Our New Governors

In October of 2025, MPTF added 10 new additions to its Board of Governors including actors Ike Barinholtz, Yvette Nicole Brown and Colin Farrell, actor-producer and entrepreneur Christine Chiu, ID PR founder Kelly Bush Novak, CAA managing director and motion picture agent Maha Dakhil, former L’Oreal USA group president Carol Hamilton, filmmaker McG, managing partner of business services firm NKSFB Mickey Segal, and Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical Courtenay Valenti. They join the current 12 board members JJ Abrams, Byron Allen, Betsy Beers, Greg Berlanti, Channing Dungey, Eric Esrailian, Tony Goldwyn, Curtis Jackson, Kevin McCormick, Christopher Nolan, Ann Sarnoff and Lauren Shuler Donner. Emmy®-nominated for Apple TV+’s The Studio, Ike Barinholtz has established himself as a sought-after comedic writer and actor. Barinholtz co-wrote and executive produced Netflix’s Running Point, released in February 2025, a basketball comedy he created with Mindy Kaling and David Stassen, and which stars Kate Hudson. He also co-created and starred in Hulu’s comedy series History of the World Part II, which he wrote alongside Mel Brooks, Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, and David Stassen. “I am so grateful for the MPTF,” said Barinholtz, who enthusiastically participated in MPTF’s 2024 live KTLA telethon and co-chaired the 2025 Evening Before fundraiser. “Now more than ever we need to be taking care of our people and joining the board of governors is a huge honor for me!” A longtime advocate for MPTF including serving on the NextGen Board and hosting all of MPTF’s live fundraising telethons with Tom Bergeron, Yvette Nicole Brown said, “I have been blessed to be a part of the MPTF family since I took my very first tour of the campus over 15 years ago. MPTF does so much good for so many. Joining the Board of Governors is one of my greatest joys.” An Emmy-nominated actress, writer, producer and host, she is best known for her roles on the TV shows Community, The Mayor, Drake and Josh, The Odd Couple, Big Shot, and Act Your Age and films including Dreamgirls, Tropic Thunder, Avengers: Endgame, Disney’s live-action Lady and the Tramp and Disenchanted, and the upcoming Code 3 and K-Pops. She is also a 2020 NAACP Image Award Nominated writer for Always A Bridesmaid, which she penned and executive produced and is streaming on Netflix and BET+. Kelly Bush Novak is the Founder and CEO of ID, the largest independently owned full-service communications agency in entertainment. With over 30 years of experience, she has represented many of Hollywood’s most celebrated talent and projects, from Academy Award®-winning actors and directors to groundbreaking films and television series. Kelly has built ID into a powerhouse agency known for innovative campaigns and strategic brand partnerships, while maintaining a reputation for integrity and excellence in the publicity industry. As she says, “I am honored to join the MPTF Board of Governors and support an organization that has been the safety net for our entertainment community for over a century – ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to this industry are cared for with dignity and compassion when they need it most.” As a Motion Picture Agent, Maha Dakhil represents successful actors, writers, and directors, guiding such luminary talent as Tom Cruise, Ava DuVernay, Reese Witherspoon, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mindy Kaling, Madonna, Sam Mendes, Natalie Portman, Chloé Zhao, Lena Dunham, Ayo Edebiri, Justine Triet, Melina Matsoukas, Juan Antonio Bayona, Yorgos Lanthimos, Olivia Wilde, Denis Villeneuve, Steve McQueen, Lenny Abrahamson, Danny Strong, Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, Lisa Joy, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, among others. In her leadership roles at CAA as Managing Director, Co-Chair of CAA Amplify, and Co-Head of the International Film Group, Dakhil advances the agency’s inclusion initiatives, connects underrepresented talent to global opportunities, and helps expand the motion picture department’s global reach. “I feel a deep sense of loyalty and purpose in bridging our industry’s multigenerational community, and this is my way of honoring them,” she says. “I have always had deep respect for elders, their knowledge, their wisdom, their contributions, and also sensitivity that they may often be left behind after a certain age and stage. It is my aim to be of service to this remarkable community and broaden the membership to reflect the industry’s cultural diversity.” Acclaimed actor Colin Farrell has made his mark on the large and