AgencySpy
posted on the AICP hiring its first-ever VP of Equity & Inclusion. Of
course they did. The AICP was founded in 1972—yet waited to delegate
diversity for 50 years…? Of
course they did.
AICP Names
Sheila R. Brown as VP, Equity & Inclusion
By
Kyle O’Brien
Sheila R. Brown has been hired as the Association of Independent
Commercial Producers’ (AICP) first-ever vp, equity and inclusion. Brown will
represent the association in all matters related to diversity, equity and
inclusion. She will also lead AICP’s equity and inclusion committee and work
directly with AICP members to advise on implementation of initiatives, as well
as navigate client and agency directives in the space.
Brown
joins AICP from the CineCares Division of Cinespace Film Studios, where she was
its executive director. There she developed the Mirkopoulos Inclusion Program,
a job training initiative that allows young adults from traditionally
underserved communities, many with little to no production experience, to
obtain paid job training opportunities on network TV shows.
At
CineCares, Brown was instrumental in driving the program to impressive success
rates, helping to boost diversity in the Illinois production workforce from 14%
to 31%. In addition, the program inspired legislation in the State of Illinois
to strengthen the film tax credit.
Matt Miller,
president and CEO of AICP said the hire of a full-time executive to lead the
association’s equity and inclusion initiatives has been in the works for some
time.
“When
we released a statement after the tragic death of George Floyd and the
subsequent protests, we took a moment to ask ourselves, ‘Is this for the long
run, or are we just making a statement because it seems to be what everyone
else is doing?’ While that’s a rhetorical question, it was an important one:
our E&I Committee has backed up that commitment with true initiatives and
real accomplishments,” Miller noted in a statement. “Sheila’s hire is the next
step in that process. She’s a highly experienced professional who’ll be able to
take us to new heights.”
Brown
says she’s ready for the transition from television to advertising. “For me,
it’s time to create change in a new way,” she said in a statement. “The low
percentage of minority employment in production and post in advertising means
there’s lots of room to maneuver here.”
Brown
began her career working for SportsChannel Chicago, a regional sports TV
channel as a programming assistant. She quickly rose to production coordinator
and then production manager. She was the youngest person ever appointed to the
broadcast advisory board for a professional sports league at the NBA. She went
on to found Freedom Entertainment, Inc., where she provided broadcast
production, event management and marketing/public relations to such clients as
the NBA, the NHL, Major League Baseball, TNT, Lifetime, ESPN, The Oprah Winfrey
Show, MSNBC, People Magazine, P&G/Gillette and the M.K. and J.B. Pritzker
Family Foundation.
Miller
will introduce Brown to the industry at AICP Week events in New York on June 7,
at which she, along with Mason-Elliott, will moderate several panels on
diversity initiatives and progress in advertising production.
“Sheila
will not only work to grow our E&I Committee’s initiatives,” Miller said,
“but she’ll be able to consult and support our members as they look to develop
initiatives within their own companies—and when they’re working with clients to
achieve their E&I goals. She will also be a fantastic spokesperson for AICP
within wider industry circles.”
