SAG-AFTRA has expanded its equity and inclusion department, promoting Franklin Sablan to the newly created position of executive director of equity & inclusion and upping Ellen Huang to national director of equity & inclusion programming and engagement and Grace Allen to senior manager of equity & inclusion policy compliance.
Sablan, who starts his new job on February 28, will report to Michelle Bennett, SAG-AFTRA’s chief governance and equity & inclusion officer. Huang and Allen took up their new roles last Thursday.
“Advancing equity and inclusion for SAG-AFTRA members, both on and off-screen, can only happen with an extraordinary team of committed advocates and activists,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s national executive director. “I am so pleased to be entrusting the leadership of our Equity and Inclusion department to experienced and determined champions like Franklin Sablan, Ellen Huang and Grace Allen in their new roles. I also especially acknowledge Michelle Bennett for continuing to build and develop this incredible team.”
Bennett claimed that Bennett is “thrilled to be a part of this talented team and looking forward to continuing our work in collaboration with our committees, national board and industry partners and allies to create and execute real action plans that advance our shared goals for safety, equity and inclusion in the workplace. I want to congratulate Franklin Sablan on his new role and applaud Ellen Huang and Grace Allen for their much-deserved promotions and many years of dedication to SAG-AFTRA’s DEI initiatives.”
Sablan joined SAG-AFTRA, starting as a senior director of culture engagement. He was then promoted to the position of national director for culture engagement in 2021. Sablan has over 20 years of experience in human resources, both in the private and public sectors. He is also an expert in federal government contracting and banking, as well as nonprofits. A native of Guam, Sablan is the founder of Guam’s Alternative Lifestyle Association, a nonprofit established to strengthen the quality of life for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families and friends