RAY RICHMOND is considered one of the leading experts on television, media and the entertainment industry. For the last 15 years, he has worked as a television critic, columnist and reporter for publications including “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Daily Variety,” the “Los Angeles Daily News” and “The Orange County Register.” Ray got his start as a production assistant for Merv Griffin Productions in 1985-86. His books include “The Simpsons: A Compete Guide to Our Favorite Family” (1997); “This is Jeopardy: Celebrating America’s Favorite Quiz Show” (2004); “TV Moms: An Illustrated Guide” (2000); and “My Greatest Day in Show Business” (1999). He has been featured regularly on NPR, at the Paley Center for Media, and jas lectured on TV, film, and media for Chapman University, USC, and UCLA. In 2009 he launched his own firm, The Ray Richmond Company, where his clients include “Deadline Hollywood” and Hallmark Entertainment.

BRENT SIMON is the current president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Brent became senior editor of “Entertainment Today” magazine from 1999-2004 and is currently film editor at “H Monthly” magazine. He has written for “New York Magazine,” “NowPlaying,” “ShockYa,” “FilmStew,” “YahooMovies,” “Screen International,” and has been published in “Magill’s Cinema Annual” and “Newsmakers.”Mr. Simon has served on film competition juries and covered numerous film festivals including LA Film Festival and AFI FEST, where he was a content editor in 2005. His comedy play, “Pulp College,” was produced off-off-Broadway in 2008. Brent blogs at SharedDarkness.com and is SharedDarkness on Twitter.

DEBRA LEVINE’s byline regularly graces top-tier publications like “The Los Angeles Times” and the “The Huffington Post.” She has also published in “Culture Monster,” “La Opinión,” “Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles,” the “Long Beach Press Telegram,” and “South China Morning Post.” As a Pittsburgh native and former professional modern dancer, she has lived in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tel Aviv, nurturing her arts passion in all cities. In October 2010, she was a Fellow at the NEA Classical Music & Opera Institute at Columbia University in New York. In 2009, Debra was a Fellow at the NEA Dance Criticism Institute at the American Dance Festival at Duke University. In August 2009, she led (with Brent Simon) the successful grassroots campaign to save the 40-year-running classic film program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Debra blogs at Artsmeme.com and Twitter.com/artsmeme and runs her own corporate writing/consulting firm at Levine & Associates Ms. Levine is a proud member of IWOSC.

LIBBY SLATE is a regular contributor to “Emmy” Magazine Emmys.com and Emmys.tv, as well as “Performances” magazine, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (formerly, the Orange County Performing Arts Center) and “Where Los Angeles.” She has written more than 300 articles for “The Los Angeles Times,” including two columns of her own, and has also written for “Disney Magazine,” “The Hollywood Reporter Magazine” and “TV Guide.” Her article on Oprah Winfrey for the Primetime Emmy Awards program received an “I loved it!” from Winfrey herself. In addition to her celebrity interviews, Libby spotlights the behind-the-scenes craft and art of entertainment. She has also written about theater and figure skating, profiling many notable skaters and touring with Champions on Ice. Ms. Slate inadvertently helped make history with her “Skating” magazine cover story on Nancy Kerrigan, cited by rival Tonya Harding’s camp as a reason for the attack on Kerrigan at the 1994 Winter Olympic trials. Libby Slate is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and a longtime active member of IWOSC. Her website is LibbySlate.com

Moderator:
TELLY DAVIDSON is author of the award-winning “TV’s Grooviest Variety Shows,” which was cited by the TV Academy, NPR, and several national newspapers, and the forthcoming novel “Pop Culture,” as well as developing several media tie-in projects on films and TV shows. His film and TV reviews have been published in over a dozen magazines and commercial websites; he has worked on specials for NBC, the American Film Institute, and on the new PBS documentary “Pioneers of Television II,” as well as its Emmy-nominated forerunner. He has hosted or been a part of earlier IWOSC panels like “From Books to Film,” “Biographies and Memoirs,” “Covering the Celebrity Beat,” and two “Trends in Publishing” panels. He is an active member of IWOSC and PEN-USA.

