About ATA

Since 1937, the Association of Talent Agents (ATA) has been and remains the official trade association of talent agencies across the U.S., responsible for legislation, advocacy and negotiating agency franchise agreements with the major entertainment guilds, including SAG, AFTRA (SAG-AFTRA), WGA, DGA, and AEA. ATA’s collective voice provides strong and effective advocacy for its members in matters relating to the talent-agency business. The association’s one-hundred-plus agency members represent the vast majority of the professional working artists today. ATA provides best practices, a voice in legislation, educational seminars, networking events, conferences, news bulletins, expert opinions and day-to-day support.

The birth of ATA (originally known as Artists Manager Guild) is tied substantially to the proliferation of talent unions and guilds that formed after the Supreme Court upheld the Wagner Act also known as the National Labor Relations Act (1935). The main purpose of the labor legislation was to establish the legal right of workers to organize or join labor unions and to bargain collectively with their employers. In 1937, a group of forward-thinking representatives banded together to protect talent agents’ ability to represent artist clients by maintaining creative and economic success for the agent/client partnership. 

ATA engages in advocacy with legislators, unions/guilds and industry partners. ATA provides negotiation, interpretation, construction and advice concerning talent representation agreements. Our lobbyists, staff, elected leaders, political strategists and legislative committee members and the board represent ATA members every day.

ATA’s early pioneers, including, Paul Kohner (opened the Paul Kohner Agency 1938), Zeppo Marx (he and brother, Gummo Marx represented actors and writers), Abe Lastfogel and Morris Stoller (they joined the William Morris Agency in 1912 and 1937 respectively), Bert Allenberg (the Berg-Allenberg talent agency represented a full spectrum of actors, directors and writers), Taft Schreiber (MCA Talent Agency) and James Saphier (James Saphier Agency) were instrumental in forging a meaningful, vocal and strong base that continues to serve the agency community today.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Fourteen elected and appointed Board of Directors represent all segments of the agency community. The Board members and officers each serve two-year terms. There are no term limits. Professional staff conducts day-to-day activity. 

ATA COMMITTEES 2018-2019

ATA/TV-Film COMMITTEE

Harry Gold, Chair
Sheva Cohen
Jeff Kolodny
David Lederman

 
ata/commercial committee

Alicia Ruskin, Chair
Gloria Hinojosa 
Angela Strange
David Ziff
                                                                                                                                                                                           

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Jim Gosnell
Rick Levy
Michael Sinclair
Shelly Sroloff
Rita Vennari

MEMBERSHIP REVIEW COMMITTEE

Rita Vennari, Chair
Paul Doherty
Richard Lawrence

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (california)

Jim Gosnell, Chair
Rick Levy, Treasurer
Courtney Braun
Jeffrey Freedman
Glenn Salners
Michael Sinclair

NEW YORK POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

Jeffrey Freedman, Chair
Jim Gosnell, Treasurer
Courtney Braun
Rick Levy
Glenn Salners
Michael Sinclair
Ken Slevin