Patrick Quinn has been appointed Executive Director by the Council of Actors' Equity Association, effective October 5. Quinn, the union's President for the last six years, succeeds Alan Eisenberg, who leaves after 25 years in the position. Quinn will direct the collective bargaining process for more than 30 national and regional contracts, oversee the union's finances, supervise staff in five offices and represent AEA within the industry as well as to the public. Equity represents 45,000 stage actors and stage managers.
A native Philadelphian, Quinn began his Equity career in 1970 and has appeared in 10 Broadway shows, including A Class Act, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, Damn Yankees and Lend Me a Tenor. He was first elected to the Council, Equity's national governing body, in 1977. Since that time he has served as Third Vice-President, First Vice President and for 17 years chaired the union's negotiating teams for its flagship Production Contract. In 2000, the membership elected him to the first of three terms as President.
Quinn is a founding member of Equity Fights AIDS and has served as the 2nd Vice President since 1993 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He is a trustee of The Actors' Fund of America, Equity-League Pension, Health and 401k Trust Funds, the Actors' Equity Staff Pension Plan, and serves as Secretary of the Actors' Equity Foundation and a delegate to the Associated Actors and Artistes of America.
