New York, NY (September 25, 2020) – The Actors Fund, the national human services organization with a mission of fostering stability and resiliency, and providing a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan, announced today the election of four new members to its Board of Trustees: Debbie Allen, Nancy S. MacMillan, Elizabeth Reiko Kubota Whitney and Allison Wright.
An internationally recognized and award-winning producer, director, choreographer, author, dancer and actor, Debbie Allen is currently Executive Producer and Director for Grey's Anatomy, as well as Artist Director and Founder of The Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
With extensive experience in publishing, management consulting and volunteer leadership on many non-profit boards, Nancy S. MacMillan is a life-long supporter and advocate of dance and the performing arts. She currently serves on The Dancers’ Resource Advisory Council of The Actors Fund.
A former actress and theater graduate of the former UCLA College of Fine Arts (now the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television), Elizabeth Reiko Kubota Whitney is a producer and an advocate for the entertainment community.
Recognized as an innovative leader in the field of Human Resources, Allison Wright serves as Vice President, Talent for Netflix.
“I’m honored to welcome Debbie Allen, Nancy S. MacMillan, Elizabeth Reiko Kubota Whitney and Allison Wright to the Board,” said Actors Fund Chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell. “These women bring with them a deep understanding of a life in performing arts and entertainment. We’re grateful they will lend their considerable talents to helping The Fund to support everyone in our community, over the course of this pandemic and beyond.”
The Board of The Actors Fund establishes policies for administering the programs and services of the organization, which has served the community since 1882.
For a full listing of the board, councils and committees of The Actors Fund, visit actorsfund.org/Leadership.
DEBBIE ALLEN BIO
Debbie Allen, a BFA graduate of Howard University in Theater and Classical Greek Studies, holds four honorary Doctorate degrees. Ms. Allen has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is an award-winning director/choreographer who has choreographed the Academy Awards a record ten times. She has directed and choreographed for legendary artists such as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Gwen Verdon, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dolly Parton.
Ms. Allen received a Golden Globe Award for her role as Lydia Grant in the 1980s hit series Fame. She is a three-time Emmy Award winner in Choreography for the series Fame as well as The Motown 25th Anniversary. Awarded ten Image Awards as director, actress, choreographer and producer for Fame, A Different World, Motown 25th Anniversary, The Academy Awards, The Debbie Allen Special and Amistad. Ms. Allen has also directed the best that Network TV offers, including Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Jane The Virgin, Empire and Insecure. She currently serves as Executive Producer and Director of Grey’s Anatomy where she also holds a recurring role as Catherine Fox. She is the daughter of Vivian Ayers and Dr. Andrew Allen, wife to NBA All-Star Norman Nixon and mother of Vivian and Thump.
NANCY S. MACMILLAN BIO
Nancy S. MacMillan is the Publisher of Princeton Alumni Weekly, Princeton University’s alumni magazine which is published 12 times a year. She has held that position for over 25 years, and prior work experiences included controller of a publishing company, management consulting, in addition to work on non-profit boards. Nancy is currently a Trustee of the Institute for Advanced Study, New York City Center, School of American Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, and The Actors Fund, and is on several advisory councils for arts related non-profits. She has served on budget, finance, and development committees of these organizations. Her education beyond a BA from Connecticut College includes an MA in economics and an MBA in finance.
Nancy was raised in Manhattan and frequented dance, theater and other performances while growing up. She is a resident in Princeton, NJ, but also has a New York residence which allows her to conveniently enjoy theater, museums and all NYC has to offer, including her three grandchildren. Nancy’s husband Duncan, a founding partner of Bloomberg, shares an interest in the arts and serves as a Trustee of McCarter Theater in Princeton. She has two grown children, her son lives in New York, and her daughter in Ireland.
ELIZABETH REIKO KUBOTA WHITNEY BIO
Elizabeth Reiko Kubota Whitney (Liz) is a former actress whose career focused initially on musical theater and whose resume includes roles in many popular television shows of the 1980s, such as MacGyver and T.J. Hooker. Liz was also a cast member of the acclaimed 1982 Mark Taper Forum production of August 6th, 1945, about the bombing of Hiroshima. She was also the ingénue in the #1 music video of 1984, John Waite’s “Missing You.”
A 1980 theater graduate of the former UCLA College of Fine Arts (now the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television), Liz has long been a champion of UCLA TFT. In 2010 she, in honor of her late sister Jeanne, established the Jeanne Michiko Kubota Fund. The endowed fund provides full four-year scholarships for deserving undergraduate theater students in need, covering tuition, room, board and other expenses. It was the first of its kind at UCLA TFT.
She and her husband, Ken Whitney, a private investor, started investing in theater shows within the past decade. Some of these shows include: Fun Home (Tony for Best New Musical/2015); Network; The Ferryman (Tony for Best Play/2017); Ain’t Too Proud (Tony Nominee for Best Musical/2019); and the Broadway version of The Lehman Trilogy. They also have invested/produced films within the past decade. A passion project was the short film American starring George Takei about the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII. (Liz’s parents met in the Japanese Internment Camp in Rowher, AK.) American won several awards on the film festival circuit.
Liz currently serves on the UCLA TFT Executive Board and the President’s Leadership Council at the University of Delaware. They are actively involved with Harlem Village Academies (charter school in NYC), the Sundance Institute, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (started by Paul Newman), MCC Theater, The Roundabout Theatre and The Actors Fund.
Liz and Ken have three daughters, a son-in-law, three granddaughters and Riley, their Husky Poo puppy.
ALLISON WRIGHT BIO
Allison Wright is Vice President of Talent at Netflix, where she leads HR teams supporting Production, Animation, and Human Resources, and acts as a business partner to senior leaders within the company. She joined Netflix in February 2013 when she fell in love with the company’s unique culture and the focus on bringing amazing stories to people all over the world. Allison began her career in HR and organizational development over 25 years ago and has led HR organizations in a variety of industries, including: retail, hospitality, healthcare and entertainment. She has a Bachelor’s in Communications from San Jose State University and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco.
ABOUT THE ACTORS FUND
The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services. Visit actorsfund.org.
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