From Local 6 Business Agent to SAG-AFTRA Executive Director: The Remarkable Career of Brian Lysell

A personal look at a respected labor leader whose career bridges hotel union organizing, legal education and entertainment-industry leadership

Reporter: MD Nasir, New Jersey (USA)

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — Brian Lysell’s professional journey is a story of labor advocacy, education and leadership—one that began in the world of hotel workers’ unions in New York and eventually led him to executive leadership with SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh.

Lysell has served as Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh since April 14, 2014, following an earlier career representing workers through Hotel Trades Council (HTC) Local 6 in New York City.

But for me, Brian’s story goes back much further.

A Memory From The Peninsula New York

I first met Brian when he was working as a Business Agent for HTC Local 6 at a time when I was serving as the Room Service Delegate at The Peninsula New York, the landmark hotel at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan.

Those years remain some of my most memorable experiences in the labor movement.

Brian was exceptionally polite, professional and knowledgeable. What impressed me most was his extraordinary understanding of the Local 6 union contract.

When a question came up about a contract provision, Brian seemed to know the answer immediately. More impressively, he could often tell us exactly where in the contract to find it—page by page.

As a union delegate, I learned a great deal from him. He helped me better understand workers’ rights, contract language, workplace representation and the responsibilities of a union delegate.

To me, Brian was not simply a Business Agent. He was someone who understood the contract almost as if he had written it himself.

Peter Ward Remembers Brian

Years later, I had the opportunity to ask Peter Ward, former President and Business Manager of HTC Local 6, about Brian.

Peter had worked with Brian during his Local 6 career, and I specifically asked him about Brian’s extraordinary knowledge of the union contract.

Peter’s response has stayed with me.

He described Brian as having a mind “just like the union book.”

That description immediately brought back my own memories. It was exactly how I remembered Brian during my time as a delegate at The Peninsula New York—someone who seemed to know the contract almost page to page.

For people working in a union environment, that kind of knowledge is extremely valuable. A Business Agent must understand not only the general principles of a collective bargaining agreement but also the specific language that protects workers’ rights.

Brian had that ability.

From Labor Organizing to the Law

Brian’s career eventually took another important direction when he pursued a legal education.

According to publicly available professional profiles, his educational background includes:

University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Juris Doctor (J.D.), Law — 2009–2012

Before law school, his academic interests were focused on German and Comparative Literature.

The Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), German & Comparative Literature — 1995–1999

He also studied abroad at Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany, completing coursework in German and Comparative Literature during 1997–1998.

The combination of labor experience and legal education gave Brian an unusual professional foundation. He had firsthand experience dealing with collective bargaining and workplace issues before adding formal legal training to his background.

A New Chapter With SAG-AFTRA

Brian eventually moved into the entertainment industry labor movement and became part of the leadership of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, broadcasters and other media professionals.

Since 2014, he has served as Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh, taking on responsibilities that extend beyond his earlier work representing hotel employees.

His career illustrates how experience in one part of the labor movement can provide a foundation for leadership in another.

From the busy hotel floors of Manhattan to regional leadership in Pittsburgh, Brian’s professional path has remained connected to one central theme: representing working people.

A Career I Remember With Respect

For me, Brian Lysell’s career is more than a professional biography.

It is also a personal memory.

I remember standing at The Peninsula New York as a Room Service Delegate, asking questions about our union contract and watching Brian explain the answers with remarkable confidence and precision.

I remember his courteous manner and willingness to help. I remember how seriously he took the rights of union members.

And I remember learning from him.

Many years have passed since those days at The Peninsula, but those memories remain vivid.

Brian’s journey—from HTC Local 6 Business Agent, to legal education and attorney, and ultimately to Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh—is a remarkable example of professional growth built upon experience, education and a commitment to organized labor.

To me, Brian will always be more than a former Business Agent.

He is someone whose professionalism, intelligence and knowledge left a lasting impression on me—and whose career continues to be a remarkable story of labor leadership.