Six thought leaders–Casey Bloys, Ava DuVernay, Doug Herzog, Pearlena Igbokwe, David Madden and Lisa Nishimura–have been appointed by Television Academy chairman and CEO Frank Scherma to the Academy Executive Committee. This diverse, new group of appointees will work closely with the Television Academy’s officers and board of governors to guide and shape the direction of the Academy for the 2019 term.
“We are privileged to have the collective expertise, insights and resources of these visionary executives guiding us through what promises to be another extraordinary time of expansion and innovation in our industry,” said Scherma. “Their leadership provides relevancy and will be vital to ensuring the Television Academy is at the forefront of the industry’s remarkable evolution.”
Here’s a rundown of Scherma’s Executive Committee appointees and their roles and achievements:
–Casey Bloys: As president, HBO Programming, he oversees all of HBO and Cinemax’s programming efforts including scripted series, late night, documentaries, HBO sports and HBO films. Recent series include Barry, Big Little Lies, Insecure, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, My Brilliant Friend, Sharp Objects, Silicon Valley, Succession, True Detective, Veep and Westworld. Upcoming series include Watchmen, Lovecraft Country and The Righteous Gemstones.
–Ava DuVernay: Emmy®-winning and Oscar®-nominated writer, director, producer and distributor. Her directorial work includes the historical drama Selma, the Emmy Award-winning documentary 13th, the Disney children’s adventure A Wrinkle in Time, and her family drama series Queen Sugar.
–Doug Herzog: Former president, Viacom Music and Entertainment Group where he oversaw MTV, VH1, Logo TV, Comedy Central and Spike. Responsible for the launch of South Park, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
–Pearlena Igbokwe: As president, Universal Television, she oversees comedies Will & Grace, Superstore, The Good Place, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Russian Doll and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in addition to dramas Chicago Fire, New Amsterdam, FBI and Good Girls.
–David Madden: As president of programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, he oversees all programming across the entertainment networks AMC, IFC, SundanceTV and BBC America, with popular and critically acclaimed shows including The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, Killing Eve, The Terror, Lodge 49, Documentary Now!, and Brockmire .
–Lisa Nishimura: As VP of Original Documentary & Comedy Programming at Netflix, she has overseen documentary feature film, shorts and series including Icarus, Quincy, The White Helmets, Making A Murderer, Salt Fat Acid Heat, Chef’s Table and Wild Wild Country. She has also overseen comedy specials including Dave Chappelle: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation, John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life, Hannah Gadsby: Nanette and Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife.
Additionally, the Academy’s board of governors have elected the following individuals as their representatives on the executive committee for the 2019 term: Bob Bergen, performers; Rickey Minor, music; Michael Ruscio, ACE, picture editors; and Lori H. Schwartz, interactive media. Completing the executive committee roster for the 2019 term are these Academy officers: Vice chair Steve Venezia, CAS; second vice chair Tim Gibbons; secretary Sharon Lieblein, CSA; treasurer Allison Binder; Los Angeles Area vice chair Mitch Waldow; and Television Academy Foundation chair Madeline Di Nonno.