RAY RICHMOND is considered one of the leading experts on television, media and the entertainment industry. For the last 15 years, he has worked as a television critic, columnist and reporter for publications including “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Daily Variety,” the “Los Angeles Daily News” and “The Orange County Register.” Ray got his start as a production assistant for Merv Griffin Productions in 1985-86. His books include “The Simpsons: A Compete Guide to Our Favorite Family” (1997); “This is Jeopardy: Celebrating America’s Favorite Quiz Show” (2004); “TV Moms: An Illustrated Guide” (2000); and “My Greatest Day in Show Business” (1999). He has been featured regularly on NPR, at the Paley Center for Media, and jas lectured on TV, film, and media for Chapman University, USC, and UCLA. In 2009 he launched his own firm, The Ray Richmond Company, where his clients include “Deadline Hollywood” and Hallmark Entertainment.

BRENT SIMON is the current president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Brent became senior editor of “Entertainment Today” magazine from 1999-2004 and is currently film editor at “H Monthly” magazine. He has written for “New York Magazine,” “NowPlaying,” “ShockYa,” “FilmStew,” “YahooMovies,” “Screen International,” and has been published in “Magill’s Cinema Annual” and “Newsmakers.”Mr. Simon has served on film competition juries and covered numerous film festivals including LA Film Festival and AFI FEST, where he was a content editor in 2005. His comedy play, “Pulp College,” was produced off-off-Broadway in 2008. Brent blogs at SharedDarkness.com and is SharedDarkness on Twitter.

DEBRA LEVINE’s byline regularly graces top-tier publications like “The Los Angeles Times” and the “The Huffington Post.” She has also published in “Culture Monster,” “La Opinión,” “Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles,” the “Long Beach Press Telegram,” and “South China Morning Post.” As a Pittsburgh native and former professional modern dancer, she has lived in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tel Aviv, nurturing her arts passion in all cities. In October 2010, she was a Fellow at the NEA Classical Music & Opera Institute at Columbia University in New York. In 2009, Debra was a Fellow at the NEA Dance Criticism Institute at the American Dance Festival at Duke University. In August 2009, she led (with Brent Simon) the successful grassroots campaign to save the 40-year-running classic film program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Debra blogs at Artsmeme.com and Twitter.com/artsmeme and runs her own corporate writing/consulting firm at Levine & Associates Ms. Levine is a proud member of IWOSC.

LIBBY SLATE is a regular contributor to “Emmy” Magazine Emmys.com and Emmys.tv, as well as “Performances” magazine, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (formerly, the Orange County Performing Arts Center) and “Where Los Angeles.” She has written more than 300 articles for “The Los Angeles Times,” including two columns of her own, and has also written for “Disney Magazine,” “The Hollywood Reporter Magazine” and “TV Guide.” Her article on Oprah Winfrey for the Primetime Emmy Awards program received an “I loved it!” from Winfrey herself. In addition to her celebrity interviews, Libby spotlights the behind-the-scenes craft and art of entertainment. She has also written about theater and figure skating, profiling many notable skaters and touring with Champions on Ice. Ms. Slate inadvertently helped make history with her “Skating” magazine cover story on Nancy Kerrigan, cited by rival Tonya Harding’s camp as a reason for the attack on Kerrigan at the 1994 Winter Olympic trials. Libby Slate is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and a longtime active member of IWOSC. Her website is LibbySlate.com

Moderator:
TELLY DAVIDSON is author of the award-winning “TV’s Grooviest Variety Shows,” which was cited by the TV Academy, NPR, and several national newspapers, and the forthcoming novel “Pop Culture,” as well as developing several media tie-in projects on films and TV shows. His film and TV reviews have been published in over a dozen magazines and commercial websites; he has worked on specials for NBC, the American Film Institute, and on the new PBS documentary “Pioneers of Television II,” as well as its Emmy-nominated forerunner. He has hosted or been a part of earlier IWOSC panels like “From Books to Film,” “Biographies and Memoirs,” “Covering the Celebrity Beat,” and two “Trends in Publishing” panels. He is an active member of IWOSC and PEN-USA.

MARK MILLER has worked as a marketing communications manager, creative director and senior copywriter within such industries as accounting, real estate, law, mortgage, direct mail, non-profit, national membership associations, media and entertainment. Miller is currently a marketing specialist for High Impact Marketing, where he performs marketing consulting work for a variety of professional service organizations.  Miller has worked for such firms as Stonefield Josephson Accounting, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, KB Home, KCET Television, U.S. Sales Corporation, and ToyTime.com. Mr. Miller is also an experienced comedy writer.

STEVEN SANCHEZ is the founder and CEO of INEXUS.COM, a Los Angeles-based firm that consults, builds and promotes Internet business solutions. For the past 18 years, he has worked with leading companies in industries such as travel, health and racing to create websites that work for both business and consumers. Steven has helped companies both large and small start their web businesses and publish online.  He has also served as technical editor on bestsellers such as “Homepage Usability” and “Web Design on a Shoestring.” Sanchez is writing his next book about starting and growing a profitable website business.

JULIA DRAKE is founder and owner of Julia Drake PR, a boutique literary publicity company which specializes in premium author services including niche press campaigns, social media marketing, innovative book events, and promotional video services. Julia also acts as president of the LA Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. She holds a degree in screenwriting and film from UCLA and the American Film Institute.

ALEX CARROLL is a bestselling author and a leading expert on radio publicity. Over the past 10 years he has been a guest on over one thousand radio shows, captured well over $4,500,000 in free radio airtime, and generated more than $1,500,000 in orders directly from listeners … all without spending a DIME on advertising and better yet, rarely leaving the comfort of his home.  Alex knows how to extract a mother lode from the radio publicity gold mine.

GREG GERTMENIAN, General Manager of Abbott
Management, a literary management company for writers of TV and film scripts. The company strives to bring attention to developing talented writers by exposing work to accomplished producers and directors. At Abbot, Greg has overseen options and writing assignments, and he has associate-produced. 
Experienced in writing, producing and directing sketch comedy, Greg also pursues his own projects. His film, “Balrog: Behind the Glory,” a “mockumentary” based on “Street Fighter II,” will screen at July’s EVO 2011. Abbot’s proprietary development software will roll out to production companies this summer.

MICHELLE LANGE, founder of M Lange Media, is a media strategist who helps clients build their marketing platform using social media, web-based marketing, and video for the web. Her clients include best-selling authors, columnists, experts, and entrepreneurs. Michelle helps clients create dynamic content that captures their voice and expertise, communicates their brand clearly, and engages their audience. She has worked for companies including The Gersh Talent & Literary Agency, director Gary Ross’s production company at Universal Studios, and Pierce Brosnan’s production company at MGM. Michelle graduated from N.Y.U., Tisch School of the Arts, with a B.F.A. in Acting and a concentration in English Literature.

Moderators:
JOHN SEELEY President/CEO of Blue Moon Wonders and Heart Fire Seminars, specializing in educational and personal growth workshops and products. John’s published books are: “Get Unstuck! The Simple Guide to Restart your Life” and “Get Unstuck”!  Seeley has shown by example the value of a clear marketing plan, a commitment to carrying it out, and the energy to implement it.  He is IWOSC’s marketing director.

GARY YOUNG worked with Jean Kennedy Smith as a coordinator for the National Very Special Arts Festival. His plays have been produced at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the White House, the Smithsonian, and venues throughout the US and Europe.  His book, “LOSS AND FOUND: Surviving the Loss of a Partner,” co-written by his wife, Kathy, is used in colleges throughout the country. Gary has been IWOSC’s Director of Professional Development, creating our programs for many years.  He is President of the Publishers Association of Los Angeles (PALA).