2010-2012 AIGA/LA Board of Directors Slate

The AIGA Los Angeles chapter Board of Directors is pleased to present the following slate for the 2010-2012 board.

Each nominee will serve a two-year term.

A short statement, submitted either by the nominee or his/her nominator, is included below.

Please vote via email no later than Friday, June 4, 2010. The slate is afforded an up or down vote, as a whole. All non-responses will be counted as a vote to approve the slates.

To vote, send an email to admin@aigalosangeles.org.

For President: Jimmy Moss
Assistant Professor, Cal State L.A.
(Now serving as Vice President of the current Board)

Nominated by Michael Lejeune

"Jimmy has served as my vice-president for the last year, and has done an outstanding job. He has proved tireless, strategic, political and enthusiastic. He certainly understands the many facets of professional design and is a respected design educator. Prior to taking on the role of vice-president, he co-chaired the Education Committee; he has been instrumental in building AIGA/LA's education committee and in fostering one of the country's most successful collection of student chapters. In no small part due to his efforts, along with his co-chairs, AIGA/LA now has 13 student chapters and that number will surely grow in the coming year.

Jimmy was an architect of our Vision for the Future and played a key role in gathering future thinkers and chapter visionaries together this past summer for an important retreat session. I believe that the work done there, and furthered by our board this past year, will set the course for the Los Angeles chapter's future success and growth. Jimmy's curriculum vitae is attached. I am happy to serve as a reference for his articulate analysis of the issues we face, his energy, and his ability to "rally the troops." I believe he will make an excellent President."

For Vice President: Melanie Paykos
Senior Creative Director, Brand: Two West

Nominated by Jimmy Moss

"Elevating brands beyond the noise and clutter of the marketplace, Melanie oversees visual branding for Two West, from trend research and conceptualization to final design application. Prior to merging with Two West in 2008, she was principal and creative director of her own full-service graphic design and brand identity firm, Melanie Paykos Design. Clients have included NBC Universal, CBS, Paramount Pictures, Mattel, Turner Entertainment, Kathy Ireland Home by Alta, Delta's Song Airlines and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

Having fortuitously started her career at LucasFilm designing books, corporate communications, licensing style guide materials and, most noteworthy, the RETURN OF THE JEDI one-sheet poster, her career path became more focused in the world of entertainment. For 20 years she has been a contributing member of the AIGA as a panel participant, host of a studio tour, judge for portfolio review day and a member of the Fellows nominating committee. Having received her BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Melanie has also taught design at Otis College of Art and Design. She has focused her continuing education in the fine arts at UCLA extension and attended the acclaimed juried painting residency, Painting's Edge in Idyllwild."

For Member at Large: Peter Vega
Manager, Print Production | North America, Creative Services Herbalife International

"Peter has 13 years experience, is a highly skilled Pre-press and Print Production Director excelling in fast paced creative environments where excellent quality, efficient cost control, superior vendor management, and flawless execution are non-negotiable. Currently he serves as the Manager of Print Production for North America, at Herbalife International."

For Member at Large: Alex Maloutas
Consultant and Designer, USC Auxiliary Services Design Studio
(Now serving as Interim Programming VP of the current Board)

"Raised by an American designer and an Greek entrepreneur, my perception of life has always been intertwined with the process of design and discovery. I love to learn. From reading "The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay, over and over, as a child, to McLuhan's, "The Medium is the Message" in high school, books like these helped shape my vision of the world and the importance of communication. It is that curiosity that helped lead me to choose my current career path. I had the privilege of studying Communication Arts at Otis College of Art and Design followed by 7 years of teaching a variety of classes at Otis. I feel safe to say I love to discover and the discovery process.

As an artist, educator and communicator, my craft is part of the science behind how people think, how people interact, and how people learn. In a collaborative environment, communication is key to an effective process leading to effective design and marketing."

For Member at Large: Allison Bloss
Independent Creative Director and Design Consultant

"Why join the AIGA Los Angeles board? I have been involved with AIGA LA for the ten years that I have lived in Los Angeles. During this time frame, I have been involved with many different projects for AIGA. I have seen the very definition "graphic design" evolve to a scale than it has never seen before. I believe AIGA would benefit greatly by developing connections to all the other design organizations such as SEGD, IDSA, and AIA. This idea of a greater design network not only presents opportunities to expand our businesses, but could create a united forum where each discipline can come together to further the role that design plays in our city.

I am also very interested in developing a stronger outreach initiative for AIGA/LA. I have had first hand experience while living in other cites with these programs. Outreach programs not only help offer solutions to needy organizations involved, but they also increase the profile of AIGA. These programs offer our members an opportunity to give back to the greater community at large as well as make connections with other designers."

