Frank Scherma, president of RadicalMedia, has been elected chairman and CEO of the Television Academy. He will begin a two-year term on January 1, 2019, succeeding Hayma Washington who has served since January 2017.
Under Scherma’s leadership, multi-disciplinary studio Radical Media has produced respected and celebrated projects including commercials, feature films, television, music programming, graphic, interactive design and virtual reality–and has distributed that content across a full spectrum of media.
Throughout his career, Scherma and RadicalMedia have been honored with Emmys, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, Grammys, Webbys, The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design and two Palme d’Ors at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
Scherma has enjoyed a long history of volunteer service for the Television Academy, most recently as an officer of the Board of Governors as the vice chair for the 2017–2018 term. He previously served as the second vice chair for the Board of Governors as well as several terms as Commercials Peer Group governor. Scherma has also served on the Creative Arts Emmy Awards Show Committee, Membership Committee, Governors Award Selection Committee, Digital Strategy Committee and on the Television Academy Foundation’s Board of Directors, among other positions.
Additionally, he is on the board of ThinkLA, a nonprofit collaborative that ties together local media, marketing, entertainment and advertising communities in Los Angeles. He was also one of the founding board members of the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation.
Scherma said, “As our industry continues to evolve faster than ever, I am committed to ensuring that the Television Academy is at the forefront of this growth. Television is more exciting than ever, and I look forward to the new adventures and challenges we will face. I’m excited and humbled to take up this mantle.”
In addition to Scherma, newly elected TV Academy officers–who will each serve a two-year term from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2010–are: Steve Venezia, vice chair; Tim Gibbons, second vice chair; Sharon Lieblein, secretary; Allison Binder, treasurer; and Mitch Waldow, Los Angeles area vice chair.
The TV Academy also announced its newly elected governors, who will serve a two-year term through 2020 for their respective peer groups, along with their co-governors who are in the midst of two-year terms ending December 31, 2019.
By TV Academy peer group, the lineup of governors consists of:
- ANIMATION Jill Daniels (returning governor serving an ongoing term through 12/31/19), and Janet Dimon (newly elected to a term extending through 12/31/20)
- ART DIRECTORS/SET DECORATORS Halina Siwolop (returning), and James Yarnell (newly elected)
- CASTING DIRECTORS Peter Golden, CSA (returning), and Howard Meltzer, CSA (newly elected)
- CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING Jill Sanford (returning), and Troy Underwood (newly elected)
- CHOREOGRAPHY Eboni Nichols (returning), and Mandy Moore (newly elected)
- CINEMATOGRAPHERS John Simmons, ASC (returning), and Gary Baum, ASC (newly elected)
- COMMERCIALS Rich Carter (returning), and Ann Leslie Uzdavinis (newly elected)
- COSTUME DESIGN & SUPERVISION Terry Ann Gordon (returning), and Laura Guzik (newly elected)
- DAYTIME PROGRAMMING Steven Kent (returning), and Eva Basler (newly elected)
- DIRECTORS Michael Spiller (returning), and Mark Cendrowski (newly elected)
- DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMMING Daniel H. Birman (returning), and Lois Vossen (newly elected)
- INTERACTIVE MEDIA Lori H. Schwartz (returning), and Chris Thomes (newly elected)
- LIGHTING, CAMERA & TECHNICAL ARTS Jeffrey A. Calderon (returning), and David Plakos (newly elected)
- LOS ANGELES AREA Brenda Brkusic (returning), and Paul Button (newly elected)
- MAKEUP ARTISTS/HAIRSTYLISTS Terri D. Carter (returning), and Mary Guerrero (newly elected)
- MOTION & TITLE DESIGN Greg Kupiec (returning), and Lauraine Gibbons (newly elected)
- MUSIC John Debney (returning), and Rickey Minor (newly elected)
- PERFORMERS Bob Bergen (returning), and Patrika Darbo (newly elected)
- PICTURE EDITORS Scott Boyd, ACE (returning), and Michael Ruscio, ACE (newly elected)
- PRODUCERS John Ziffren (returning), and Keith Raskin (newly elected)
- PRODUCTION EXECUTIVES Keiren Fisher (returning), and Lucia Gervino (newly elected)
- PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Glenn Rigberg (returning), and Bryan Leder (newly elected)
- PUBLIC RELATIONS Steven Spignese (returning), and Nicole Marostica (newly elected)
- REALITY PROGRAMMING Philip D. Segal (returning), and Bob Boden (newly elected)
- SOUND Frank Morrone, CAS (returning), and Bob Bronow, CAS (newly elected)
- SOUND EDITORS Christopher Reeves (returning), and Eileen Horta (newly elected)
- SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS Mark Scott (returning), and Spatny Erik Henry (newly elected)
- STUNTS Lesley Aletter (returning), and Dorenda Moore (newly elected)
- TELEVISION EXECUTIVES Sam Linsky (returning), and Debra Curtis (newly elected)
- WRITERS Judalina Neira (returning), and Regina Hicks (newly elected)
The Television Academy seeks to expand the horizons of television excellence. Through the programs, publications and events of the Academy and its Foundation, it strives to empower storytellers who shape the evolving television space. And it celebrates those who have excelled by recognizing their achievements through accolades and awards, including television’s most coveted prize, the Emmy® Award.
