Board of Directors
Donelle Dadigan
Hollywood Museum
Chair
As a philanthropist and lover of history, Donelle Dadigan always wanted to create something meaningful for the community. With that in mind, she founded the Hollywood Museum, located in the historic Max Factor Building and just steps from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dedicated to the history and heritage of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the museum features 35,000 square feet of exhibit space that spans four floors. The museum houses 10,000 show business treasures from over 100 years of Hollywood history - it’s one of the most extensive collections of Hollywood costumes, star cars, props, posters, photographs and memorabilia in the world.
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Along with Marion Seabury, Dadigan founded the José Iturbi Foundation, named for the famed conductor and pianist who wanted to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to people of all ages and walks of life. Dadigan - a trained concert pianist and harpsichordist with a music degree from UCLA - noted that Iturbi, who is her godfather, was the first classical musician to receive a star on the Walk of Fame, for selling an unprecedented one million records (Polonaise in A Flat [Military Polonaise] by Chopin, 1950).
Besides the music foundation, Dadigan is also the chairperson of the Hollywood Historic Trust, which controls the sidewalks where the Walk of Fame stars are located. She assumed the role from the late Johnny Grant. Asked how she finds the time to run the museum and be involved in so many foundations and nonprofits, Dadigan says, “When you love what you do, you make the time. And you learn to not do things that just take up your time but don’t have a benefit to the community, because to me it’s all about giving back. Making the community all that it can be. I’m just one of many people who do that.”
Jeff Zarrinnam
Hollywood Hotel
Immediate Past Chair
Ask Jeff Zarrinnam practically any question about Hollywood and he will have the answer. Jeff was born in Hollywood at Kaiser Permanente Hospital more than 50 years ago and makes his home in Hollywood. Jeff also works in Hollywood, is the President and CEO of Hollywood-based Zarco Hotels Inc. which owns the Hollywood Hotel, of which he is the hotel director; and President and CEO of Chateau Celeste Inc., which owns the Chateau Celeste Hotel in Hollywood.
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Jeff’s fascination with Hollywood is as deep as his roots in the community. The re-established Hollywood Hotel on Vermont Avenue was purchased by Zarco Hotels, Inc. in 1994. Jeff has amassed many original items from the hotel’s first location on Hollywood Boulevard. In addition to renovating Hollywood Hotel, Jeff is restoring the 31- suite Chateau Celeste, an upscale boutique hotel directly across the street from Hollywood Hotel, which was originally built in 1927.
Jeff graduated from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and has been a Certified Hotel Administrator since 1988. Jeff’s love of the hotel industry and Hollywood has kept him busier than the average hotelier. Jeff is an active board member and Treasurer of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and Chair of its Business and Budget Committees, Board Chair of the East Hollywood Business Improvement District, which he co-founded in 2006, a board member, Senior Vice Chair and Past Treasurer of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as well as chair of the Budget and Outreach Committees, and a board member of the Los Angeles City College Foundation and a member of the executive committee.
Jeff works tirelessly to improve Hollywood; he is the Steering Committee Chairman of the Proposed Hollywood Route 66 Business Improvement District and the Hollywood Western Business Improvement District. He is also on the Tourism Improvement District Steering Committee for the LA Tourism and Convention Board. Jeff’s philanthropic work is equally renowned. He is a founding board member and Treasurer of the East Hollywood Los Feliz Homeless Coalition, and is a sponsor of the Hollywood Christmas Parade benefitting Toys For Tots. Jeff is also a Board Member and Vice President of the LA Cedars Rotary Club and a supporter Project Angel Food, Hollywood Boys and Girls Club, Hollywood Police Activities League and Hollywood Central Park.
Anyone who knows or works with Jeff does not try to reach him in the early mornings because he hikes the Hollywood Hills almost daily. These treks allow him to unplug, reinforce his Hollywood footing and embrace the magnificent view that people the world over travel to see. Jeff is an avid Tennis Player and Skier. Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife Mandy, a well-known Los Angeles event planner, and his twin boys, Alex and Aiden.
