Founders

Having experienced sustained success in the entertainment business, Diane Cary and James (Jim) Parriott felt a responsibility to “Pass It On” by exposing youth and young adults to personal growth and career opportunities in film, television and music video production. Aware of budget cuts jeopardizing arts programs in public schools, Diane and Jim founded Live Arts Group (LAG) and the Pass It On (PIO) Program to provide underserved students with free filmmaking workshops that mirror the reality of working in the entertainment industry. With an accomplished and dedicated crew of staff and board members at their side, Diane and Jim are proud of the years of technical training, mentorship and career opportunities Live Arts Group has provided to numerous students living in some of the most challenging and at-risk communities in Los Angeles.

Live Arts Group Board of Directors

Diane Cary: (Executive Director) Diane is the co-founder of Live Arts Group and a professional actor in theater/television/film who has guest starred in over 40 hours of television and performed in countless Los Angeles stage productions. She has also written and produced short festival films, as well as written for the USA Cable series Forever Knight. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa/Cum Laude from the University of Denver, majoring in theatre/English literature and minoring in education for a teaching degree in theatre arts.

Kevin Bannerman: Kevin has an extensive background in production, having worked as a development executive for various companies over the years. He served for five years on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Artists in the Entertainment Industry (AGLA) which was a precursor to GLAAD, and from 2006-2008 he was worked as a committee member or co-chair for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Los Angeles Leadership Awards.

Liz Friedlander: Liz is highly regarded in the music industry as an incredibly talented music video director. She has worked with the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Celine Dion, and REM amongst others and has been awarded the MTV Viewer's Choice Award for Best Video for her work with Michelle Branch.

Patricia Bell Harik: Patricia is a CPA and partner in the accounting firm Zdonek & Wolowicz. She is also active in multiple community projects, including president of Los Serranos Award Circuit, an organization that promotes horseback riding for all ages and benefits children with disabilities, also past President of Rotary Club of Torrance which is involved in many local and international humanitarian projects.

Edward Ornelas: Ed is a director and editor who’s worked on projects for ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, FOX, MTV, A&E, Lifetime and Showtime. He holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.F.A. in film production from the University of Texas, Austin. Ed has directed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and the new ABC series premiering in 2011, Off The Map. In 2009, he produced and directed the independent feature film, The Legend of Billy Fail, garnering awards at numerous film festivals across the country.

James D. Parriott: James is the co-founder of Live Arts Group and has worked for the last 20 years as a writer/creator, director, and executive producer in Hollywood. Most recently he has served as Executive Producer of ABC Television's Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty. Other recent projects include Push Nevada (executive producer), The American Embassy (creator/executive producer) and Rag and Bone (co-written with Anne Rice, director, executive producer).

Mary Anne Reyes: Mary Anne, a native of Hancock Park, is a successful business entrepreneur. A UCLA graduate in Political Science/International Relations, she decided to put her business sense and creative energies into the restaurant trade. For 12 years, she owned and operated a French-Vietnamese restaurant on La Brea named “Mandalay” and “The Pearl” a forties-style cocktail lounge. Since then, she has been involved in projects as a restaurant consultant, event planner and business manager, while starting a family of her own.

Randy Skinner: Randy has many years of experience working in the music industry. She served as Music Video Commissioner for Warner Brother Records for nearly two decades before going on to work for Virgin Records. She’s worked with countless artists, including Madonna, Janet Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M, and Leona Lewis to name a few. She has executive produced feature films, and currently works as a freelance video commissioner for Motown Records.

Ronald Taylor: Ronald is currently VP for Diversity at Fox Television and one of the most prominent African American TV executives. After serving as an advisor on the "Pass It On" video project pilot, he accepted an invitation to join the board.

Marcy Swartz Toscher: Marcy is an accomplished business owner, respected senior executive and loved mother of three sons. A law school graduate and experienced lobbyist, Toscher used her business savvy and creativity to excel as an antique dealer and storeowner as well as an interior designer. She went on to serve as a senior executive for Dualstar Entertainment Group where she over saw marketing and promotions and style and design for the successful Mary-Kate and Ashley Fashion and Lifestyle Brand. Mary and her husband Steven, a tax litigation attorney in Beverly Hills, have made a loving home for their three sons over the past twenty-four years.

Gwenn Victor: Gwenn has directed for the Sundance Institute's Playwright's Lab, the Mark Taper Forum's Other Voices Workshop and the Los Angeles Theatre Center's New Works Festival. She has also written and directed plays performed by disabled artists in a program funded by the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept.