Welcoming the Pacific Council’s New Directors
October 19, 2017
The Pacific Council is pleased to announce eight new members of our Board of Directors as of October 2017.
Directors bring to the Council their experience as leaders in business, law, non-profit organizations, international NGOs, academia, and government. Our new directors have an incredible depth and breadth of experience working in Los Angeles in a global capacity, and it is an honor to welcome them to their new roles at the Pacific Council.
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Willow Bay
Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
Willow Bay was appointed dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in July 2017 and is the current holder of the Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication. A veteran broadcast journalist and a leader in digital communication, Bay was previously the director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism (2014–17). She launched the Julie Chen/Leslie Moonves and CBS Media Center in Wallis Annenberg Hall, introduced the school’s new Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree program, welcomed the first cohort of the school’s nine-month Master of Science in Journalism program, forged partnerships with key media industry partners, and created new curricula and fellowships for master’s students.
Colleen Bell
Former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary
Colleen Bell served as the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from 2014 to 2017. Prior to her diplomatic service, Ambassador Bell was a leading business executive at an award-winning production company responsible for some of the most-watched television programming in the world, reaching more than 40 million people in more than 100 countries across five continents.
Carla Christofferson
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AECOM
Christofferson oversees all aspects of AECOM’s global legal function, including risk management. Christofferson joined AECOM from O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, where she most recently was managing partner of the Los Angeles office. She joined the firm in 1993 as an associate and became a partner in 2001, ultimately becoming managing partner of the Los Angeles office in 2008.
John Emerson
Global Relationship Manager & Vice Chairman, Capital Group International, Inc.; Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany
John B. Emerson is the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, having served from 2013 to 2017. He has recently re-joined Capital Group as a global relationship manager and vice chairman of Capital Group International, Inc. Previously, John was president of Capital Group Private Client Services and a senior vice president and board member of Capital Guardian Trust Company.
Nina Hachigian
Deputy Mayor of International Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Mission to ASEAN
Hachigian, an L.A. resident who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Obama Administration, will lead the newly-created Mayor’s Office of International Affairs. The office will work to broaden the city’s global engagement on matters ranging from trade, investment, culture, and tourism to preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Peter Laugharn
President & CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Peter Laugharn serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. He was executive director of the Firelight Foundation from 2008 to 2014. Firelight identifies, funds, and supports promising African nonprofits serving vulnerable children and families in the areas of education, resilience, and health.
Charles Rivkin
CEO, Motion Picture Association of America; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Business & Economic Affairs, U.S. State Department
Charles H. Rivkin is the CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. Prior to this appointment, Rivkin served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. Rivkin led the U.S. State Department bureau responsible for managing trade negotiations, investment treaties, business and commercial affairs, economic sanctions, transportation affairs, telecommunications policy, international finance and development related issues, as well as intellectual property rights protection.
Ernest Wooden, Jr.
President & CEO, L.A. Tourism & Convention Board
Ernest (Ernie) Wooden, Jr., a long-time senior hospitality industry executive and Los Angeles-area resident since 1999, is the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LA Tourism), the official marketing and sales organization for Los Angeles, one of the world’s best-known destinations, welcoming more than 45.6 million visitors in 2015. Mr. Wooden has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry, including more than a decade in senior leadership positions in both global brand management and operations with Hilton Hotels Corporation.
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