DGA Women’s Steering Committee Sets 2023 Class For WSC Squad Mentorship Program

Bruce Haring
·2 min read
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The DGA’s Women’s Steering Committee (WSC) has announced the 2023 class of its WSC Squad Mentorship Program. The latest class, which began in September, pairs 13 mid-career directors with well-established director-mentors.

“It is always exciting to kick off another year of the WSC Mentorship Program,” said Shaz Bennett, cochair of the DGA’s Women’s Steering Committee. “The WSC remains inspired by our community of mentors and mentees who have come together, united by a shared purpose — to uplift and empower one another. By joining forces on this journey of guidance and encouragement, we can all accomplish more than any one of us could alone. I can’t wait to see how these talented women lift each other up.”

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The WSC Squad Mentorship Program is led by directors DeMane Davis, Ashley Eakin, Morenike Joela Evans, Marie Jamora, Jen McGowan, and Rachel Raimist. The WSC is cochaired by directors Shaz Bennett and Valerie Weiss, 1st AD Shawn Pipkin-West, and alt cochair Rachel Raimist.

According to the DGA, the nine-month program “is unique in that every effort is made to pair mentees with the mentor of their choice. The objective is to cultivate a community of directors with the tools and knowledge that will lead all members towards success together.”

Founded in 1979, the goal of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee is to “advance the professional interests of its members and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC fosters relationships between members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities. The WSC is continually evolving new concepts to elevate awareness of the strengths of its members.”

This year’s mentors and mentees are:

Ana Lily Amirpour mentoring Clara Aranovich
Anne Renton mentoring Faye Brenner
Zetna Fuentes mentoring Whitney Clinkscales
Anya Adams mentoring Jade Jenise Dixon
Karyn Kusama mentoring Eve Van Dyke
Mary Lou Belli mentoring C. Fitz
Angela Barnes mentoring Courtney M. Franklin
Amber Sealey mentoring Amanda Micheli
Jennifer Arnold mentoring Anjali Nayar
Marielle Heller mentoring Kris Rey
Nisha Ganatra mentoring Shilpi Roy
Tessa Blake mentoring Joan Stein Schimke
Jeremy Podeswa mentoring Lauren Wolkstein

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