We are asking all professional members to vote for WIA’s next International Board of Directors. You are thinking, “Who are these people and why should I cast my vote for them?”
The WIA International Board can have up to 15 members. The candidates listed below have all served on the Board for the last term and some have had a longer history with the organization.
The Board of Directors is the administrative body of the organization. It is the Board’s responsibility to take care of the database, the finances and taxes. The Board sets the initiatives and frees the chapters from the administrative hassles of running a non-profit. This way you, the members, and your chapters can go about the business of educating, communicating and inspiring each other.
The candidates are:
Celina Barajas is from the Chicago Chapter of WIA and has been on the Board for two years. She graduated from Columbia College in June 2002 with a B.A. in Film/Video-Traditional Animation concentration. She currently resides in Chicago, Il, Lakeview neighborhood. She has been freelancing for Calabash Animation Studio for almost 4 years now, working on mainly “Trix” and “Lucky Charms” cereal commercials as a clean-up animator/ink & painter. She has been a fan of animation, especially Disney, since she was a child. She loves the art of traditional animation and considers any person who is a traditional animator a “magician” (although she does admire computer animators as well). “To bring a character to life from drawings is still amazing to me and is a rare art.” Celina wants to run again for the Women in Animation Board most of all because of her passion for animation. Even though the small Chicago Chapter has very limited resources due to its location in the industry, it has been a wonderful social group for women animators in Chicago. Everyone loves being able to rely on each other and keep each other’s passion for animation up. If re-elected, Celina will continue to keep the passion for animation alive in the Chicago Chapter.
Brenda Bisner started in the trenches with the godfather of “tween” programming, Tom Lynch. After 3 grueling years of multi tasking, writing, running, producing, not sleeping, and running some more, Brenda produced one of Nickelodeon’s first reality tween shows, “The Team,” featuring Lil Romeo and Master P. She went on to produce the pilot for the N’s break-out hit “South of Nowhere.”
From there, Brenda ran off to NYC to get a dose of living on the East Coast. She expanded outside of the kids world — after months of work, developing a series for Court TV with a criminal mastermind, the FBI came and picked her up and told her that communication with an ex-con was probably not the best idea. It was then that she realized she better get back on entertainment careers dot net. This led to a job with Branscome International, where she joined forces with Catherine Branscome, handling sales and acquisitions of animated shorts and features from all around the world. This was Brenda’s first foray into the International market, followed by her first steps in the French Riviera. Oh how the good times rolled, until Brenda needed a bigger challenge.
Soon after her NYC adventure, she found herself back in Los Angeles in the GRB Entertainment Offices setting up the first acquisition department over a two year period full of over 150 hours of reality, sports programming, shock docs and late night porn, Brenda realized her true passion was in the kids space in which she began. She soon landed at Porchlight Entertainment, as the Vice President of Acquisitions for Children’s Programming. In this position, Brenda was responsible for the acquisition of children’s animated and live-action programming worldwide for PorchLight’s international distribution division, as well as the newly formed home entertainment and digital media divisions. It was at Porchlight that she was able to get into Digital Media and learn the ins and outs of the Digital Media world working closely with PorchLight’s digital media group in the launch of KidVideos.com, a family-safe website for kids, tweens and teens.
Today Brenda finds herself driving on the 405 from Marina Del Rey to Burbank where she works in Licensing for Cookie Jar Entertainment handling brands such as ‘Strawberry Shortcake’ and ‘Inspector Gadget.’ “Toys are fun to play with,” Bisner says. “And they don’t have annoying act-break structures.”
Chara Campanella is a writer and producer with over ten years of professional experience. She has written, produced and worked in development on reality shows for Lifetime Television, HGTV and Animal Planet. Chara has also been a writer on animated shows for The Disney Channel and Cartoon Network as well as a comedy writer for the syndicated radio station Jack FM. Additionally, she is a writer/producer on Wijio Worldwide Studios’ upcoming feature “Time Piglets.” Chara is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and for the past two years has served on the Board of Directors for Women in Animation.
