The Alliance for Women in Media in Southern California Announce the 2015-2016 Board of Directors
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 28, 2015 -- Los Angeles, CA – The Southern California Affiliate of Alliance for Women in Media (AWM SoCal) announce its Officers and Board of Directors for the 2015-2016 term. Samantha Brown, Vice President of Strategic Sales from Vubiquity—the leading global provider of Premium Content Services and Desireé Duffy, Vice President of Operations from ITC—a digital marketing firm, will serve as AWM SoCal Co-Presidents, succeeding LaFern Cusack. Both Brown and Duffy have been involved with AWM SoCal and their sister organizations for over 15 years and have previously served American Women in Radio & Television as Southern California Presidents and Advisory Board members.
Cusack, Senior Producer of Content and Curation at Promax BDA and producer/host of ESPN Radio, will remain on the Executive Board of Directors as Immediate Past President and Chair of AWM SoCal Advisory Board.
“This is an important time for women in all areas of entertainment as Hollywood and the industry-at-large re-address the gender gap in our business. The Alliance for Women in Media Southern California seeks to advance the impact of women in media,” states Duffy. “The challenges women still face today are very real both in securing equal-opportunities and in salary parity.” Among full-time workers, women earn about 78 cents to a man's dollar according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus Men receive 62 percent of byline and other credits in print, Internet, TV and wire news, as reported by The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2015 Report by Women’s Media Center.
“AWM SoCal is well-poised to chip away at this gender gap by empowering women in our industry with the resources needed to further their career development,” Brown adds. “Our members enjoy educational programs, speaker events on timely topics led by industry leaders, as well as scholarship and mentoring opportunities.”
The organization welcomes women (and men) in all mediums of entertainment and tailors events to its membership. AWM SoCal also produces the Genii Awards, its pinnacle event, to recognize the accomplishments of women trailblazers in the industry. Some notable past winners include Betty White, Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Andrews, and Lucille Ball, to name a few.
Other Executive Board Officers elected for a one-year term include:
• Vice President of Programming – Bonnie Gallanter, President of Muse Artist Management
• Vice President of Membership – Cheryl Dorsey, Director of Business Development, 2G Digital
• Corresponding Secretary – Annette Covarrubias, Community Manager for the National Parenting Publication Awards (NAPPA) and L.A. Parent Magazine
• Treasurer – Anthony Allen, Accounting Manager, j2 Global
• Executive Board Member at Large – Mary C. Schaffer, Digital Media Consultant
Additionally, six Directors to serve a two-year term on the AWM SoCal Board include:
• Marketing Director – Jeanette Oliver, Marketing Consultant and Freelance Photographer
• Events Director – Minoti Vaishnav, Communications & Development Director of Prophecy Girl Films
• Technical Director – Tina Rubin, Director of Project and Process Management at Universal Music Group
• Social Media Director – Veronica Avila, Marketing and Social Media Consultant
• Scholarship Director – Leslie Simmons, National Assistant Director, Communications & Marketing, SAG-AFTRA
• Press & Community Outreach Director – Kim Spence Dickey, Producer/ Blogger for DogWell.guru and Publisher at StorybookProducer.com
The following individuals will serve as Directors at Large:
Board Newcomers include Britney Gordon, Supervisor of Retail Sales for Time Warner Cable Media; and Nichole Grossmann, Marketing Coordinator for CEN and JOPEN.
Returning to the Board – Kelly Orchard, Author, Speaker, broadcast consultant, Licensed Psychotherapist; and K.C. Tuckness, Cast Member, The Walt Disney Company.
About AWM SoCal:
Alliance for Women in Media, Southern California Affiliate (AWM SoCal) is the local affiliate to the Alliance for Women in Media, a national, nonprofit organization. We extend membership to qualified professionals in the media and entertainment industries. Founded in 1952, our mission is to advance the impact of women in media by educating and acting as a resource to our members, the industry and our community. AWM SoCal is dedicated to empowering career development and driving positive change for our industry and societal progress. The Southern California Chapter of Alliance for Women in Media offers local benefits to its members.
Kim Spence, AWM SoCal, http://www.awmsocal.org, +1 310.463.4201, [email protected]
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