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| David Haddad, Chair, Executive Committee David Haddad is the President and owner of Haddad's, Inc. - a studio equipment rental company based out of Pittsburgh, PA. In his 37 years in the business, Mr. Haddad has overseen rentals to more than 2300 feature films and television series. He is dedicated to keeping the film and television industry in Pennsylvania. |
| Maria Shamkalian, Vice-Chair, Executive Committee Maria Shamkalian is a union actress, writer, inspirational speaker, and director of Ann Kids Food Program that provides daily free meals to the children of Philadelphia. She moved to USA in 2001 and did not speak any English. Since then, she got her Master's Degree in teaching English, Communication, and Acting; joined SAG-AFTRA; participated in numerous films, TV shows, and commercials; had her work featured in film festivals; staged multiple children's theater shows; got her work published; performed with her poetry and speaking engagements; and organized multiple film industry events and charitable fundraisers. She is a passionate PAFIA supporter. |
| Amy Sotereanos, Secretary, Executive Committee Amy Sotereanos has worked in the film industry for over a decade, starting with ICM in Los Angeles as a Business Affairs assistant in the Television Department. Currently, Amy is a Film Transportation DOT/Dispatch professional in Pittsburgh and a member of Teamsters Local 249. Additionally, she is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries and has served as a mobile notary for production and escrow closing companies. |
| Micaela Howe, Treasurer, Executive Committee Micaela Howe is the current Regional Sales Manager for Enterprise Holdings. She has worked in the ground transportation industry for 19 years and in multiple countries. She moved along with her husband and 2 children to Pittsburgh in October 2019. Her passions include mentorships, coaching and developing her teams in both Pittsburgh as well as Upstate NY. Her success is attributed to creating product sales strategy, developing corporate sales support, direct the performance of the business and driving initiatives which lead to growth. |
| Lawrence Greenberg, Board Member, Executive Committee Lawrence Greenberg got involved in filmmaking and TV in 2005 and started to take it seriously in 2009 after a conversation with Quentin Tarantino where he told him “you can direct a movie at any age”. He has experience as a director (35 credits), producer, camera operator, DP, lighting director, actor, and editor. Greenberg has posed interview questions to stars including Nicolas Cage, Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, and M. Night Shyamalan. Lawrence brings a blend of technical know-how and creative talent and always try to be easy to work with. |
| Courtney Gumpf, Board Member, Executive Committee For more than 10 years, Courtney has worked in production, film, and marketing. Beginning her career as a production assistant and coordinator on commercial sets such as Levi's - "We Are All Workers" and Giant Eagle, she quickly found her way into film. Working at Nancy Mosser Casting as a Casting & Production Associate for several motion pictures including "The Dark Knight Rises", "Perks of Being a Wallflower", and "Out of the Furnace", she utilized her knowledge to help tell the unique story of each client. Most recently, Courtney, along with business partner, Jennifer Schlieper, co-founded Flying Scooter Productions - an agency focusing on marketing, brand, events, and storytelling for some of the most beloved national and local brands. Through their work, they have become ingrained in the local Pittsburgh community and this past fall were honored to have partnered with the Light of Life Rescue Mission. Through this partnership, they, along with local crew, produced the documentary "Eye of the Needle" to bring awareness to the opioid crisis, an issue that is impacting so many. |
| Ken Myers, Board Member, Executive Committee Ken was born and raised in the Philadelphia area (North Wales & Upper Gwynedd) and went to North Penn High School. Following graduation from high school, he split his time at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA and the University of Sydney in Australia, Pursuing Coursework in political science, internal relations, political economics and Chinese studies. Following Graduation from college, Ken moved to Sand Diego, CA and began work with several television productions, most notably the series "Veronica Mars". Shortly thereafter, he returned to the university realm and completed a master's degree in business and Asian studies in Beijing, China and completed his master's theses on nanotechnology while living in the Wudaokou area of Beijing and studying in the Chaoyang business district. After returning to the U.S., Ken received an invitation from the CEO of an intercultural consulting firm called Icunet to work and live in Passau, Germany. Following a stay of nearly 7 years traveling and doing business throughout Europe, he moved back to the U.S. (Philadelphia) to co-found a hospitality/accommodation brand called Coral along with his business partner, Andrew Carlone. Ken and Andrew have incorporated their experiences in hospitality to cater to high-profile clients, most of whom are from the film and television industry, to provide a luxury 5-star accommodation experience with a comprehensive menu of white-glove services. |
