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NYWIFT Board of Directors
Board of Directors 2009/2010
Laverne Berry, Esq. - President
Laverne Berry is an entertainment and media business affairs attorney. She was admitted to the bar in 1996 after having worked as a television producer and media business executive for 18 years. As an attorney, she represents on-air talent, independent producers, television and film production companies and cable networks. Her clients have earned numerous awards, including prestigious film festival awards and an Oscar® nomination. Before returning to private practice she was a Director of Legal and Business Affairs for A&E Television Networks. As an executive for Thirteen/WNET, New York's premier Public Television station, RKO General Television, Avon Books and several independent production companies, she focused on the development, production, distribution and licensing of television programs and related ancillary products, e.g., DVDs, books, CDs and merchandise, and was known for closing difficult deals (using in equal parts, experience and humor). For her own media work, Ms. Berry has been recognized with a number of awards, including 2 CINE Golden Eagle® Awards, 2 Emmy® nominations, and 2 grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Esmee - VP/Communications
Esmée is an interactive content producer. She's managed the social media, video and podcast strategies for Deloitte LLP; creating and producing the Deloitte Insights and Statements podcasts, producing recruiting videos, and conceptualizing and producing online conference experiences. She's worked in TV, film, and commercial production for HBO, Studios USA, Hallmark Entertainment and others. Esmée co-founded Stage Shadows, Inc., an audio theatre company which produced and recorded radio drama, live at The Museum of Television & Radio and broadcast over NYC's WFUV (90.7 FM).
Alexandra Levi - VP/Development
Alexandra Levi launched her first consulting practice when she was 21, developing financial and tax strategies for individuals and small businesses in entertainment and media. Eight years later, a client convinced her to join his company, where she became CFO of a premier modeling agency headquartered in New York. She expanded the business to London, South Beach and Cape Town growing income tenfold to $20 million. Levi also developed the company's commercial, television and film divisions, negotiating some of the largest and most innovative contracts in the industry. In 1999, she became vice president of entertainment at a communications firm, leading both its creative and management teams. In addition to producing content for film and television, Levi spearheaded licensing, branding and distribution programs. After six years, she decided to return to her own practice, driven by her entrepreneurial instinct and desire to help individuals and businesses develop strategies for growing their businesses and creating and preserving wealth.
Anna Gerb - VP/Membership
Anna Gerb is Executive Producer/Head of Production at Washington Square Films where she oversees corporate operations, production finance, and all commercial, film, television & documentary productions. Independently she is developing a romantic comedy with fellow NYWIFT writer member Kate Bernstein. Prior to WSF, Anna was Partner and Executive Producer at Spank Films, an award winning commercial production company based out of Toronto, Canada. There Anna produced the DGC & Genie nominated feature film "Blood" with acclaimed Canadian director Jerry Ciccoritti that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to award winning commercials including a Cannes Gold Lion campaign, Anna has produced short films and documentaries for the CBC and the Movie Network that have been honored at festivals worldwide. Anna has been producing for 15 years. She is a member of NYWIFT, The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the New York Production Alliance.
Janet Stilson - VP/Programming
Janet Stilson is a film writer and journalist. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Julia and David White Artists Colony in Costa Rica on five occasions, and also was in residence at La Muse artist retreat in Southern France during 2008. Her film scripts have been semi-finalists in several award competitions, including Filmmakers, American Accolades and the Austin Film Festival. Two have been optioned. As a journalist, Janet's writing has ranged from a look at fun things to do in Spanish Harlem to think pieces about digital media. Her articles have appeared in many publications, including Variety, The Los Angeles Times and Advertising Age. Janet has produced and moderated many panel sessions for NYWIFT, served on the organization's Program Committee and is a member of its Writers Group. She also is a former board member of Women in Cable and Telecommunications. Her journalism blog can be found at www.stilsonwrites.typepad.com .
