Carlos Cota was unanimously elected as the Eighth International Vice President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) at the 70th Quadrennial Convention in 2025 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He currently serves as International Vice President and Director of Convention and Trade Show, overseeing the union’s representation, organizing, collective bargaining, and industry development efforts throughout the United States and Canada. Previously, Cota was unanimously elected to the IATSE Board of Trustees on January 14, 2016, during the General Executive Board meeting in Hollywood, Florida.
Cota began his career in the entertainment industry as a stagehand with IATSE Local 122 in San Diego in 1990. He entered the union’s apprenticeship program in 1995 and was recognized as Apprentice of the Year in 1996. In 1998, he was elected to Local 122’s Executive Board, serving for seven years before being elected Business Agent in 2006. He served four consecutive terms before advancing to the position of International Representative.
Throughout his career, Cota has been a dedicated advocate for working families, workforce development, and the advancement of skilled labor in the entertainment, convention, and trade show industries. His leadership has focused on strengthening labor-management partnerships, expanding employment opportunities, advancing apprenticeship and continuing education programs, and promoting the long-term growth and sustainability of the industries represented by the IATSE.
His contributions to organized labor and the broader community have earned him numerous honors, including the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council’s Volunteer Dedication Award in 2008; IATSE Local 122’s highest distinction, the Lester J. Fluno Outstanding Service Award, in 2010; Labor Leader of the Year from the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice in 2011; the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council’s Labor Leader of the Year Award in 2015; the John S. Lyons Foundation’s Labor Leader of the Year Award in 2022; and the San Diego County Democratic Party’s Labor Leader of the Year Award in 2026.
In addition to his responsibilities with the IATSE, Cota currently serves as an Executive Board member of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, representing working families and advancing labor priorities at the state level. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, where he chairs the Sales and Marketing Committee, and on the Board of Directors of La Causa Service Clubs (formerly Cesar Chavez Service Clubs).
His previous community and labor leadership positions include service on the boards of the San Diego Food Bank, IATSE District 2, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council Executive Board, and California Ballet. He also served on the advisory board for the College, Career, and Technical Education program of the San Diego Unified School District.
With more than three decades of experience in the entertainment industry and organized labor, Cota continues to champion the interests of working people, strengthen labor-management relationships, expand career pathways, and create opportunities for future generations of entertainment professionals.
