ELECT NATIONAL OFFICERS FOR 2004
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LOS ANGELES, CA, DECEMBER 11, 2003 -- The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) has named new national officers for 2004. At a meeting of the organization's Board of Directors, Mark Androw of The Story Companies (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles) was elected chairman of AICP, which represents companies that produce television advertising. |
Mr. Androw headed a slate that also included Frank Stiefel of @radical.media (New York, Santa Monica, Sydney, London and Paris), as vice chairman, and Sally Antonacchio of The Artists Company (New York, Los Angeles, Toronto) as treasurer. The chairman and vice chairman serve one-year terms; the treasurer is a two-year term. Mr. Androw succeeds Al Califano of A-List LLC.
Other officers of the 32-year-old trade organization include Robert L. Sacks of Kane Kessler, AICP's secretary and legal counsel, and AICP President and CEO Matt Miller, who is appointed to office.
Mark Androw, Chairman: Mr. Androw is executive producer and one of the founders of The Story Companies. Starting with what was originally called Chicago Story, the company brought a novel approach to the commercial industry by enabling New York and Los Angeles-based directors to work in Chicago as if they were local talents. That formula proved to be a winner, as Chicago Story quickly became Chicago's largest commercial production house. The company has been honored three times by the city's Screen Magazine as Production-Company-of-the-Year. Mr. Androw went on to replicate its success elsewhere. Today, the group of companies in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles is called The Story Companies and Mr. Androw is executive producer for six directors spread across the country. A native of Chicago, and licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois, Mr. Androw got his start in commercial production while still in school, working as a line producer and production manager at Freese & Friends. He later served as that company's executive producer before leaving in 1989 to found Chicago Story. Mr. Androw served two terms as vice chairman of AICP, following eight years during which he was national treasurer. He also served as president of the AICP Midwest Chapter for one term and has been a member of the chapter board for more than 20 years.
Frank Stiefel, Vice Chairman: Mr. Stiefel, executive producer and executive vice president at @radical.media, headed Stiefel + Co till September 2002, when the firm he'd established in 1986 was acquired by @radical.media. During its existence, Stiefel + Co won multiple awards, including Cannes Lions, Clios and the AICP Show, and produced over 1500 commercials. In addition, Mr. Stiefel produced three short subject films, which were honored at numerous film festivals, among them festivals in Berlin, London, Toronto, and Edinburgh, as well as the Sundance Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival. For AICP, he has served on the East and West boards, was president of the East Chapter, is a past national chairman as well as a past chairman of the AICP Show, for which he also served on the Board of Governors. In 1998, Frank Stiefel was appointed to the Santa Monica College Foundation Board, of which he is currently president. In addition, he teaches a course at Santa Monica College called "The Commercial."
Sally Antonacchio, Treasurer: Sally Antonacchio has been with The Artists Company for the past 13 years. She began as controller, was promoted to CFO, and is now vice president. An active member of the AICP/East Board during the same period, Ms. Antonacchio is also a past president of the East Chapter, served on the AICP National Financial Committee for six years and has been a member of the AICP Show Committee since the Show's early days. In addition, she has headed fund raising committees including the annual East holiday events, which have raised in excess of $100,000 for AICP/East and an equal amount for the Program for Children and Adolescents with AIDS at the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital. A frequent instructor for the AICP coordinator training program, Ms. Antonacchio also led the research committee that developed standards for the production company employee handbooks.
Founded in 1972, the AICP represents, exclusively, the interests of United States companies that specialize in producing commercials on various media film, video, computer for advertisers and agencies. The Association serves as a strong collective voice for this $5-plus billion industry, addressing its many audiences within the advertising community, business circles and government offices; disseminating information; negotiating labor agreements; developing industry standards; and providing education on elements of production. The AICP has offices in New York and Los Angeles, as well as regional offices across the country.
