FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 CONTACT:      Stephanie Surabian
                                                                                       Phone: 323.960.4803, ext 803
        ssurabian@hollywoodmuseum.com

Transformation of HEM Board

Los Angeles, CA -- September 27, 2007 -- Hollywood Entertainment Museum (HEM) held its annual board meeting appointing Secretary of the board Nilza Serrano as co-chair joining Kim Mc Cleary La France to lead the board and announced the election of Christy Salcido, Vice President, Public Relations & Marketing, Entertainment and Hear Music, of the Starbucks Coffee Company to its Board of Directors.

Serrano, Principal at The Media Shop Production and Post Production firm, will work alongside current board chair, Vice President of Public Affairs at the Los Angeles Times, Kim McCleary La France. The partnership comes as the Museum enters a new phase of its journey expanding the HEM concept to become The Los Angeles Museum, celebrating the legacy, cultural diversity and many creative industries LA is known for. The two women are sure to be a powerhouse team, as both bring a wealth of experience to the table.
Serrano, a successful entrepreneur has bridged the gap between private enterprise and public service. She founded The Media Shop over fifteen years ago and today has an extensive client network that includes various television recording studios such as Paramount Studios and Dream Works. Serrano was selected by the National Latina Business Women Association as the 2004 Business Woman of the Year, and in 2003 was the recipient of The Latin Business Association’s Latina Entrepreneur of the Year. Beyond her professional life, Serrano is an active supporter of opportunity, education and outreach for Latinos and Latino Culture. She currently is a member of the Board of Amanacer Mental Health Services as well as Plaza De La Raza, and co-founder of the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival.

La France oversees The Times’ community relations, programs and events, its signature Reading By 9 literacy program and the Los Angeles Times’ Family Funds.  Prior to her current position, La France served as vice president of planning and community affairs for The Times from 2000 to 2005.  Additionally she has served in a number of other executive positions for The Times, including vice president distribution/customer service, vice president project management and director advertising operations.  She was also The Times’ first woman director of both its Olympic and San Fernando Valley plants.  Prior to her work at The Times, she held various marketing and advertising positions at Bullock’s Corporation, and worked for U.S. Congressman Barry Goldwater, Jr. Currently La France serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, the Organization of Women Executives, the Vance Stickell Memorial Student Internship Program and on the Board of Visitors of the Graziadio School of Business and Management, Pepperdine University, where she earned a master's degree in business administration.

“Hollywood Entertainment Museum is really fortunate to have two dynamic and successful women co-chairing and leading our board of directors at this critical and exciting time in our development,” says HEM President and CEO Phyllis Caskey.  “They each bring years of community service to Los Angeles and a joint commitment to further our goal of a new and expanded Museum and Education Center.”

The newest member of the board, Christy Salcido, joined Starbucks Coffee Company in July 2005 as Director, Consumer & Entertainment Public Relations, leading national programs to support the Starbucks Brand, Retail North America Marketing, Consumer Product Goods and Entertainment and Music.  In April 2007, Salcido assumed her current position as Vice President, Public Relations & Marketing, Entertainment and Hear Music. In this role, Salcido drives public relations, marketing and relationship managing activity for the Entertainment group, with a special emphasis on the new Hear Music record label. She brings more than 14 years of consumer branding, youth, entertainment, and cause-related marketing experience to her position.  Salcido has a proven ability to create results-driven, strategic campaigns, reaching a variety of target audiences and has a vast background in apparel, retail and consumer products.

“As Hollywood Entertainment Museum continues to evolve and expand its mission and programs, I am honored to be elected its newest board member and look forward to helping shape the public relations and branding strategy going forward,” said Salcido. “And, after spending the past two years living and working in Seattle, I am thrilled to be back in my home town of Los Angeles and working on initiatives that celebrate our great city.”

Prior to joining Starbucks, Salcido spent three years at Declare Yourself, a nonprofit nonpartisan youth voting campaign founded by TV producer Norman Lear.  As the Communications Director, she was responsible for brand creation and the development of the Declare Yourself campaign including managing all aspects of the PR and communications efforts. The campaign reached its goal of 1 million new voter registrations and a turnout of more than 20 million, under-30 voters on Election Day.  Declare Yourself was recognized as the "Hot Movement in Politics" on Rolling Stone magazine's annual Hot List and was the 2005 “Best in Show” Silver Anvil winner for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Salcido also worked at Ketchum's LA and NY offices for 10 years and most recently served as a Vice President, Group Manager, overseeing the consumer group.  During her tenure at Ketchum, she played an important role on numerous accounts, including the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Levi Strauss & Co., LensCrafters, Hallmark, Maybelline, Hefty and First USA. While at Ketchum, she won a number of industry awards including three PRSA Silver Anvils, one SABRE and one New York Big Apple Award. 
 
“I feel so lucky Christy has agreed to serve on our board of directors,” says Caskey. “She brings years of public relations, marketing and branding experience as well as an enormous amount of enthusiasm and energy to our cause.  She will be a tremendous asset.”

Founded in 1996, with  support from the State of California in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Hollywood Entertainment Museum provides entertainment industry training classes  to Los Angeles’ highest at-risk youth. This unique fusion of culture and education allows the Museum to celebrate the accomplishments of the entertainment arts while grounding itself in a deep sense of social responsibility.