| Lela Checco, Board Member Lela Checco is a seasoned film industry professional with nearly two decades of experience working behind the scenes. A member of IATSE 489 Union in Pittsburgh, PA, her most recent work has been in Craft Services, providing food and drink (and occasional comic relief) to all on-set cast and crew. She has provided sustenance on numerous notable Burgh-based projects, including Outsiders, Southpaw, Fault in Our Stars, Last Flag Flying, Love the Coopers, Concussion, and Where'd You Go Bernadette. Before working in Craft Services, Lela worked in various other capacities in the industry, garnering great insight into the finer details of the field. Lela holds a BFA from Edinboro University and MS from Robert Morris University and, once upon a time, worked for PBS at WQED and WQLN Erie. When she isn't busy coordinating cornucopias of food, she enjoys travelling the world, scuba diving, playing with her Boxer pup, Tito, body painting, and having a good time with friends. |
| Frank Conforti, Board Member Frank Conforti, born and bred in Pennsylvania, had a varied career prior to entering the film industry in 2008 as a driver who rose to Transportation Captain on the Pittsburgh portion of The Avengers. He has worked on over 30 features and three television shows since 2008. He rose to Transportation Coordinator on Concussion in 2014. He is a member of the Teamsters and of SAG/AFTRA. |
| Craig Hacker, Board Member Craig Hacker has been working in the film industry since he rode his bike onto a set at 16 and asked for a job. Later he made his first introductions to the greater film community as an intern for the PAFIA during college. Now Craig is an IATSE 161 Production Coordinator who has worked on such projects as Hustle, Sinking Spring, Yellowstone, Breathe and many more. |
| John Horell, Board Member John received his bachelor's degree in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University in 2004. That same year, he began his professional career with Harry K. Sickler Associates in Tyrone, PA. Currently, John is President of KIZ Resources, LLC. John and his company are recognized throughout Pennsylvania for their experience and leadership in obtaining and monetizing various types of government incentives including the Pennsylvania Film Tax Credits. A strong Advocate for higher education, John serves as a member of the Penn State Altoona Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Advisory Board and the Penn State Altoona Enactus Business Advisory Board. |
| Kent Jackson, Board Member Kent Jackson, a 20 year veteran of the film industry, was born and raised Western PA. After graduating from Fox Chapel High School in 1998 he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where we graduated with a bachelors degree in English Literature in 2004. |
| Jeannee Josefczyk, Board Member Jeannee Josefczyk is a professional makeup artist and a journeyman of IATSE 798 NY. She has worked in the business for 25 years, working on films, TV series, live shows, concerts and commercials, and as worked with several Presidents of the United States. Ms. Josefczyk is one of the founders for The Pittsburgh Film Workers Association and has been the President of The Pittsburgh Film Workers Association for ten years. Jeannee is also on the board of Women in Film and on the board of Valleywide Credit Union. |
| Gannon Murphy, Board Member Atlanta native and a resident of Los Angeles for approximately 20 years, Gannon began his career in entertainment in 1996 before working and living in Europe, Southeast Asia and again in Atlanta. With a Liberal Arts undergraduate degree as well as a Certificate in Business Studies from UCLA, Gannon has been integrating creative needs with practical solutions his entire career and has found Studio Management to be the logical extension of client services. |
| Jennifer Schlieper, Board Member FLYING SCOOTER PRODUCTIONS | DIRECTOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CO-OWNER THE AMELIA PROJECT | CO-FOUNDER Emmy-nominated, award-winning filmmaker, director, producer and writer, Schlieper didn’t start her career in film. She cut her teeth as a Creative Strategist at one of the largest PR firms in the world launching products and services for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 power brands. Making a leap into the corporate side, she led GNC’s global marketing efforts as one the youngest female senior executives. Flying Scooter was born in 2017 out of a need to do something that mattered for those that mattered. The intent is to impact through client partnerships, mission-based non-profits and stories silenced by those that fear the truth. Schlieper has written, directed and co-produced with Gumpf, hundreds of stories in the last seven years. The Ocean-Five Years is their first festival film release slated for 2024. Schlieper continues to lead strategic initiatives for their clients and has helped raise millions of dollars and tell the stories of Pittsburgh’s homeless and underserved children. She sits on the board on The Beauty Restores Foundation and The Amelia Project. |
| Marianne Skiba, Board Member Two-time Emmy Award winning celebrity makeup artist Marianne Skiba, has been a dynamic force in the beauty business for over 20 years. Her long list of credits include hit TV shows; Archive 81, Outsiders, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order and the blockbuster films; Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, The Fault in Our Stars, Jack Reacher, Foxcatcher, Meet the Parents & Man on the Moon. Marianne’s work has not gone unnoticed. Her outstanding achievements in Makeup, have garnered 2 Emmy Awards, the New York Women in Film & Television Designing Women Award, A SoapNet Award- Outstanding Achievement in Makeup Daytime Drama and induction into the Pittsburgh Fashion Hall Of Fame. Recently, Marianne chose to explore a holistic approach to beauty and wellness And earned certifications in Holistic Health Counseling from Columbia University Teachers College and in Integrative Nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. Marianne is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) and also holds certifications in Iridology from the New York Center for Iridology, Kinesiology, Herb and Color Therapy as well as a license in Cosmetology. She has shared expert advice on Green Beauty Practices in book, magazine interviews and tv & radio appearances. Though still a busy makeup artist, Marianne spends much of her down time in service to the Film, TV Beauty industries. Currently; on the Advisory Board of the Tom Savini School for Special Makeup Effects and Toni & Guy Beauty Academy. Formerly; serving 2 terms on the Board of Governors at New York NATAS and NY Women in Film & Media and Pittsburgh Women in Film & Media. |
| Kimberly Skyrme, Board Member |
| Tiffany Echo Wolf, Board Member Tiffany Echo Wolf is a filmmaker, production designer and multimedia artist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2007, Tiffany formed a multimedia collective and production company under the name Lost Sugar Disco. For the past ten years, she has gone on to maintain studio space for local artists, design stages and produce and design hundreds of hours of film, television, and live event production in the United States and for international production companies. Following her directorial premiere for her short film, Doorway of 1,000 Churches, Tiffany continues to expand her vision in the arts through stop motion animation, producing and directing music videos and producing spatial and time based art. |
| Max Zug, Board Member Max Zug, MAKE/FILMS, Lancaster, PA Max has always been amazed that placing one shot next to another makes a viewer draw a conclusion. He first experienced the phenomenon making super 8mm movies in grade school — creating army-men battles, Godzilla destruction epics, and animated celluloid experiments. It wasn’t until his time at Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater that he realized the concept had a name — dialectical montage. And was almost as old as the technology of film itself. This powerful phenomenon has driven his career, Max’s early years were spent developing his craft at television stations. Producing local commercials and shooting, editing, writing, and senior producing for Group W’s PM Magazine. In the early 90s Max traveled North America shooting and directing marketing films, large-scale meetings content, and national broadcast commercials for New Holland, NA. As principal/director at MaxFilms, a powerful production company serving eastern PA, he leveraged his years of film experience to provide regional brands a national look. He spent a decade as Executive Creative Director for TC Motion, a Lancaster-based photo/video studio, where he directed content for the most recognized brands in the home decor and construction products market sectors. In January of 2023, Max joined MAKE/FILMS, an original content and commercial production company based in Lancaster, PA where he serves as Director of Client Solutions/Commercial Director. Max has worked on 4 continents, countless countries and nearly every state in the nation putting one shot in front of another to educate, excite, and persuade viewers — all the while still being amazed by the magic of the medium with which he fell in love so many years ago. |
Pennsylvania Film Industry Association (PAFIA)
461 Cochran Road, Box 246
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
(717) 833-4561 info@pafia.org