Cinematographers Guild hires Rebecca Rhine as its first female executive director

The International Cinematographers Guild has tapped veteran labor official Rebecca Rhine to run the 7,700-member union.

Rhine, who previously ran a union representing managers for the city and county of San Francisco, becomes the union’s first female executive director in a largely male-dominated industry.

She succeeds Bruce Doering, who in December is retiring after 30 years in the post.

The guild works on behalf of cinematographers, camera operators, visual effects supervisors, film loaders and other camera crew workers.

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A San Francisco native, Rhine has been executive director of the Municipal Executives Assn. for eight years. Prior to that, she worked as northern area director of SEIU Local 1000, which represents more than 95,000 California public-sector employees.

Rhine is no stranger to Hollywood. She also served as assistant national executive director of AFTRA, overseeing public policy and strategy for the union for more than three years. AFTRA represented actors and other performers before merging with the larger Screen Actors Guild in 2012.

In her new job, Rhine’s responsibilities will include negotiating and administering the guild’s labor contract with the major producers, supervising a staff of 50 and working with other locals that belong to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

The ICG’s officers recruited Rhine with help of executive search firm Korn Ferry. Her hiring was approved by the union’s national executive board at meeting in Century City this past weekend.

Twitter: @rverrier