AWD is honored to welcome four new members to its Board of Directors. Each has already been in service to AWD as a dedicated volunteer. We thank them for their enthusiasm to help our members, and for their resolve in forwarding our mission. Learn more about these awesome Directors below.
ASHLEY MARIA
” I applied to be on the Board because I wanted to be more involved in AWD. I had already taken on many volunteer opportunities and saw how much this Board was doing to support us. I chose to apply to be on the Board so I could support their efforts, and in turn, support my own career!” – Ashley
Ashley has been an AWD Directing Member of AWD for seven years. She edited several of our promotional interviews and recorded workshops for “AWD Presents,” and helped to produce and record the audio for AWD upcoming podcast series. She is a Emmy Nominated director & writer, best known for her comedy/horror short “Friday Night Fright” which won a Directors Guild of America award and her breakthrough documentary “Pioneers in Skirts,” which follows her own journey to find solutions to overcoming systemic bias in our culture.
LESLEY POWERS
“I wanted to join the board for AWD because I value the community, creativity, and leadership of those who came before me.” – Lesley
Lesley joined AWD seven years ago and has served as Co-Chair of the Rising Director Fellowship since its inception. She is an LA-based writer/director with a background in indie film producing, casting, and on-camera hosting.
MARIA VALDEZ
“I believe in the power of community and giving back.” – Maria
Maria joined AWD four years ago and has volunteered for the past two. As a director she is passionate about bringing human interest stories to life from the Latino perspective and amplifying authentic portrayals of Latina characters across multiple genres.
MONIQUE YOUNGER
“I want to serve on the board because I think it is important that AWD members from all chapters across the country have proper representation. Our needs in AWD South differ from AWD LA and I want to always make sure that we are able to advocate for our needs.” – Monique
Monique has been a Directing Member of AWD for six years and has served on AWD South’s Executive Leadership Committee as Chair of Events. She is a Producer/Director/Writer with 20+ years of experience in Costumes. Multi-talented, Monique has worked 10 years as a Costume Supervisor, directed a feature-length documentary, and co-produced and directed a reality show, The Level Up Experiment for AspireTV.