The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) today announced the selection for the first time of three non-members to the Board of Directors responsible for overseeing the ongoing reform plan to restructure the organization along the lines of accountability, ethics, and greater inclusion of the diversity of world journalism.

This new Board includes 15 total directors – 12 active members and three non-members. On Monday the board selected Jeff Harris, Dr. Joanna Dodd Massey, and Sharlette Hambrick as the first independent directors for the HFPA.

Members elected the 12 internal directors in August and elected German journalist Helen Hoehne as the Association’s 13th female President just last week.

“The inclusion of these experienced professionals from outside the HFPA completes one of the most important commitments the members made earlier this year to open up and listen to other points of view and input,” Hoehne said. “This is a historic moment for the HFPA as we show our continued commitment with yet another step towards meaningfully diversifying Hollywood. These three successful individuals will bring a fresh perspective to the table as we begin a new chapter in our journey.”

Today’s results come just over a month after HFPA membership approved a new set of bylaws codifying the reform measures, including the addition of three non-members to its board. Under its new bylaws, the HFPA board serves as the principal policy-making body for the Association with authority over governance, setting policies, financial matters, and the selection of professional staff, including conducting the search for a new Chief Executive Officer from outside the organization.

Joining the HFPA Board of Directors:

Jeff Harris is an accomplished non-profit executive who is passionate about civic engagement surrounding racial justice and equality. He heads JB Harris Consulting, which was founded to support organizations bringing programs and resources to BIPOC communities working to mitigate the effects of poverty, violence, and trauma that can prevent young people from achieving their full potential. He previously served as chief executive officer of the Junior Statesmen Foundation a national, non-partisan, non-profit helping to develop citizenship and civic involvement for high school students. Under his leadership, Harris oversaw the expansion of JSA to the nation’s largest student-run action-civics organization serving 15,000 students annually.

Most recently he was director of School and Community Partnerships for the Compton Unified School District, where he brought resources to the district supporting arts, STEM, literacy, athletics, and other co-curricular programs for the 35 campuses serving over 20,000 K-12 students while managing over 55 partner relationships.

Dr. Joanna Dodd Massey is an experienced C-level communications marketing executive and Board Director, who advises executive teams at Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits. She is also an author and corporate speaker. Dr. Massey has worked for over 25 years strategizing on global brand reputation management at companies, such as Condé Nast, Lionsgate, CBS, Viacom, Discovery, and Hasbro where she held senior communications and publicity positions.

She serves on several boards and currently teaches at Columbia University in New York as an adjunct professor in corporate communications. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Sofia University, a master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California, and a graduate certificate in corporate finance from Harvard.

She is the author of two books on crisis communications and multigenerational marketing.

Sharlette Hambrick is the CEO of Y-Tulip Productions with a successful career as an entertainment industry executive, who is credited with shifting the landscape of entertainment television and the cultivation and expansion of all emerging platforms.

A long-time producer at Entertainment Tonight, Hambrick oversaw the restructuring of the show and led coverage and production of the show’s coverage of leading international film festivals and award shows, as well as expanded her portfolio to include integrating production-based placements for a range of international consumer brands.

She received her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Pepperdine University and is a guest lecturer at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.

In May, the 85-member HFPA announced a timeline that would overhaul the organization by creating five pillars of change: accountability, membership, inclusion, good governance/ethics, and transparency.

All new board and committee members will undergo Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and leadership training for their respective roles in the 2021-2022 cycle. diver

Additionally, the HFPA is committed to growing its membership and accepting new members from diverse backgrounds. The Association continues to welcome applications for new membership and has extended the 2021 deadline to Friday, September 17th, 5 PM PST. The new member application can be found here: https://www.goldenglobes.com/members-0.