Biography
Media veteran Damon Romine is National Director, Communications & Marketing for SAG-AFTRA, an AFL-CIO union representing 160,000 actors, broadcasters and recording artists. In his role, Romine manages the union’s external communications, which includes crisis management, member relations and the award-winning magazine, SAG-AFTRA. He helped shepherd the historic merger campaign that brought together SAG and AFTRA in early 2012 and manages the union’s re-branding program. During his tenure, the SAG-AFTRA’s communications efforts have been recognized with awards from the International Labor Communications Association, PRSA and PRWeek.
Prior to joining the union, Romine spent four years as Entertainment Media Director of GLAAD where he worked tirelessly within the entertainment industry to elevate portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender images. At GLAAD he was the architect of “Be and Ally & a Friend,” the largest-ever LGBT multi-media PSA campaign, featuring stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Sofia Vergara, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. The campaign aired across dozens of TV networks and Internet platforms.
Romine previously served in senior editorial roles for consumer entertainment magazines published by Hearst Magazines and Bauer Publishing, and as a communications consultant for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The author of two non-fiction books, Romine is a recognized expert on how popular culture impacts attitudes and values. He has served as a thought leader and strategist on utilizing media to hold public figures accountable and shift public opinion concerning progressive and civil rights issues. He has appeared in dozens of news stories and interviews in outlets such as the Associated Press, ABC, CNN, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Hard Copy, The Leeza Gibbons Show, The New York Times, NPR, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood and SiriusXM.