         Membership Empowerment: I am a Founding Member of this movement to provide you, the Critics, with tools you can use to succeed. Our topics vary, but our goal of empowerment and growth. I have proudly been a part of the technology, hosting, planning and conversation for every episode. This year, I listened to your grievances and issues and worked to provide the voices and specialists that matter most to you all.  

·         CCA Facebook Group: I established the CCA Member Facebook group and helped create its structure so CCA members could better share information, opportunities and issues. I am happy to see this forum be used daily and hope, like myself, it allows members to feel heard.

·         Film Festival Liasson: Leading the charge for members on the ground at film festivals, I have put the call out through the FB group and in newsletters to create a comprehensive list of members attending and covering these events. From there I actively shared it with studios, agencies and publicity leads to get our members invites and opportunities that might have passed them by. Whether in person or online, I’ve worked to connect our members to the studios and agencies on the ground that should take notice of CCA members.

______

When it comes to my group involvement, I have worked hard to be part of the conversation and team to make CCA’s voice and brand shine.

·         Marketing & Promotion Committee: I have been an active member of the M&P committee since its inception. I have been working to build and spotlight CCA and its events for years.

·         Nominating Committees for Awards: It’s been my pleasure to be part of numerous nomination committees over the years. Giving my time and attention to help nominate the best options for CCA members to select.

·         Celebration of Latino Film & Television Awards: I worked to create grounded ideas and goals to grow this amazing show.

These are just a few of the key points highlighting my years of involvement and service to CCA and its members. I am open, available and ready to help.

__________

My goal going forward is to make things better for members and leadership. I have some of the most useful mix of skills needed for this position. I am a logistical person based in reality with extensive experience in Marketing, Promotions, Sales, Publicity and Technology.

My appointment to the board will help the following:

·         Member Information: I have been an ear for members this last year. Taking your issues to heart and bringing up your concerns for the present and the future of CCA. More transparency . We work in communications; we can always be better at this.

·         Member Opportunities: I will look for options to make being a member a more-positive and helpful experience. This is something I have been passionate about for many years. As we know, better access leads to more opportunities.

·         Sales and Sponsorship: This is an area that needs constant attention. Someone has to pay for our amazing events. My goal will be to expand this category, while still holding our professional journalistic integrity.

·         Marketing: This last year I’ve given ideas and thoughts that have helped CCA and its teams. I have high hopes for even more campaigns and partnerships going forward.

·         Technology: I have the skills and knowledge to use technology to give the association more options and better opportunities with events, structure, communication and day-to-day operations. In addition to my current video and audio production, I have an extensive background in website building and SEO tactics.

Always available for a call, text or an aside chat. My goal is to help everyone be better and feel better about our organization. I’ve never been a gatekeeper and have always worked to stay away from the people who don’t deliver on promises. I’m here to do the job and hope you let me continue the process of improving Critics Choice for us all.

Regards, Derek Sante

Hello, my name is Wilson Morales and I am the founder and editor of BlackFilmandTV.com. I’ve also been a CCA member for over 20 years starting when it was the BFCA; and throughout the years I’ve seen lots of changes in the media landscape. I’m also on the marketing committee.

I remember when it was TV, Radio, Print, and then Online came on the scene. That order seem to change in recent years. Once the radio community were abandoned by the studios, it then became TV, Online, Print and space has made for a number of Social Media platforms. Change is inevitable and movements have been made, but for a number of us, we still do what we love. Whether it’s writing reviews, doing interviews and reporting on the industry, it’s a question of how loud is our voice when it comes to getting access from the studios and networks.

I’d like to be a member on the board to be an advocate for the those who feels that their outlets or themselves aren’t getting the recognition they deserve as members of CCA. 

I’d also like to know where we are strong at as a body, which includes knowing where are our biggest numbers (member wise) are from. Are there more Onliners than TV, do print writers still have a voice, etc? As a member from the East Coast, I want to be voice for those in NY, Boston, Washington D.C, Philly and so on. Do we have more members on the East or West coast? Our current Board members are mostly from the West Coast. 

