Chair
Don Jensen was appointed Chair by Gov. Jay Inslee in August 2013. Previously he served as treasurer of Washington Filmworks. He is the owner of Alpha Cine Labs in Seattle, Washington. Jensen has 40 years experience in film and video production and post production. Jensen worked with a group of Washington companies to develop and pass the Motion Picture Competitiveness legislation in 2006.
John Cooper is President & CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism where he oversees a multi-faceted tourism promotion organization for the region that manages the Yakima Convention Center, Sports Commission, Visitor Information Center, plus working with the film and video industry. Prior to that he was the CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. Throughout his tenure in Washington state he has been actively involved in destination advocacy and marketing, including serving on state and multi-state tourism boards and associations.
Jannat is the Head of Documentary Films for Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions, producing and managing a suite of films and series including Academy Award-nominated Body Team 12, Sundance Award-winning STEP, Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale, Ballet Now, Ghost Fleet, and the award-winning digital series WeTheEconomy. In her work as an independent producer, Jannat Co-Executive Produced Academy Award-nominated Knife Skills, and Produced Emmy nominated feature documentary CIRCO.
After graduating college with degrees in music and communications, Alan moved to Settle in the mid-90s where he began a career as a commercial editor. In 2005 Alan started World Famous; then a small 3-person editorial company. With amazing storytelling at its root, World Famous grew from a full-service production company to a creative agency, crafting national advertising campaigns for AWS, FireTV, REI and more. Along the way World Famous has been featured in Communication Arts, Vice, The Today Show, has won some Gold Pencils and National Addy’s for its work, and been recognized for its unique creative culture. A strong believer in supporting the creative community, Alan served on the Mayor’s Economic Development Commission advocating for the arts and overall creative economy. Alan also grills a mean salmon, is a pretty ok DJ and has been known to throw an amazing party once in a while. 🙂
Equity Chair
Born and raised in Seattle, Myron is the owner of Chameleon Creative Services and has spent most of his career in the sound field. More recently he goes back and forth between sound and camera. Credits include Grey’s Anatomy, 21 and Over, World’s Greatest Dad and an Emmy for Bill Nye The Science Guy. Myron was the Past President and current committee member of C89.5/KNHC Public Radio Association, Co-Chair of Seattle Film Task Force and served on boards of Washington Film and Video Association, Seattle Ad 2, and the ITVA.
Equity Chair
Malcolm Pelles is a professor, playwright, and filmmaker. He teaches screenwriting at Eastern Washington University. His plays have been performed Off-Broadway in New York City and in Washington, DC at places like the Kennedy Center. Malcolm has written scripts for CBS Entertainment, the National Football League, Gameloft, and the US Army. He has an MFA degree in dramatic writing from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and an undergraduate degree in film production from Florida State University.
Andrea has been a creative her whole life, focusing on music and filmmaking. She spent 10 years as Creative Director of a boutique video creative agency in Paris, France, where she focused on leading the creative process. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts’ Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, she currently is the Chief of Staff of the Safety Department at Sound Transit. Andrea also directs the Seattle Black Film Festival, and remains active as a filmmaker, musician, and a mom.
Sherrye Wyatt serves as the Film Liaison for Island County, as well as Public Relations and Marketing Manager at Whidbey and Camano Islands Tourism. Previously, she spent several years directing communications programs within the Northwest cider and wine industries. Before that, she helped create, and then managed for several years, a charitable foundation serving Washington’s tree fruit industry. Prior to that she lived in Washington, D.C. where she was director of public affairs for an international trade association representing North American export grain companies (NAEGA).