Cheryl Boone Isaacs

Cheryl Boone Isaacs is an American film executive and publicist who served as the 35th president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) from 2013 to 2017. She was the first African American and the third woman to hold the position. During her tenure, she was a prominent advocate for increasing diversity and inclusion within the Academy Awards and the broader film industry.

Early life and education

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, she is the daughter of a postal worker and a homemaker. Her older brother, Ashley Boone Jr., was a pioneering film distribution executive at companies like 20th Century Fox and Ladd Company. She attended Classical High School before earning a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Career

After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and began her career in film marketing and publicity. She held positions at several major Hollywood studios, starting at Columbia Pictures before moving to The Ladd Company. She later served as executive vice president of worldwide publicity for Paramount Pictures, working on major campaigns for films like Forrest Gump and Braveheart. In 1997, she founded her own marketing and consulting firm, CBI Enterprises, Inc., advising on projects for studios such as New Line Cinema and 20th Century Fox.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presidency

Elected in 2013, her presidency followed that of Hawk Koch. Her term was immediately defined by responding to the criticism of a lack of diversity among Oscar nominees, which peaked with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 and 2016. In response, she helped enact sweeping changes to the academy's membership, inviting a record number of new members from diverse backgrounds and pledging to double the number of women and minority members by 2020. She also oversaw the launch of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures project in Los Angeles and presided over significant events like the 88th Academy Awards and the 89th Academy Awards.

Other professional activities and honors

Beyond her work with AMPAS, she has served on the board of directors for the American Film Institute and the Motion Picture & Television Fund. She was a governor of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and served as a trustee for the UCLA Foundation. Her honors include receiving a star on the Springfield Walk of Fame, the Women in Film Crystal Award, and the NAACP Chairman's Award. In 2014, she was named one of The Hollywood Reporter's "100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment."

Personal life

She is married to television producer and writer Stanley Isaacs, known for his work on shows like Entertainment Tonight. The couple resides in Los Angeles. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and has been active in various civic and philanthropic organizations in the Los Angeles area.

Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:American film executives Category:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presidents Category:University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni Category:People from Springfield, Massachusetts