There are a number of members with over 30 years of experience who are NOT on Social Media constantly to know what’s going on a daily basis. Some don’t go on Facebook or have an IG or TikTok account. They shouldn’t need to in order to please a publicist to get access. 

If elected, I want to hear what the majority wants in changes or improvements. I’ve seen a number of you at CCA Awards, the Documentary Awards and FYC events and hope you and I have had friendly conversations. So when I say, I want to do more for us in the marketing of the organization to the appeasement of its members and outside, I hope you can trust me to earn your vote.

Wilson Morales

Time flies when you’re having fun, and it sure has been fun being a proud member of the CCA for these last 20 years! I have seen the CCA grow and evolve in leaps and bounds, ranging from our growth in membership to our special events celebrating inclusion & diversity, as well as a more connected group that’s had more accessibility with everything that’s happening in our industry.

So much has been done, and of course, there is still so much more to do. But as we continue to move forward, we’re faced with the biggest challenges our industry has ever seen. In an effort to navigate those challenges, the time is right for me to do something I have always wanted to do: become a member of the CCA board.

As a board member, I will work tirelessly to leverage my stellar reputation, my extensive contacts and my 30+ years of experience in an effort to help evolve our current initiatives, like our Celebration events, the CCA YouTube Channel and the development of our CCA Podcast Network. And I will strive to increase our CCA footprint at red carpet premieres, live events, film festivals and Comic-Cons, not to mention growing our Critics Choice Awards in a way that will give the Golden Globes and even the Academy Awards a serious run for their money.

I plan this with one goal in mind: to help every member of our group. We live in challenging times, and there’s so much instability within our industry. All of the traditional paths are gone, and it’s like the Wild West out there. In order to navigate this Brave New World, we have to work together to create opportunities for our members to gain access to talent and events, which will further help our group as a whole. 

Let’s keep having fun, and I hope you will consider me with a vote as a member of the CCA board. Thank you for your consideration.

I’m honored to submit my name for consideration for the Critics Choice Association Board of Directors.

As a longtime CCA member working across both entertainment journalism and television production, I’ve spent my career focused on connecting audiences with film and television through thoughtful conversations, accessible storytelling, and industry engagement across local and national platforms.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to interview artists, creators, and executives from across the entertainment landscape while also producing weekly lifestyle and entertainment programming seen in multiple television markets. That experience has given me a unique perspective on how audiences discover and engage with entertainment media today, and how the role of critics and journalists continues to evolve alongside those changes.

I’ve also appreciated the increased efforts in recent years to spotlight and celebrate CCA members and their work. I would love to continue building on that momentum by exploring additional ways to help members promote both themselves and the organization across their own platforms and audiences.

One idea I would be excited to help develop is a centralized member media resource hub on the CCA website featuring approved promotional materials for CCA events and programming — including logos, graphics, promos, radio spots, social assets, and other shareable materials. I believe providing members with easy access to promotional resources could help expand awareness of CCA programming while also giving members additional tools to engage their local audiences and communities.

I also believe one of the CCA’s greatest strengths is the collective reach of its membership. Individually, our members connect with audiences across television, radio, print, digital, podcasts, and social media platforms around the world. Together, that represents an incredibly powerful international voice for film and television criticism and entertainment journalism. I would love to help find thoughtful ways to better harness that collective reach so it works not only for the organization, but for the benefit and visibility of our members as well.

I care deeply about the credibility, professionalism, and long-term growth of the Critics Choice Association. If elected, I would hope to contribute to conversations surrounding member value, visibility, industry relationships, and opportunities to continue expanding the relevance and reach of the organization in an increasingly multi-platform media environment.

Most importantly, I believe strong organizations are built through collaboration, transparency, and respect for the diverse voices within their membership. I would be grateful for the opportunity to serve and help support the continued success of the CCA and its members.

