Board of Directors
Helen Hernandez
President & Founder
Imagen Foundation
Helen is the President and Founder of The Imagen Foundation and Executive Producer of the Imagen Awards, now in its 36th year. Under her leadership, the Imagen Awards have become one of the most prestigious Latino awards in the entertainment industry and have often been referred to as the “Latino Golden Globes.” She began her career in the entertainment industry as an executive at Tandem/TAT Communications which later became Embassy Communications and then Columbia Pictures Television, working under the leadership of television icon, Norman Lear.
Helen currently serves as Los Angeles County Arts Commissioner, where she is the immediate past president, on the board for the National Parks Conservation Association and is a member of The Academy for Television Arts & Sciences. She is also a former board member for the national Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Cheche Alara
Music Composer, Producer, Director, Conductor
Audito Media
Cheche Alara has composed music for The Titan Games; (NBC) Death by Magic; (Netflix) To Tell the Truth; (ABC) and The ALMA Awards (NBC) among others. Yet credits tell only half the story.
With over 20 years in music, a notable list of artists who’ve availed themselves to this multiple Latin Grammy Awards winner’s abilities are Natalia Lafourcade, Barbra Streisand, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Mike Patton, Lady Gaga, Alejandro Sanz and Colbie Caillat—among others.
In addition to his skills as a composer, he brings considerable expertise as music producer, arranger, music director, conductor and virtuoso keyboardist to the table—a skillset expansive enough to make him “one-stop shopping” for creators. Recalling the time, he was invited to join Barbra Streisand’s The Music, The Mem’ries, The Magic concert tour as keyboardist—then tasked to arrange and record the opening and closing sequences for the production of the tour’s 2017 Netflix special.
He’s been brought in to helm recordings like Lafourcade’s Latin Grammy winning Musas, Thalia’s Habitame Siempre and Il Volo’s Grande Amore; to serve as Musical Director at the Grammys Premiere Ceremony, the Latin Grammys, and galas for Caetano Veloso, Shakira and Placido Domingo; leading Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane orchestra, penning arrangements and playing keys; and to create arrangements for Lady Gaga.
Whatever the musical adventure, Alara brings something fundamental to the table beyond his considerable musical chops—a profound warmth and good humor that make him the guy that artists and creative execs want in the room. And whether that room is a recording studio, a concert hall—or a production office, what you get is a consummate player whose joy in creating music is utterly infectious, and whose generosity in composing, arranging and playing lifts up everyone in its presence.
Those qualities have helped him orchestrate moments, not just tunes—such as pairing Luis Fonsi and Martina McBride at The ALMA Awards, and spearheading a duet between Robbie Williams and Thalia. His musical sensibility is global, but so is his ability to connect and establish trust with creative professionals. They may bring him in for his musical bona fides, but they want him around for that essential spark.
Susana Alonso
Director, Benefits and Wellbeing
Crown Media-Hallmark
Susana holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University Long Beach, where she majored in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources Management. She was named a “Top Latina Leader” in Hispanic Magazine in December 2012. Susana previously headed Human Resources at Cinedigm Corp and Miramax Films. Prior to that, she was Senior HR Manager at Game Show Network, Staffing Manager at Universal Studios and Head of Staffing and Diversity Outreach for MTV Networks/Viacom. Susana started her entertainment career at Sony Pictures Entertainment in their Human Resources department, however, initiated her current path in HR as an Intern at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Los Angeles, CA. Susana is a native of Mexico and grew up in Southern California. She enjoys spending time with her nieces & nephews and outdoor sports and activities.
