Disney TV Studio’s Tim McNeal has been named President and David Madden, who now works at Wattpad Webtoon, as Chair. McNeal is SVP, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion, while Madden is Head of Global Entertainment.It comes as Amazon Studios’ Odetta Watkins ends her tenure as President, while Madden succeeds Dan Erlij, Partner and Co-Head, Television Literary Department, UTA.There’s also new members of the HRTS Executive Board including Christina Davis as VP, Weintraub Tobin partner Scott Hervey as Secretary and Linnea McArt, VP and MD, 1st Century Bank, as Treasurer.Outgoing Executive Board members include HBO’s Francesca Orsi, Disney Branded Television’s Charlie Andrews and Exile Content’s Alejandro Uribe.“I’m humbled by our newly elected Officers’ enthusiasm for this storied organization and its future,” HRTS CEO Melissa Grego said. “They each bring important expertise, perspective and relationships that make them uniquely positioned to help build on the HRTS’ exciting and pivotal new era. It is vitally important that we uphold the HRTS tradition of innovation to serve new and existing members amid the challenges we face as an industry.”Grego added, “I also want to thank our outgoing Officers, who remain Board Directors, for their dedicated service to HRTS, especially Odetta, who has helped steer our organization through a pandemic, several work stoppages and an industry-wide transition period that we’re all still grappling with. On top of her full-time role with Amazon Studios, Odetta has been unstoppable on behalf of the HRTS and I’ve personally learned so much from her.”
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