Thank you for your consideration.

Dan Gutierrez

Dear CCA Members,

Some of you may know my name from my 25 years as a film critic, possibly running into me at junkets or at MAC meetings, or maybe just from my posts on the CCA Facebook Group. Maybe you know my work, maybe you don’t, but I’ve been writing a weekly movie and box office column called The Weekend Warrior at various outlets for much of that time, which has recently transitioned into a video column called The Weekend Warrior Show, which also includes my filmmaker interviews. Outside of my movie writing, I also have a background as a music engineer and producer, and I recently returned to that, as I’ve been working on an album with a long-time collaborator for the past four years, and that’s done now.

I’ve been a CCA member for 15 years now, from back when it was still the BFCA. I previously ran for the CCA Board of Directors, and I’m throwing my hat into the ring once again, primarily because the Critics Choice Association and my involvement with it has played such an important part in my life, even as I’ve bounced from one full-time and/or freelance gig to another.

I personally feel that Joey, Dave, and the current Board of Directors are doing such a fantastic job, while Jim Hunter has transformed the MAC into something that ALL CCA members should be taking part in once a month. It’s the best way to make our opinions known to the CCA Board. Since I am such a fan of everything being done, it’s a little strange for me to still be interested in being a part of the board since I’m not sure I can do much better than the vacating Clayton Davis. 

I’ve enjoyed watching this organization grow,  both from the outside before I became a member and how it’s transitioned into this bigger entity with television (and televised) awards. More than anything, I’ve loved the part that I’ve played in the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, because documentaries are a film genre I truly believe in that needs our support, even if doing this NYC-based event might not be that profitable. 

Those who know me in person, including some current Board members, know that I’m very outspoken and don’t put up with BS, but I promise you that I will do my absolute best to contribute positively to the Board of Directors and to CCA as a whole if I’m elected, because I really want CCA to be seen in a positive light, not just by those in the industry but by the world at large. 

When you tell anyone– be it family, friends, or random strangers that you meet at screenings–that you’re a film critic and a CCA member, I want them to be impressed, since they’ll know that you are the best of the best.

Thanks for reading my statement,

Edward Douglas

Hello, fellow Critics Choice Association members!

I have served you all as a member of the CCA Board of Directors for the last three years, and I hope to continue in this role with your vote in the upcoming election.

As CCA Membership Director, I continue to lead the CCA Membership Team, which is responsible for our annual membership vetting process.  As ALL members are vetted each year to confirm that they qualify to be voting members of the CCA, I have had the honor of becoming familiar with the work of our individual members and following the progression of their careers.  We are a mighty impressive group!  The work of the Membership Team ensures that the CCA is properly viewed as the preeminent critics organization in our industry.

I also proudly serve on the CCA Digital Team on projects that represent our members (and, therefore, our organization as a whole) to the studios. This effort is intended to increase visibility and access of each member.

My ongoing priority within the Board is to work FOR our members.  When individual members need assistance with making sure that their information in our records is up to date or any have other concerns I am most often the person who steps in to help.

I have also advocated for more perks for all CCA members, including Associate Members.  I have been very involved in advocating for ALL members to have access to our wonderful CCA Screeners platform and myriad other benefits.

I am most proud of my role in creating the Critics Choice Documentary Awards a decade ago.  I serve as Executive Producer of our Documentary Awards show, our only east coast event and one that has become an important showcase for documentary filmmakers all over the world.  Last fall, we had our most successful show yet as the CCDAs celebrated its 10th year, and I look forward to seeing many of you again at the Edison Ballroom in November.

While I’m always thinking of ways to improve the organization and our awards, the core of the Critics Choice Association is our members, and I have many more ideas for how to make CCA membership even more beneficial.

Please consider me for another term on the CCA Board of Directors, and let’s keep ascending forward together! 

Christopher Campbell

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