ASIFA-Hollywood recently elected a new Board President, Frank Gladstone, and Vice Presidents Jerry Beck, J.J. Blumenkranz & Tom Caulfield. Rounding out the new Executive Board is Bill Turner as Treasurer and Erica Pinto as Secretary.
“I’m excited to welcome our newly elected Executive Board,” said Aubry Mintz, ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Director. “While several members have previously served in leadership roles, our executive board brings a blend of experience, fresh perspectives, and renewed energy. Together, they are well-positioned to assist ASIFA-Hollywood to continue to evolve, serve our members and strengthen the animation community for years to come.”
Frank Gladstone, ASIFA-Hollywood Board President
New Board President, Frank Gladstone has a long history of service and leadership with ASIFA-Hollywood, serving as Executive Director and President, and more recently Executive Producer of the annual Annie Awards. Gladstone replaces Sue Shakespeare who retired from the board, and who guided ASIFA-Hollywood for six years with her thoughtful leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering dedication; Shakespeare will now become a member of ASIFA-Hollywood’s Emeritus Board.
Michael Paxon, Annie Awards Executive Producer
Michael Paxton was also promoted to Executive Producer of the Annie Awards, taking over the reins from Frank Gladstone. Paxton is an Oscar-nominated and award-winning producer, writer and director, who started in animation as a writer for the Feature Animation Department during the production of Disney’s original The Little Mermaid in 1989. He continued in animation production work at a variety of studios on such films as Rodney Dangerfield,
The Pagemaster,
Stuart Little 2,
The Lion King 1 ½, and
The Addams Family 2. Along with developing feature films, Paxton teaches film history and production, has authored books and lectured at film festivals and universities worldwide.
“After 35 years in animation and working with the previous Executive Producer of the Annie Awards, I am honored and grateful to now be the new Executive Producer of the Annie Awards, and to continue to support the best in the animation industry.”
Jerry Beck, ASIFA-Hollywood Board VP
J.J. Blumenkranz, ASIFA-Hollywood Board VP
Tom Caulfield, ASIFA-Hollywood Board VP
Erica Pinto, ASIFA-Hollywood Board Secretary
Bill Turner, ASIFA-Hollywood Board Treasurer
About ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, Animation Educators Forum (AEF), animated film preservation, open source software support, special events, classes, screenings, and the annual Annie Awards.