For Member at Large: Brian Wen
Innovation Strategist at Design Continuum
(Now serving on the Development Committee)

"Since 2005, Brian has worked as an Innovation Strategist for Design Continuum, both in Boston, and in Venice, CA. He has lectured on Design Strategy, as well as Ethnogoraphy in Emerging Markets. He is a 2005 graduate of the product design program at Art Center, College of Design."

For Member at Large: Brian Jackson
Creative Director, The Kama Sutra Company

"Qualifications: Highly experienced design professional with substantial experience in print and new media. Extraordinary personal integrity and willingness to help the design community. Excellent listening skills and brilliant problem solver. Hands-on, "make-it-happen" approach to team work. Excellent communicator.

Brian received his BA, with Honors from Art Center College of Design in 1987. His work spans a variety of industries, including television, retail, music, and technology, with clients that include IBM, Epson, DreamWorks, UPN, Shimano, The City of Los Angeles and AIGA. His experience has provided a balance of not only a wide array of print communications, but a necessary bridge into interactive projects, including web, touch-screen and user interface design."

For Member at Large: Eduardo Braniff
Global Insight Director, Imagination Group

"Eduardo has been involved in the design and art fields for over 15 years. As part of his work for Imagination, he is a frequent speaker on topics of marketing, design and communications trends. He is a frequent panel moderator, and has moderated AIGA/LA events in the past.

While living in NYC, he was the head of the Junior Committe for the Whitney Museum of Art and board member for EOS Orchestra. In LA, he served on the board of A+D: Architecture and Design and serves regularly on charitable arts event committees.

He is the owner and creative director for the clothing line Franklin + Gower. Additionally, he speaks in public schools on the subject of homophobia in an effort to eradicate this experience among LA's new generations."

For Member at Large: Jodie Shotwell
Creative Director, Sapient
(Now serving on the Education and Development Committees)

"Jodie Shotwell is currently a Creative Director for Sapient, based in their Santa Monica office. She has been with Sapient for over 7 years and has an extensive strategic background in all aspects of the creative discipline - leading teams of design, user research, information architecture, copy/content strategy, and development. Over the past 11 years Jodie has accumulated an extensive knowledge of b2c/b2b interactive design, branding, design research, and marketing - working closely with brands in several industries including cosmetics/skincare, automotive, finance, and consumer electronics."

For Member at Large: Jose Caballer
Chief Visionary, CCO - The Groop

"Qualifications: Strong leadership character and superb entrepreneurial skills. Recognized designer, pioneer in new media. Genuinely committed to helping the design community succeed. Brings a multicultural perspective. Has the imagination and experience to create change within the organization and help the Board's management, development and advocacy initiatives. Articulate communicator. Fantastic human being.

Growing up in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Jose developed his visual acumen at an early age (he handcrafted a race track and cars out of river clay and cardboard shoe boxes). He quickly developed an appetite for entrepreneurism as well, selling Star-Wars replica space ships made out of chipboard, foam and paper to his 6th and 7th grade classmates (Darth Vader's Imperial Transport was his top seller). He figures that's why he gravitated to a career in digital media because of the blinking lights, sounds and visuals that it combines.

Throughout his career he's had the opportunity to collaborate with clients such as Sega, Microsoft, Wieden + Kennedy, WK Tokyo Lab, Sony Music, Warner Music, Art Center College of Design, Nike and Live Earth. While Jose is much more driven by results than awards, he's taken home his share of hardware too, including Art Directors Club Young Guns 2004, HOW Magazine's, Interactive Best of Show 2003, American Center for Design Web 100, and he has work in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

When he's not producing results for clients or running a contemporary art gallery called LM Projects that he co-owns, he has spent his time dropping knowledge as a professor of digital media and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and founded Groop School, where he provides students with an insider's look into the ever-changing methodologies that are used to create engaging digital experiences."

For Member at Large: Paula Brown
Independent Creative Director

"My deep experience (both West and East Coast) includes understanding and success with many media forms while holding the positions of creative director, art director, and designer. This expertise sources from branding and new business needs, with leadership in developing innovative solutions inside ad agencies, design firms as well as my own current creative consultation firm. The value that I can share with the board as well as members is one of experience, mentorship, capability to bring and delegate creative strategic focus to project management, and a deep willingness to form positive evolution and to shepherd change for the AIGA/LA. I have a "renaissance" mentality (both designer and published author) that extends to many forms of artistic expressions and also encourage this in others. Finding an authentic voice to a project by igniting others in taking a focus comfortably and "outside of the box" for folks is my passion.

My membership to the National TV Academy, having taught at the University level, my contributions to non profit organizations, volunteer work in community, will now have an opportunity to be translated and used in outreach to other artistic partnerships and be a fresh voice in project management and collaboration within the AIGA.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to serving the AIGA/LA.