Michael Gargano
MP Los Angeles
Treasurer
Rana Ghadban
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Secretary
Rana Ghadban stepped into her role as President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, effective January 1, 2019. She has worked as a Chamber of Commerce President/CEO for the past ten years. Most recently, Rana served as the leader of the Five-Star Nationally Accredited Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. During her leadership tenure at Simi Valley, Rana increased the Chamber’s profitability, achieved significant growth in its membership numbers, and brought the Chamber closer to the community through outreach and events. Now, Rana is excited to bring that same energy to the businesses of Hollywood to foster a bright, sustainable future for the region. Rana recently joined the Board for The Center at Blessed Sacrament, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to ending isolation and homelessness in Hollywood.
Scott Blakeslee
Real Estate Operations
Scott Blakeslee is the Vice President of Real Estate Operations, Los Angeles, with DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners. Based in Hollywood, Scott is passionate about the local community and it’s energetic and diverse culture.
Scott is married and a proud father of two children. When Scott actually finds some free time, he enjoys surfing, running and spontaneous travel.
Cindy Braun
BKraft-Engel Management, LLC
Event Co-Chair
Craig Darian
Occidental Entertainment
Mr. Darian is an Executive, Producer and Businessman in the Entertainment Industry who has owned and operated several companies, and who has served in many senior management positions for publicly-traded and privately-held companies, alike.
As Co-Chairman & CEO of Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc., Mr. Darian currently presides over six operating divisions, including fourteen sound stages and over three dozen office buildings approximating a million square feet of production, editorial, and creative office space.Read More...
As a Producer and International Distributor, he has Produced several films starring many award-winning actors, including Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Bates, F. Murray Abraham, Mercedes Ruehl, Lee Grant, Paul Sorvino, Cloris Leachman, Martin Landau, and Rita Moreno. Among Mr. Darian’s more than 100 International Distribution credits are: Spider-Man, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Gladiator, Mission Impossible, King Kong, The Mummy, Jurassic Park III, etc.
Mr. Darian is a longtime voting Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Producers Guild of America, and the Television Academy. He also serves on several philanthropic, university, and civic boards with many awards & honors. He lives in Pasadena with his wife Kimberly - they’ve been married 44 years and have 3 children & 4 grandchildren. For More Information Go To WWW.OCCIDENTALENTERTAINMENT.COM or WWW.DMGHOLDINGS.NET
Rolando Gomez
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Rolando J. Gomez is Administrator of Government and Public Policy, and Government, Business and Community Relations of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 570 bed Premier Pediatric Teaching and Research Hospital in Southern California (106 critical care bed, 58 NICCU). In administering Government and Public Policy, and Government, Business and Community Relations at CHLA, Gomez evaluates, develops and coordinates numerous government, community and industry relations programs, grants and contracts. He accounts for more than $300 million in community benefits annually to children and families and works closely with CHLA’s Executive and management team to ensure hospital strategic Community Benefit and Community Impact objectives and initiatives promote and advance care for all children and address social determinants of health. Gomez ensures CHLA’s compliance to federal and state provisions regarding tax-exemption status and works closely with clinicians, state and federal regulatory agency representatives, elected officials, civic leaders, and other key community stakeholders to promote engagement. He has been with CHLA since 2008.Read more...
Prior to joining the CHLA, Gomez lead multi-disciplinary project teams, and managed multiple consultants and a broad range of public health programs and initiatives including Maternal and Child Health, Employee Wellness, Injury Prevention, Tobacco Cessation, Medi-Cal Managed Care, Epidemiology and Accreditation, Community Health, Safety, Prevention, and Health Education for the Merced County Public Health Department, Central Valley – California. His leadership achieved the department a significant cost and performance improvement and drove up service line participation. Previously Mr. Gomez served as Group Insurance Administrator-Medicare for Aetna Inc., as the Account Executive for Boeing serving the retiree group and working closely with Boeing Executives to ensure proper rate negotiations, claims processing and effective provider relations.
