A Brief History of CSA

The Casting Society of America was founded in Los Angeles in February, 1982 with the intent of establishing a recognized standard of professionalism in the casting field and to provide it's members with a support organization to further their goals and protect their common interests. The founding members of the organization (which at the time was called the American Society of Casting Directors) were Mike Fenton, Al Onorato and Joe Reich. By 1983, it's membership had grown to 39 and CSA began publishing a monthly newsletter to it's members reporting on news of interest in the industry. Twenty years later, it's ranks have grown to 350 of the top casting directors in the industry. The creative contributions of Casting Directors are now recognized by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and since 1989, Casting Directors have been awarded Emmy statuettes in various Casting categories.

Chemin Sylvia Bernard is the current President of the organization which is headquartered in Hollywood with an office in New York. Past Presidents of the CSA include...

• Mary V. Buck
• Mike Fenton
• Jerold Franks
• Robert W. Harbin
• Richard Hicks
• Beth Hymson-Ayer
• Gary Zuckerbrod