After nearly five decades in the advertising industry, Chicago-based Midwest rep David Wagner has retired. He has been responsible for contributing to the careers of assorted directors and is credited on some of the most successful campaigns in the region since the 1980s. Among the many colleagues he mentored is Sam Sloma who grew up in the small town of Fremont, Ohio, and at a young age met Wagner. Sloma recalled that Wagner would come into town every so often from Chicago, along with his wife, a childhood friend of Sloma’s mom. Sloma said that Wagner was “engaging, curious, energetic, smart; he became my standard for success in the big world outside of Fremont. He guided me into film and communications, and throughout college sent me DVDs of commercials and short films to review–ALWAYS asking questions and explaining why he found something interesting. Upon graduation, I moved to Chicago the following day to begin interning for David. We would go on to spend the next 12 years working together, eventually forming David&Sam in 2019 where we worked as partners until his retirement. I never became David Wagner, but David Wagner made me the professional I am today,” affirmed Sloma. “Proud to call him my mentor, my partner, and my friend.” In the wake of Wagner’s retirement, Sloma has founded Known Associates, which handles Midwest representation for RESET, ProdCo, Supply&Demand, Farm League, World War Seven, Exile, and Mosaic. In an online post, Wagner related, “I am so immensely proud to have Sam Sloma carry things forward and start his own new chapter as Known Associates. It is well deserved and overdue.” Looking back on his career, Wagner shared, “Thank you to all the incredible directors that I have been able to represent! And the EPs and company owners that gave me the opportunity to represent their production companies.” Wagner added, “I was so lucky to have been given a book early in life, ‘The Success System that Never Fails’ by W. Clement Stone. I carried that book in my backpack, and then briefcase for 20 years. I still think of it often as a path to create character and strength in the most difficult of times. As I gratefully sail off into the sunset (quite literally) I am off to new adventures and challenges!”…
Rep Report for November 22, 2024
Joyce “JC” Cataldo has been named to the newly created position of head of development and strategy for the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA). In 2017, Cataldo was hired as director of business development for both the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and HPA. In 2020, she transitioned full time to HPA, bringing a wealth of experience to the organization. Before SMPTE, she was senior account and business development manager at Wall Street Communications. Prior to entering the media and entertainment industry, Cataldo spent over 10 years in corporate recruiting, coordinating undergraduate recruiting at over 70 schools for J.P. Morgan. During that time, she managed the on-campus recruitment program and sought corporate sponsorships from Fortune 500 companies at NYU, her alma mater. In her new capacity, Cataldo is leading a team dedicated to expanding membership, enhancing sponsorship opportunities, and driving strategic growth for HPA. Deanna Villarreal, recently promoted to membership engagement specialist, will work closely with her to further enhance membership involvement through HPA’s social media platforms; HPA veteran Max Ma will continue to manage the organization’s database, website and technical operations ensuring members can access information products with ease; and Roberta Gorman will continue her role as a membership consultant. Sales team members will round out Cataldo’s team. Her responsibilities include cultivating strong relationships with senior industry leaders, refining corporate membership offerings, and pursuing grants and collaborative opportunities that align with the organization’s goal of bringing value to its members....
Read More