Chris Dodd Elected to AFI's Board of Trustees

U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) (L) announces he will retire at the end of his term as his daughter Christina (C) rests her head on his shoulder and his wife Jackie (R) looks on in East Haddam, Connecticut January 6, 2010. Reuters

Chris Dodd has been elected to the American Film Institute's Board of Trustees, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The former U.S. Senator took over as the chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Inc. (MPAA) last spring.

In addition, David Rips, president of Verizon Digital Media Services, will join the board.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6 in Los Angeles.

Voted to return to the AFI Board of Trustees for new three-year terms are a number of industry figures such as Paramount Pictures chief Brad Grey, News Corp. digital head Jonathan Miller, Legendary Pictures head Thomas Tull, Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney, DreamWorks Animation SKG Chairman Roger Enrico, AFI Conservatory Artistic Director Frank Pierson and Turner programming head Michael Wright.

There are also a number of business leaders returning such as Lisa Arpey, wife of American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey, and Hewlett-Packard Executive Vice President Todd Bradley.

Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Corp., is chair of the 62-member AFI Board of Trustees.

Robert A. Daly, former Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO, is chair of the 21-member AFI Board of Directors, which acts as an executive committee, setting the Institute’s priorities and overseeing its programs. AFI Board of Directors also sit on the AFI Board of Trustees.

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