Jennifer Wollan - VP/Special Events
Jennifer Wollan is President/Executive Producer of Reel Biography, a video production company specializing in bringing the documentary sensibility to corporate videos, not-for-profit fundraising videos and personal tribute reels. In addition, she edits for Good Morning America. She has been editing film, television and non-broadcast video for over 20 years. She got her start in the business as a NYWIFT intern, and went from there to apprentice at Tony Silver Films, where she learned to edit. Over the years she has cut for AMC, PBS, The Montel Williams Show, Daniel Wilson Productions, Mumbleypeg Productions, Reel Biography, and many more. She was the visual effects for editor several feature films, including Wing Commander, Judge Dredd, Die Hard With A Vengeance and Eraser.
Susan Steiger - Secretary
Susan Steiger has over twenty years experience as a corporate and an entertainment lawyer with clients in the worlds of theatre, publishing, film and music. Before law school, she was an associate producer at ABC News Special Events where she worked on political conventions, elections, the space program and science documentaries and then at 20/20. She is currently on the board of the Irish Repertory Theatre and a co-producer of "Menopause, The Musical."
Thea Kerman, Esq. - Treasurer
Thea Kerman has over 25 years of legal experience and is an expert in the entertainment, publishing, merchandising, toy and licensing industries. Her broad range of experience in the entertainment industry includes theatrical films, live action and animated episodic television programs, broadcast and cable television movies of the week and documentaries. She has extensive experience providing financial, production counsel and other legal services for films produced for major studios, broadcast and cable television networks as well as independently produced films and international co-productions. She has represented independent producers, writers, directors, performers, cinematographers, film editors, other below the line personnel, production executives, foreign sales agents and talent agencies. She is the author of several articles on protecting original ideas and on acquiring rights to properties to be made into motion pictures and television programs. Prior to establishing her own law firm in 1990, she was the Senior Production Counsel for Tri-Star Pictures in Los Angeles. Earlier she served as General Counsel for the Marvel Comics Group.
Geralyn Abinder - Membership
A film and video
director and producer for 16 years, with a unique an understanding and
philosophy of communicating and entertaining through media, Albinder
has created films that strive to educate and entertain on several
aspects of science and natural history. Using cutting-edge presentation
technologies, she has designed and produced evocative space-defining
media installations. Albinder worked with leading cultural institutions
worldwide to interpret content and create engaging informational media,
documentary productions, promotional programs and large-scale artistic
installations.
Barbara Alpert - Development
Barbara (Bobbi) Alpert built her expertise as a writer-producer and marketer in traditional media. Her early experience was gained in the advertising industry, where she specialized in new products. Much as she enjoyed it, she had other ideas to share, and moved from advertising to production. She created and produced long and short form television and video in genres including children's and informational programming. Bobbi combined her creative, production and marketing experience in "Getting Down to Business," a successful TV series for and about entrepreneurs, of which she was a co-creator and Executive Producer. It served as a launch pad into interactive media. She is a principal and president of two sibling companies dedicated to making media more accessible and meaningful. Chilmark Digital develops software that fosters creativity and productivity in audio / video archive management, editing, TV and film testing and other research. The company's [n]LITEN software is integrated into TV City, the CBS research facility in Las Vegas. Chilmark Programs aggregates film and video, and packages the content for streaming applications; Bobbi is currently overseeing a licensing venture in the higher education market. More at: www.chilmarkcompanies.com .
Veronique N. Doumbe - Membership
Born in
France and raised in Cameroon, France and Ivory Coast, she studied Law
at the University of Paris-X, Nanterre in France where she obtained her
"License en Droit." She moved to New York City in 1981 where she soon
produced, directed and edited several documentary shorts including
"Portrait of an artist: Ray Grist" (1982), "Carnaval Foyal" (1983),
"Solar Cars" (1986). In 1989, Veronique N. Doumbe produced, directed
and edited: "AVP: A Step Towards Peace" commissioned by the
Alternatives to Violence Project, Inc. which was screened at community
centers across the country. "Denis A. Charles: An interrupted
conversation" released in 2002 marked Veronique N. Doumbe's feature
film debut. Her most recent project, "The Birthday Party," a short
story written by Sherry McGuinn, is currently making the festival circuit.