Lisa Goldman heads up Women-In-Animation in New York and has been a member for at least 10 years. The highlights of my contributions to WIA-NY has been programming events with industry professionals. I want to give members as much access as possible to industry professionals and to remind the industry that WIA is a great source of talent for them. This year we received a generous contribution from one of our members and now we will have the joy of finding the best way to make an impact with it. My passion in this industry is writing and creating shows. Most recently, I wrote an episode of “Pinky Dinky Do” and have been story editor on two seasons of “Pilar’s Adventures” and have written several of episodes as well. Check them out on http://www.koljunior.com/. For a list of credits, please email me at lisaggoldman@yahoo.com. If re-elected, I will represent the East Coast to the best of my abilities with lots of energy, enthusiasm and New York humor. I would like to help lead this organization to a very animated future!
Stephanie Graziano has an extensive 34 year track record of high-profile successes in the animation industry, including senior-level positions with DreamWorks Television Animation, Fox Kids Network, Marvel Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Hanna-Barbera Productions and BKN Studios. She launched Graz Entertainment as her own successful independent animation production company with her husband in 1992. She has produced over 400 half hours of television programming including such well known properties as “The Tick” for Fox Kids Network, “G.I. Joe Extreme” and “My Little Pony Tales” for Hasbro Toys and Sunbow Entertainment. Ms. Graziano has negotiated dozens of production contracts, participated in many International co-productions, and has helped to launch the careers of many well-known artists in the industry. She has extensive overseas experience both in the Far East and in Europe, enjoying many international relationships in programming as well as distribution, and licensing and merchandising.
In 2002, she began consulting with multiple entertainment companies to broaden and expand their development and marketing reach. Today she is proud to be the current President of Women In Animation and is looking forward to being a part of the 2009/2010 Board of Directors.
Linda Miller has spent the last twenty-something years in animation. She’s worked her way from animation trainee to storyboard artist, character designer, and, most recently, writer. She worked on most of the Don Bluth features (the good ones) as an animator and character designer, directed episodes of “Dilbert” and “The Oblongs” and has co-written a TV special for Porchlight Entertainment: look for “A Martian Christmas” on Cartoon Network this December. Linda is a founding member of Women In Animation and currently President of the Los Angeles chapter. If she’s returned to the Board of Directors, she will attempt to a.) keep things funny and b.) promote ideas for adding value to your Women In Animation membership.
Jan Nagel is Entertainment Marketing Diva and has been a member of the animation community since 1991. I am a marketing consultant to animation production services, such as Santo Domingo Animation and Xing Xing Digital of Beijing, as well as creators of content. As a marketing professional, I bring to WIA strategic planning and promotional skills. As a founding member, I am one of the four original writers and signers of our corporate bylaws. I am involved in all activities of WIA. I am president emeritus, serving 6 years as president of the board. I was the very first Vice President on the Board of Directors and I am back to that position currently. I have served on the Executive Committee. With my long history with Women in Animation and my years in the industry of animation, I feel I have a lot to contribute to Women in Animation. I would like the organization to continue to grow with the addition of new members worldwide. I would like to see greater nurturing of the members and the improvement of communication between all members. I look forward to continuing to serve you, the animation industry and this organization for many years.
Hope S. Parker is the Administrative Assistant to the President for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles. She was the Director of Administration and Operations for Baer Animation for 12 years. She has thirty years of diverse experience in administration, marketing, advertising, public relations, finance, legal program development and production. Member of WIA and Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. I am a founding member of WIA and have helped to nurture and direct it ever since. I am especially concerned that the regional groups and international should have strong financial guidelines and develop solid financial underpinnings. I currently serve on the Board of Directors and hold the office of Treasurer. I want to help continue the growth of the organization so that more women (and men) across our country and around the world can join and expand their animation opportunities and friendships.
First of all, Marlene Sharp loves being a new board member in Women in Animation!
Second, Marlene Sharp was born in New Orleans, Louisiana not long ago and lived there until she left for graduate school on the West Coast of the USA. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama/Communications from Loyola University of New Orleans, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University.
