HRTS Announces New Board Members And Advisory Council

Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) has announced its newly-elected board members and newly-appointed Advisory Council members comprising a diverse group of leaders from across the TV and entertainment industry, it was announced today by HRTS President Odetta Watkins (head of drama series, Amazon Studios) and CEO Melissa Grego.

Grego, who first joined HRTS as CEO in 2017 and previously worked as a journalist, editor and event producer, has also extended her contract with the organization until 2025.

Under the leadership of Watkins, HRTS Chairperson Dan Erlij (Senior Partner and Co-Head of the TV Literary Dept. at UTA) and Grego, HRTS has transformed into one of the most important forces for connection and collaboration within the entertainment industry. HRTS recently set an all-time record for the number of individual memberships; it currently counts virtually every major studio, network/platform and talent agency among its corporate members as well as professionals from a multitude of areas of the industry, from producers, writers and artists to executives, agents, attorneys and managers.

HRTS, which celebrated its 75^th anniversary last year, provides community for every career level — from college students to C-Suite level executives. It offers mentorship and programming initiatives that serve members in Los Angeles, New York and around the world.

As part of its 75^th anniversary efforts, HRTS last year launched the charitable HRTS Foundation, whose first initiative was the HRTS Fellowship Program, and the now annual HRTS Gala, which benefits the Foundation. The HRTS Fellowship Program just welcomed its first-ever class; it is designed to help launch the careers of 10 Junior HRTS members and 5 student members. The HRTS Foundation’s mission is to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive TV and entertainment industry.

“As we welcome this extraordinary group of new Board and Advisory Council members to HRTS, we look forward to building on the momentum we have within the industry,” Watkins said. “In the tradition of the luncheon events HRTS has hosted for 75 years, we’ve expanded that legacy to include more than 70 in-person and virtual events each year between HRTS, HRTS Associates and JHRTS. The meaningful discussions in these forums are at the heart of HRTS, which attracts and serves professionals of all levels who are committed to building community and giving back in areas such as our best-in-class mentorship program.”

Grego said: “We are so thankful for all of those who volunteer and serve on the Board of Directors and Advisory Council, as well as the Boards that serve our mid-career membership, the HRTS Associates; and for the entry level career stage, the Junior HRTS (JHRTS). HRTS has more than 150 volunteer leaders, making it a true insiders’ organization. In this time of uncertainty and change, I am honored to continue working alongside our Boards, members, staff, partners, and the entertainment community at large to provide inclusive support, mentorship and educational programs, which are more vital than ever.”

Newly-elected to the HRTS Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in July 2023 are:

Kathryn Busby (President, Original Programming – STARZ)

Ben Davis (Partner, Co-Head WME Digital – WME)

Jaime Feld (Co-head, TV Talent – CAA)

David Eilenberg (Head of Content – Roku Media)

Frank Jung (Co-Founder/Co-head of Digital Media – CAA)

Lisa Katz (President, Scripted Content – NBCUniversal)

Tim McNeal (Senior Vice President, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion, Disney Television Studios – Disney Entertainment)

DJ Nurre (Executive Vice President – Unscripted, Endemol Shine North America)

Brett Paul (President, Warner Bros Television – Warner Bros Discovery)

Rhonda Price (Managing Partner – The Gersh Agency)

Lauren Stein (EVP Drama Development – Sony Pictures Television)

Erin Underhill (President, Universal Television).

Existing Board Members elected to a new three-year term beginning July 2023 are:

Kate Adler (EVP, Comedy Development  – CBS Television Studios)

David Acosta (SVP & Team Leader, Entertainment Division – City National Bank)

Charlie Andrews (EVP, Live-Action & Unscripted Series – Disney Branded Television)

Bela Bajaria (Chief Content Officer – Netflix)

Paul Buccieri (President & Chairman – A+E Networks Group)

Christina Davis (Producer and Executive)

Scott Hervey (Shareholder – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation)

Marc Korman (Agent/Partner – WME)

Jordan Levin (General Manager – Rooster Teeth)

Greg Lipstone (President & COO – Voxovation; CEO – Stockholm Syndrome)

David Madden (Head of Global Entertainment – Wattpad Webtoon Studios)

Philippe Maigret (President & Managing Director – ITV Studios America)

Andrew Miller (Agent, Scripted Television – CAA)

Kim Rozenfeld (President – Half Full Studios)

Robin Schwartz (President/Executive Producer – Working Bird Inc)

Odetta Watkins (Head of Drama Series – Amazon).

Board Members continuing to serve their three-year term are Albert Cheng (Vice President, Head of Prime Video US, Amazon), Tara Duncan (President, Onyx Collective), Dan Erlij (Senior Partner and Co-Head of the TV Literary Dept, UTA), Rafael Gomez (Head of Business Affairs, AMC Networks), Tina Perry (President, OWN), Chris Selak (President and Chief Content Officer, End of Episode), and Alejandro Uribe (Consultant,

Exile Content Studio and Candle Media).
HRTS also announced new members joining and extending terms on the HRTS Advisory Council, comprised of past Board Members appointed by the current HRTS Election Committee.

Those beginning a new, two-year Advisory term:

Nick Grad (President, FX Entertainment)

Cindy Holland (Global CEO, Sister)

Francesca Orsi (EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Film – HBO)

Craig Piligian (President/CEO, Pilgrim Media Group; President, Lionsgate Nonfiction TV)

Beatrice Springborn (President, UCP and Universal International Studios)

Chris von Goetz (Founder, Adventure Media).

Extending for an additional year:

Andy Friendly (President, Andy Friendly Productions)

Kelly Goode (SVP, Current Programming Warner Bros. Television)

Gary Newman (Executive Partner, Attention Capital)

Eric Schrier (President, Disney Television Studios & Business Operations – Disney General Entertainment).

They join Advisory Council Members continuing their service: Leigh Brecheen (Partner, Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson), Matt Cherniss (Head of Programming, AppleTV+), Stephen Davis (Managing Partner, Still Pictures), Gary Marenzi (Founder/CEO, Marenzi & Associates), and John Morayniss (CEO, Blink49 Studios).

The Advisory Council enables the organization to achieve its long-term goals by tapping the expertise of previous directors of the board to contribute in areas they are passionate about to advance the organization, open new areas of focus, and ensure HRTS remains a valued resource within the industry.

The HRTS 2023 Board of Directors Election Committee is: HRTS President Odetta Watkins, and Directors Robin Schwartz, Chris Selak, Greg Lipstone and Jordan Levin.

HRTS officers, led by Amazon Studios’ Watkins who serves as the organization’s president, were not up for re-election at this time. Those continuing in their officer roles through the end of 2023 in addition to Watkins include Chairperson of the Board, Dan Erlij (Partner, Co-Head, Television Literary Department, United Talent Agency); Vice President, Francesca Orsi (EVP and Head of Drama Programming, HBO); Secretary, Charlie Andrews, (EVP Live-Action & Unscripted Series, Disney Branded Television); and Treasurer, Alejandro Uribe (Consultant, Exile Content and Candle Media).