Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences elects new president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs

A new journey is about to begin in the history of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences as they have elected their first ever Afro-American president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who has emerged in the forefront from a prolonged career away from the limelight.

Isaacs will replace Hawk Koch as the President of the venerable organisation. A 48-person committee elected Isaacs who used to be the first vice president of the Academy board. She has served the Academy in almost every Academy board officer position and also produced last year’s Governor’s Awards. Since the regime of Fay Kanin from 1979 to 1983, Isaacs is the first female Academy president and third overall. Currently being the head of CBI Enterprises, she has been a consultant to films like The Call, The Artist, The King’s Speech, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Spider-Man 2 and Tupac: Resurrection. Earlier she was the president of theatrical marketing for New Line Cinema where she witnessed huge successes like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Rush Hour.

Before New Line she was the head of executive worldwide publicity for Paramount Pictures, where she organised publicity campaigns for Oscar winners Forrest Gump and Braveheart. The other contender for the Academy’s President’s post was Rob Friedman, the co-chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. During late evening the full line up of the elected board officers of the Academy was announced by the organisation: Pixar/Disney Animation chief creative officer John Lasseter will join as first vice president, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland and makeup artist Leonard Engelman will be the other vice presidents, former Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook will be appointed as the treasurer and Phil Robinson of Field of Dreams fame will be the new secretary. While Academy board members serve three-year terms, other officers serve one-year terms with a maximum of four consecutive terms in any one office, including the president.