Michelle Byrd has been hired by the Producers Guild of America’s national board of directors to fill the newly created Managing Director of the PGA East position.

The veteran executive will oversee the guild’s East Coast operations from the PGA’s New York office, reporting to National Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Vance Van Petten, and PGA Associate National Executive Director/COO Susan Sprung.

She will begin working in her new position on May 8.

Byrd has spent 15+ years successfully building prominent, non-profit media organizations working in film, digital and games. Based in NYC, she served for 12 years as Executive Director of IFP where she created a legacy of programming and strategic partnerships that remain in place today, including a ground-breaking collaboration with the United Nations and re-positioning IFP’s Gotham Awards into awards season. Presently through her consulting practice, Run It By Byrd, Inc., Michelle provides advisory services to assist non-profits, foundations, government agencies and social enterprises in achieving their mission through strategic planning, program and partnership development and management. Select clients include: Canadian Consulate, Ghetto Film School, Green Beetz, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Museum of the Moving Image, NYS Commission on National and Community Service, NYS Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development and Theatrical Teamsters Local 817.

The PGA has more than 7,000 members and represents feature film, television and new media producers.