Cheryl Daly-Communications
A veteran television communications executive, Cheryl Daly has over three decades experience
in public relations for domestic and international television companies. She spent much of her career at CBS, where she served as Sr. Vice President, Communications, CBS Cable (1996-2000) and in a variety of positions from 1976-83 in Corporate Communications and CBS Radio. She also headed Communications for Group W's cable network division for 15 years and for MSNBC. Among the networks she has served are: TNN, CMT, The Discovery Channel, CBS Eye on People, and CBS Telenoticias. She has consulted for Oxygen and MTV Network and currently consults for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, presenters of the Emmy Award.
Carey Graeber - Development
Carey Graeber is an entrepreneurial filmmaker who has created broadcast documentaries and corporate communications vehicles for corporations, government entities and non-profits. She founded her media company, Great Plains Productions in 2001. Carey's feature documentary Rediscovering Dorothy is currently in production.
Her broadcast credits include work for PBS, MSNBC and WDIV-TV, Detroit. Other clients have included: the Open Society Institute, Safe Horizon (funded by the New York Times 9/11 Neediest Cases Fund, the Walter Reed Medical Center, Detroit Public TV, General Motors, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, and Digital Icon Group.
This is her third time on the NYWIFT Board, she previously served as Vice President of Development and was NYWIFT President from 2005-2007.
Tracy J. Grandstaff - Special Events
Tracy is
Vice President, On Air Creative at Comedy Centra. She oversees the
promotion of new show launches ("Important Things With Demetri Martin,"
"Krod Mandoon," "Chappelle's Show"), show re-launches ("Sara Silverman
Program") and ongoing promotion for "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert
Report." She began promo writing and directing with MTV's On-Air
Creative Department. This led to a variety of roles including head
writer for MTV's Video Music Awards (1998-2001), "VH1 Vogue Fashion
Awards," Nickelodeon "Kids Choice Awards" :writer Nick's "Taina";
writer/voice talent "Beavis And Butt-Head." She voiced TV's "Daria" and
is a member of the WGA East.
Iri Greco - Programming
Iri works as an independent video producer for television and new media. She is the founder of Panforte Productions LLC, a visual media company specializing in life-style content, video production, and consulting services since 2006. She has worked with media celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Sara Moulton, Racheal Ray, Martha Stewart, Lidia Bastianich, Dave Lieberman, and Mario Batali. Iri has created and produced web video series for foodnetwork.com and several Hearst web platforms. Her television work has appeared on Food Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fine Living, HGTV, Fox and PBS. She has appeared on screen in two series premier episodes of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Current Panforte Productions projects include a social media web series, two television pilots and a feature length documentary.
Meryl Joseph - Programming
Meryl's experience as a producer and visual artist has spanned both sides of the Atlantic. After studying at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, and graduating from NYU, she began a photographic career which evolved into filmmaking and conceptual art, with work exhibited in both the US and Europe. CITY FARMERS and INTO THE MAINSTREAM have garnered diverse awards and were screened in Berlin, NYC, L.A. and on TLC and Nikelodeon, and Metro Channel.
Eileen Newman - Membership
Eileen Newman is the Deputy Director of the Tribeca Film Institute. Previously she was Executive Director of the National Board of Review, Senior Director of Programming at the Independent Feature Project and served as Executive Director of Film/Video Arts for many years, Ms. Newman is active in the New York film community, serving on the boards of the New York Production Alliance, Manhattan Neighborhood Network (Board Chair) and the advisory board of New York Women in Film and Television. She often speaks on panels about independent media and has been a juror and panel member for the Miami International Film Festival, the Jerome Foundation, and the Department of Cultural Affairs among others.
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