Ms. Sharp is equally at home in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Her career has included work as an actor, singer, standup comedian, writer, producer, consultant, and many, many jobs as assistant to very impressive people in the entertainment industry. Acting credits include a recurring role on the NBC sitcom “Come to Papa” (starring Steve Carell and Tom Papa), a supporting role in the David Schwimmer-produced indie film Humanoid, a campaign of commercials for Price-Waterhouse, and performances at LA comedy clubs, such as The Improv and The Comedy Store. Notable producing credits include the home video Dinozaurs for Bandai Entertainment, Z-Squad for Enemes, Inc., and Garlic Boy also for Enemes, Inc. She and her partners in Two Twigs and a Berry Productions, Inc. (Andrew Young and Lawrence Roussarie) are also the creators of the animated show Priscilla, which has been commissioned by Aniboom.com.
At present, Ms. Sharp is the only U.S.-based employee for award-winning Korean CGI and Flash studio Enemes, Inc. She serves the company as producer and manager of distribution and marketing. Enemes performs both work-for-hire animation services (Stitch! For Disney Toon Studios; Higglytown Heroes for Disney Channel), co-productions (Gotta Catch Santa Claus with Cookie Jar Entertainment/Lionsgate) and original projects. Z-Squad marks the first of such forays into original programming and is distributed worldwide by Nelvana, Ltd. Ms. Sharp is especially proud of her role as the voice of Bernice, the wacky sidekick of the Z-Squad heroines.
Ms. Sharp anticipates creating and producing artistically valuable projects that she can perform in as well!
Richard Sigler has been on the Board of WIA for 5 years and is currently Secretary of the organization. He is an entertainment attorney practicing for over 35 years in Los Angeles. Two of his specialties for over 25 years are animation and licensing. He has written a column for Animation Magazine called Legal Briefs on the legal and business affairs of the animation industry. He has an entertainment transactional law and business affairs practice, including rights acquisitions and sales, distribution agreements, financing agreements, foreign and domestic co-production agreements, talent contracts, overseas subcontracting, computer animation, exhibition licenses, and network and syndication licenses. He has represented artists, producers, and properties in almost every area of animation, and worked for Hanna-Barbera, Marvel Productions, and Ruby-Spears. He graduated from the USC Law Center where he was an editor of the Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. He has taught there and at various art schools, and he has spoken before animation professional organizations.
Rita Street is the president of Radar Cartoons, a producer’s representation firm specializing in the development and sales of original animation content. For clients, Radar has placed numerous shows into development and is currently exec producing “Ruby Gloom” for YTV and Nelvana, and “Hero: 108” for Gamania Digital Entertainment, Mike Young Productions and Cartoon Network. Rita’s first animated short, “Mock ‘n Boyd” with Dainty Productions in Ottawa is now making the festival circuit. She is the founder of Women in Animation and a current board member.
Pamela Thompson was a line producer/production manager before she became a recruiter and career coach. I write a monthly column called the Career Coach at http://mag.awn.com. Since moving to Idaho in 2007, I am keenly aware of the need to connect with other members of WIA. I am a founding member and have been active in WIA since 1994. In the past, I have been active in the Computer Animation group and the Education group and have been a member of the Programming Committee and have produced and moderated many general meetings in the Los Angeles area.
Bonita L. Versh is an Animation Director. I began my career in 1968 in Ink & Paint at Hanna Barbara. Since then I have learned every aspect of animation, layout, and design through working at most of the major studios and overseas; with the best animators and directors in the world. I have worked in all formats but specialized in short form such as commercials, titles, interstitials, pilots, and creative development. I enjoyed directing at Klasky Csupo for almost 12 years as one of their first female directors at Kachew, their commercial division. I am continuing to learn every day. In WIA, I have been very involved in programming and education from the very beginning. Through my efforts and contributions (along with all the other great gals) we have produced some of the best-attended programs and educational workshops. I offer leadership, inspiration and knowledge. I¹m concerned about overseeing what and how this organization evolves and to keep positive principals and support for all artists (especially women) in the business, without which there would be no business.