Gomez has also held the Underwriter position for the State of California Workers Compensation Insurance Fund, administered multiple outpatient clinics (pediatrics, OBGYN, immunization, public health, and adult care) with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. He has developed a national network of health care executives, professionals, and aspiring health care leaders and students by his work and dedication to the healthcare administration field. Gomez is a candidate to the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and is President of the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) and was inducted to the NALHE Hall of Fame for his service and commitment to LatinX leadership. He was nominated, elected and serves on ACHE’s Early Careerist Committee and is a recipient of ACHE’s prestigious Executive Program scholarship. He was awarded the University of Phoenix Distinguished Alumni Award recognizing his outstanding work as alumni who has utilized his education to excel professionally, provide inspirational leadership to others and serve his community. He received his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and is a graduate of the Health Policy Leadership Program, California State University –Fresno College of Health and Human Services, Central Valley Healthy Policy Institute.
Sofia Gresen
City National Bank
Theodore Hovey
Hollywood Forever, Inc.
Roger Neal
Neal Public Relations
The founder of the PR Firm, Neal Public Relations. Roger serves on two boards at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Neal Public Relations has been a member of the Hollywood Chamber since 2013.
Peyton Nealis
Netflix
Martha Pelayo
Los Angeles City College
Carole Sarian
The CrisCom Company
Event Co-Chairman
Carole brings 20 years of executive experience in public affairs. She became CrisCom’s first Senior Vice President and in 2013 was promoted to President of The CrisCom Company’s Public Affairs division.
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Carole’s enthusiasm, vision, attention to detail and strong relationships in the public and private sector continue to benefit CrisCom and its clients nationwide. She represents CrisCom at the highest levels of government, as well as within the business community. In addition, Carole directs CrisCom’s public and community affairs programs throughout the United States and was instrumental in establishing The CrisCom Company’s “Leader For America” award.
Carole is responsible for planning and producing numerous high-profile events, galas, conferences, networking events, non-profit fundraisers and grand opening celebrations. Carole also leads CrisCom’s philanthropic endeavors nationwide and has received several awards and commendations from some of the country’s most prestigious volunteer and non-profit organizations.
Carole serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the world famous “Hollywood Walk of Fame.” Additionally, Carole continues to Co-Chair the annual “Heroes of Hollywood” fundraising event for the Hollywood Community Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce’s charitable arm.
Kristi Schaffter
Los Angeles Dodgers
Ms. Schaffter has proudly worked and lived in the Los Angeles/Hollywood community for over 15 years and currently manages the special event and tour department for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A long standing member of the Hollywood Chamber, and Community Foundation Board Member, Schaffter believes there’s nothing more important than supporting those who live and work in our community.
Marty Shelton
NAI Capital Commercial Real Estate
Mr. Shelton is a commercial real estate broker specializing in the development, retail leasing and sale of multi-family / mixed-use projects / retail properties in the Los Angeles area for more than twenty years with both CB Richard Ellis and NAI Capital, Inc. Throughout his real estate tenure, he has been involved in a wide variety of commercial transactions from bank asset sales to shopping center sales. Mr. Shelton's high level of repeat business is testimony to his organizational skills, attention to details, and resource capabilities, which sets him apart from his competitors and allows him to continually provide quality real estate service to his clients.
Michelle Sobrino
Variety
Kim Sudhalter
Urban Legend PR
Kim Sudhalter is a communications and public relations expert with a solid, proven track record of strategic leadership, creative thinking and results-driven public relations and branding campaigns. Over the course of her career, she has planned and executed more than 500 product launches, press conferences and events; increased revenue for clients and employers more than 300%; and garnered more than 80G impressions and views across all types of media. Daughter of a former UPI foreign correspondent and a marketing executive, Kim was born in Frankfurt, Germany and raised in London and New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston University. Her passions are travel and architecture.
Jolie Tu
CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
