Regina McLarney Crowley

Biography:  To those of you who do not know me let me introduce myself.  To those of you who think they know me let me clarify those thoughts, and to those of you who think you really know me let me reconfirm that notion.

I am Regina McLarney-Crowley.  I am a born native Miamian, a wife, a mother, a sister, and a daughter.  I am also a pro-active unionist.  Until recently I held office as a member of the Executive Board serving for the past three years as one of two regional representatives for the 305 area.  I relinquished the possibility of serving again when I decided to run for the office of Secretary-Treasurer this past election. Although I had a very strong showing of support I did not defeat the incumbent.  I would like to sincerely thank those of you who supported me in the last election and hope you will vote for me in this upcoming election.

I have been a member of IATSE Local 477 since 1988. I have been in the film industry since 1978 when I worked on my first film while still a student at Florida International University.  I was a student intern in the Wardrobe department and therefore not a union member. I was fortunate enough to work with people that instilled in me the virtues of being a union member and I indeed was asked to join a union. I joined NABET 15 and then moved to New York City upon my graduation with a BFA in Theatre with a specialization in costume design. While in New York I got a job with a road show and toured the US for 1 year.  While on this tour I got the opportunity to join the Theatrical Wardrobe Union of the IATSE.  After that show I had the good fortune of working on another tour mounted by Jim Henson, the Childrens Television Workshop and Shipstead and Johnson.  I was a Muppet roadie for another year.  Too many towns in too little time, I came back to Miami and commenced freelancing in the film and commercial markets where I have been ever since.  In 1985 I took a left turn and became a set decorator which I have worked as for the past 14 years, with many odd jobs in those dreaded slow times.

Seven years ago I had a beautiful little boy and endured the total devastation of hurricane Andrew.  Bringing my first and only child home on the night that the worst natural disaster to hit the US had far reaching effects on my life.  You have to re-evaluate what is truly important in your life.  It took a long time to recover from that horrible experience, but I indeed did emerging a stronger more dedicated individual to those causes I choose to embrace.

Being a good parent has been an ever-increasing issue for me as well as having an active career and becoming involved. I wish to be involved with groups that can create positive influences on people lives.  The union is one of those groups for which I became involved with.  I have 20 years of experience as being a union member and have broadened my education on trade unionism by attending the Southern School For Union Women for the past few years as well as serving on the Executive Board and a large number of committees.  I firmly believe in education, communication, and working diligently for the good of all members.  I have given many long hours and weekends up for the sake of being an Executive-Board member with the intent of doing the best thing for the common good of all the members of this local.

 I came from the trenches of our industry with only myself to forge the way to where I have come thus far. I know the uncertainty of the freelance life; the unending search for the next job and handling family matters.  I have definitely experienced the frustration of our insurance plan with a pregnancy before it would pay for well baby care.  I have experienced having emergency operations, emergencies visits for a child with a concussion needing to be in ICU, medically necessary cosmetic surgery, as well as regular visits to the doctor and then have to work at getting those bills paid by our insurers.  Working as a department head, I have looked out for my crews, handled large amounts of other peoples money having to be accountable for what is spent, and I have been responsible when others were not and catching the heat for it.  I am responsible for instituting in our contracts that all off production personnel get meal allowances.  Being a child of the late sixties, I did not grow up using computers, but rather had to educate myself to be computer savvy.  I have recently been the assistant editor of the newsletter and have been trying to give the membership a newsworthy, informative and friendly product.  I have served on the contract committee, the teleconferencing committee, and the communications committee to name a few.  I have always been willing to serve this union whether when asked or by volunteering.  I am a creative individual with a lot of ideas and a lot of energy to implement those ideas as well as the ideas of others.

When asked the question why I am running for office I offer this.

 I decided to run for office again with the recent vacancy for the same reasons I did the first time around. I believe all members of this union deserve fair and competent individuals working on their behalf to insure that this union is run correctly, efficiently and effectively.  I believe that not only am I capable of handling the duties of the office of Secretary-Treasurer, but that I also bring to it the dedication to help take us into the 21^st century and keep abreast of the rapidly changing technology that gives businesses a competitive edge. I hope you decide that I am that individual and will vote for me for the office of Secretary-Treasurer in this upcoming election.

Thank You