NYWIFT Blog

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…”

That mysterious off-stage voice that announces presenters and honorees during awards ceremonies — it’s an actual position, listed on scripts and production notes. It’s called the VOG, the voice of god.

At this year’s Muse Awards, that role will be filled by someone who’s becoming a NYWIFT favorite: Valerie Smaldone. New York Women in Film and Television members know her from Designing Women 2013, which she emceed.

Smaldone’s well-practiced at being the VOG — she’s done it for such well-known organizations as the Clinton Global Initiative, founded by President Bill Clinton, and the Point Foundation, which is the national LGBTQ scholarship fund, among others.

She says her deepening involvement with NYWIFT during 2013 has been important to her.

“I have learned how many great programs and supportive initiatives for women and men it offers,“ she says. “It’s a wonderful place to find out we’re all in this together.”

That sense of community extends beyond her professional life. She helps organizations devoted to fighting ovarian cancer and MS.

“We are all part of a community,” Smaldone says. “And volunteering time or money or resources is always a wonderful way to make a difference in the world.”

Order your tickets for the 2013 Muse Awards on December 12.

— @MimiSpillane