small screen for over 25 years following his breakout roles in Tigerland (for which he won the Boston Soceity of Film Critics Award for Best Actor) and Minority Report. He has received three Golden Globes, most recently in 2024 for the title role in HBO Max’s The Penguin, and previously for his performances in In Bruges and The Banshees of Inishirin (for which he also received an Oscar® nomination). He has also appeared in such films as The Batman, Phone Booth, The Gentlemen, The Lobster, Horrible Bosses, Daredevil, Fright Night, After Yang, Miami Vice, Widows, Crazy Heart, Alexander, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The New World, and most recently A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and Ballad of a Small Player. On television he also starred in True Detective, Sugar, and The North Water. His performance in The Penguin also earned him a SAG Award, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, and an Emmy nomination. “Our crews are what make this industry, and MPTF supports them and their families with basic and essential needs,” says Farrell, a longtime MPTF supporter who has visited the campus and had screening Q&As several times. “I’m so glad to be part of that mission that’s sustained our workers through difficult times and couldn’t be prouder.” A filmmaker who has directed 12 feature films and eight television pilots, McG has the distinction of having written a #1 song, produced a #1 TV show, and directed a #1 movie. His features including Charlie’s Angels and Terminator Salvation, have grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office. For TV he directed the pilots for Fastlane, Chuck, The Mysteries of Laura, Shadowhunters, Lethal Weapon, and Turner & Hooch. McG is the executive producer of over 800 hours of primetime network television, including long-running hits The O.C. and Supernatural. His other directorial credits on the feature side include Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, We Are Marshall, This Means War, 3 Days to Kill, The Babysitter, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Rim of the World, Family Switch, Uglies, and Way of The Warrior Kid. Mickey Segal, CPA, is the Managing Partner of NKSFB, LLC., the largest business management firm in the U.S. He graduated cum laude in accounting from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, and in 1997, he was inducted into their Accounting Hall of Fame and he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University’s business school. Mickey has over 45 years of experience in accounting, and in the last 40 years has focused on practice management, mergers and acquisitions, and personnel management and development. Mickey served twelve years on the Arcadia City Council and served as Mayor four times for the city. He is currently the Chairman of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and worked to raise an ambitious $40 million for their capital campaign. “Supporting MPTF is a way to give back to the industry that is so important to my successful career,” he says of being part of the Board, part of his ongoing involvement with MPTF including chairing our Heartbeat of Hollywood fundraiser. Courtenay Valenti serves as Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical at Amazon MGM Studios, overseeing all films for the studio. Recent releases from the Studios team include Play Dirty, After the Hunt, Heads of State,The Accountant 2, and G20. A 30-year film studio veteran, she rose through the creative development ranks at Warner Bros. Pictures, ultimately serving as president of production and development. During her tenure at the studio, she developed and supervised a wide variety of films such as Happy Feet, the last four films in the Harry Potter series, The Great Gatsby, Mad Max Fury Road, The Intern, and the Fantastic Beasts film series. She was a key creative force behind the studio’s resurgence in feature animation where she shepherded such titles as The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. Earlier in her career she developed and supervised films such as You’ve Got Mail, A Little Princess, The Iron Giant, Singles, Contact, and Selena, among others. “The MPTF is an organization to which I have been devoted and passionate about for many years,” says Valenti. “I am deeply inspired by its mission to support industry members in their time of need, as exemplified by its motto of ‘taking care of our own.’ In particular, I am continually in awe of the highly skilled and caring social workers who are the heartbeat and soul of the MPTF, showing up continually to care for clients with care, compassion and expertise.”