Annette Bening Succeeds Brian Stokes Mitchell as Chair of the Board of Entertainment Community Fund

The board of directors of the Entertainment Community Fund, a national outreach organization for all involved in the performing arts and entertainment, has voted Tony and Oscar nominee Annette Bening as its new board chair.

Benning will succeed two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, who has held the position since 2004.

The Board of Directors of the Entertainment Community Foundation establishes policies governing the programs and services of this organization, which has served the community since 1882. Benning joined the board in 2010 and was named vice president in 2016.

A Broadway favorite, Mitchell will continue to serve the Foundation as a Trustee and Chair of the newly formed Leadership Council. The Leadership Council is a group of entertainment community leaders made up of former directors, Entertainment Community Foundation Medal of Honor recipients, and volunteer representatives who help advance the work of the organization. .

Under his leadership as Chair, Mr. Mitchell has led the Foundation through some significant moments for the entertainment community. In his 2020 and his 2021 at the height of the pandemic, the organization has helped more than 60,000 individuals through a wide range of programs and services. Since March 2020, the fund has distributed over $30 million in emergency financial assistance to more than 20,000 people.

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Bening and Mitchell have supported the Foundation’s work together for many years. In Spring 2019, the duo celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the Actors Fund Home’s Friedman Pavilion, marking the completion of a capital campaign project aimed at rebuilding, expanding and preserving the Home.

“After more than ten years on the Board, I am very proud to start a new chapter for the Entertainment and Community Foundation as its incoming President. I have always been in awe of this foundation and the amount of work done to bring compassion, understanding and immediate assistance to the entertainment industry. I congratulate my friend Stokes for such a wonderful tenure and I can’t wait to see what we all achieve together in the years to come,” Benning said.

Mitchell added: Even if doing what we love brings with it difficulties and uncertainties, it is an honor to be able to contribute to our peers as we make our way through life in the art world doing what we love. Thanks to all the wonderful people at the Foundation, I am confident that our community will continue to have a safety net of support whenever they need it. And as a friend and former high school classmate of mine, I know the board and the foundation are in great control now that Annette has taken on the role of chairman. ”

“As part of the Entertainment Community Foundation family, it is a gift to have such inspirational people on our board, council and committees,” said Joe Benincasa, President and CEO of the Foundation. increase. “And Annette and Stokes embody a deep commitment, not just to the Foundation, but to the people we support every day, across our country and industry. They work with all of us. Bringing out the best in our colleagues.It has been a privilege to have collaborated with Stokes over the past 19 years and to pursue new heights of service in supporting the artistic cause with Annette as Chair.”

Bening has been nominated twice for a Tony Award (All My Suns, Beach Mayhem) and a four-time Oscar nominee (The Kids Are Alright, Being Julia, American Beauty, The Grifters) as well as two-time Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, promote resilience, and be a safety net for the people who shape our nation’s cultural vitality.visit EntertainmentCommunity.org.

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Photo: Go Inside on Broadway’s ‘All My Sons’ opening night