ICA Names Byron Berkley Board Member Emeritus

Founding leader recognized for decades of service to independent exhibition and his role in helping build the ICA

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Independent Cinema Alliance (ICA), a leading cinema trade organization representing approximately 5,000 independently operated movie screens across the United States and Canada, today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously voted to name longtime industry leader and ICA founding board member Byron Berkley a Board Member Emeritus, recognizing his service to the organization and leadership on behalf of independent theatrical exhibition.

Few people are more closely connected to the ICA’s beginnings than Berkley.

He was among the small group of independent exhibitors who came together in 2017 around a simple idea: to grow and strengthen independent cinemas in the United States and Canada. Berkley became one of the ICA’s original board members, served as Treasurer and later as President, helping guide the organization through its formative years and establish the foundation on which today’s ICA continues to build.

“Byron didn’t simply serve the ICA, he helped create what the ICA has become,” said Frank Rash, Executive Director of the Independent Cinema Alliance. “His leadership has always reflected something fundamental about this organization: independent doesn’t have to mean alone. We are stronger when we work together, share ideas, advocate for one another and make sure every independent exhibitor has people standing beside them. Byron understood that from the very beginning, and it remains at the heart of the ICA today.”

Berkley’s influence extends well beyond the ICA. Throughout his career, he has been a respected exhibitor, advocate, mentor, and industry leader, serving independent theatres through national and regional organizations and helping develop programs and relationships that continue to benefit exhibitors today.

His impact was recognized again this year when CinéShow established the Byron Berkley Leadership Award, honoring individuals who demonstrate the collaborative leadership, service and commitment to theatrical exhibition that have defined Berkley’s career.

“Byron gave the ICA something every young organization needs — credibility, perspective and steady leadership,” said Rich Daughtridge, President of the ICA Board of Directors. “I had the privilege of succeeding Byron as President, and I know firsthand how much of the foundation was already there because of his work. He has been a mentor and friend to so many of us and naming him Board Member Emeritus is a small but very appropriate way of saying that Byron will always have a place at the ICA.”

For Berkley, the recognition is also a reminder of why the organization was created in the first place.

“I’m deeply honored by this recognition, but I’m even more proud of what the ICA has become,” said Byron Berkley. “From the beginning, our goal was to bring independent exhibitors together, to give them a stronger voice, create opportunities they might not have on their own and provide a place where they could learn from and support one another. Independent theatres are fiercely independent by nature, but that doesn’t mean they should ever have to face the challenges of this business alone. I’m proud to have played a small part in building an organization that continues to live that idea every day.”

As Board Member Emeritus, Berkley will remain part of the ICA family and a valued source of institutional knowledge, perspective and counsel as the organization continues its work on behalf of independent exhibitors.

“Organizations evolve, programs change and our industry certainly never stands still,” Rash added. “But the reason the ICA exists hasn’t changed much at all. We bring independent exhibitors together so they can be stronger together than they could ever be alone. Byron helped establish that purpose. It seems only fitting that he remain part of it.”

About ICA
ICA is a not-for-profit, alliance of independent cinemas operating in communities throughout the United States and Canada. Theatres operated by alliance members range in size from single-screen venues in small towns to multiplexes in larger cities. Today, approximately 200 member companies representing 5,000 screens, welcoming 100 million moviegoers annually and generating $1 billion in boxoffice revenue share one common goal: to provide a public voice that promotes the importance of independent cinemas as a vital and necessary part of a healthy and vibrant motion picture industry. For more information, visit www.cinemaalliance.org.