Academy Elects 2025–2026 Foundation Board: A Cohort of Craftspeople Who Know the Work

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named the new officers and members of its 2025–2026 Foundation Board, bringing together a deeply experienced cross-section of the film industry to oversee the Academy’s cultural, preservation, and educational efforts.

At the helm is casting director Kim Taylor-Coleman, elected president of the Foundation Board. A respected voice in casting with a reputation for championing overlooked talent, Taylor-Coleman brings a career built on performance, presence, and discovery — qualities central to the Foundation’s work.

Also elected to leadership roles:

• Brooke Breton (Visual Effects Branch), Vice President — a seasoned visual effects producer whose work has shaped the digital backbone of modern epic filmmaking.

• Simon Kilmurry (Documentary Branch), Treasurer — former executive director of POV and IDA, Kilmurry has long advocated for documentary storytelling with global impact.

• Isis Mussenden (Costume Designers Branch), Vice President — a designer whose range spans historical precision and fantasy world-building.

• Marlon West (Animation Branch), Secretary — a trusted animation effects supervisor with a legacy that stretches from The Princess and the Frog to Encanto.

The Academy Foundation is more than a philanthropic arm — it is the intellectual and archival heart of the organization. It oversees the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Margaret Herrick Library, the Academy Film Archive, the Academy Collection, and a wide range of talent development programs.

The newly named board members are professionals who’ve worked in the trenches of filmmaking:

• Paul Cameron (Cinematographers Branch), whose kinetic lensing defined Collateral and Westworld.

• Patricia Cardoso (Directors Branch), the first Latina director to win a Sundance Audience Award (Real Women Have Curves).

• Peter Devlin (Sound Branch), a supervising sound mixer trusted by directors from Oliver Stone to Denis Villeneuve.

• Lynette Howell Taylor (Producers Branch), an Oscar nominee and producer of A Star Is Born, known for balancing commercial reach with artistic ambition.

• Larry Karaszewski (Writers Branch), co-writer of The People vs. Larry Flynt and Dolemite Is My Name, a champion of unconventional biopics.

• Stephen Rivkin (Film Editors Branch), best known for Avatar, a craftsman with a meticulous sense of scale and rhythm.

• Dana Stevens (Writers Branch), whose work spans genres and generations, from City of Angels to The Woman King.

“These are the voices who’ve shaped the form — on set, in the edit, behind the mic,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “The Foundation’s mission is rooted in artistry, preservation, and access. This board knows what that really means.”

Each member serves a one-year term. As part of their responsibilities, Taylor-Coleman, Kilmurry, and Howell Taylor will also serve on the Academy Museum’s Board of Trustees.

The selections signal a continued emphasis on honoring the full range of cinematic labor — and ensuring that education, restoration, and inclusion aren’t just pillars of mission statements but part of the daily work.