According to its new bylaws which mandate staggered election terms for its Board of Directors, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the election of two new directors, Vera Anderson and Earl Gibson III, and the re-election of two directors, Barbara Gasser and Tina Jøhnk Christensen.

“At this important time of transition, we welcome the contributions of our newest directors Vera Anderson and Earl Gibson III,” said Helen Hoehne, President of the HFPA. “Their voices will be added as we continue the important work of supporting diversity, preserving our philanthropy efforts, and boosting journalistic opportunities in this challenging economic climate.”

The bios of the new Board members follows:

Vera Anderson: California-born journalist and photographer Vera Anderson has been a member of the HFPA since 1996. After starting out as an ad agency copywriter, she traveled to Baja, California in the late 80s to work with legendary director Sam Peckinpah, doing research and story development. When she returned to Los Angeles, Anderson began writing for the Los Angeles Reader and the Advocate, as well as building her photography portfolio with celebrity assignments including Jack Nicholson, Joan Baez, and the Lakers. In 1997, Anderson was the author and photographer of the award-winning book, “A Woman Like You – The Face of Domestic Violence” (Seal Press). That book caught the eye of Variety chief Peter Bart, who recommended her to colleagues launching a new movie magazine in Mexico under the umbrella of Hachette and the original U.S. Premiere Magazine. Since Cine Premiere launched in 1994, Anderson remains the Hollywood correspondent for the monthly print edition as well as the popular online version. Her other clients have included Joy Bulgaria, Vivant Magazine, Inversionista, and Pro-Opera. In 2000, she also produced the indie film The Dogwalker written and directed by Paul Duran.

Earl Gibson III: A photojournalist for more than 35 years, he has been a contributor for ShutterStock, Associated Press, and Getty Images for the past 15 years. He is the lead photographer for the NAACP Image Awards as well as the United Negro College Fund’s “An Evening of Stars.” Gibson is currently an Ambassador for Leica Cameras and serves as a photographer for their corporate events in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Magazine, The Atlantic, Essence Magazine, Ebony/Jet, and a host of both foreign and domestic publications.

The 15-member board includes three independent, outside directors and remains female-majority with 67% comprised of women. The Board now features 20% Black, 13% Asian, and 13% Latinx representation.

In addition to the election of new Board members, Alessandra Venezia was also re-elected to serve another term on the nine-member Credentials Committee, which reviews and accredits new members and voters. As part of its bylaw reforms, the Credentials Committee now features a majority of members (five) who are independent, external journalism and industry professionals.