Jonathan D. Avila
Senior Data Privacy Counsel
Board Secretary & Treasurer
Jonathan D. Avila served as Vice President & Chief Privacy Legal Officer for Walmart Stores, Inc. Previously, Mr. Avila was Vice President — Counsel, Chief Privacy Legal Officer of The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Avila supervises data privacy law counseling and compliance for the domestic and international operations of Disney’s offline and online businesses. Prior to joining Disney, Mr. Avila was General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer of Mvalue.com, Inc., a venture capital-funded Internet company. Mr. Avila also has served as Litigation Counsel to CBS Broadcasting, Inc., where he represented CBS in privacy litigation related to CBS’ news broadcasting activities. Prior to joining CBS, Mr. Avila practiced with the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins. Mr. Avila began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge W. Eugene Davis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Avila has served as Western Region Co-Chair, and presently serves as a member of the Governing Committee, of the Forum on Communications Law of the American Bar Association. Mr. Avila was a member of the Advisory Group to the California Office of Privacy Protection with respect to its Recommended Practices on California Information-Sharing Disclosures and Privacy Policy Statements (SB 27). Mr. Avila also serves on the Board of Directors of the Imagen Foundation, a non-profit entity devoted to fostering positive portrays of Latinos in the entertainment media. Mr. Avila is the author of “Food Lion and Beyond: New Developments in the Law of Hidden Cameras” published in the Winter 1999 issue of Communications Lawyer. Mr. Avila has spoken publicly on a number of occasions on the subjects of data privacy and First Amendment rights. Mr. Avila graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, and received a J.D. from the Harvard Law School in 1984. Mr. Avila also holds a diploma from the University of Salamanca (Spain).
Alfredo Ayala
Senior Technical Staff, Research & Development
Walt Disney Imagineering
Board Vice Chair
Alfredo Ayala, responsible for leading Research & Development project teams, has helped design and create innovative effects for popular Disney Parks attractions such as the Haunted Mansion, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Soarin’, among many projects. He holds over 10 patents and several publications in chemistry, artificial intelligence and what it take to be an Imagineer. Most recently he was part of a team working on the next generation of Audio-Animatronics figures called Autonomatronics. Many of Ayala’s past and present cutting-edge projects are categorized as classified or Top Secret. In 2007 he was the recipient of the Walt Disney lmagineering Spirit of lnnovention Award. In 2011 he was the recipient of the IMAGEN award for Creative Achievement, and 2015 he was named one of the 20 most influential Latinos in tech by CNET.
Enrique Guillen
Chief Content Officer
Estrella Media
Enrique Guillen is the Chief Content Officer for Estrella Media. He joined the company from NBCUniversal, where he served as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy, and International Development for the Universal Studio Group. He reports to CEO Peter Markham and is based in the company’s Burbank offices.
Guillen oversees the U.S. domestic and global content strategy for Estrella Media’s television, streaming, digital, audio, events, and digital businesses, including developing, producing, and acquiring all television and film content, overseeing network and station programming, news, sports, digital content, and studio productions. In addition, he is responsible for the international distribution of the company’s content.
Previously, Guillen was one of the founding executives of the Universal Television Alternative Studio. As EVP of Alternative Development and Production, he oversaw the development, launch and international rollout of properties like “World of Dance,” “Titan Games,” “Hollywood Game Night,” and the award-winning hit game show “The Wall” produced in over 20 countries. Guillen also led innovative content, merchandising and digital initiatives for the studio’s brands. Guillen joined NBC as Senior Vice President of NBC Alternative Programming, developing, and producing primetime franchises, including “The Celebrity Apprentice” and “Last Comic Standing.”
Prior to that, Guillen was VP, Development and Production at Telemundo Studios, where he oversaw scripted productions across the US and Latin America.
Guillen started his career as a journalist and investigative producer, covering national and global politics for Univision News. Innovation and new technologies are an area of passion and expertise for Guillen, where he has developed interactive games, ancillary content, and proprietary software applications for NBCUniversal. He also served as a judge of the X-Prize Foundation, a platform that leverages competition to accelerate technological innovation to create a more hopeful future for humanity, and sits on the board of the Imagen Foundation, the organization created by Norman Lear to celebrate LatinX talent in Media & Entertainment.
Guillen earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a M.A. as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Miami.
Sean Jaquez
Senior Strategic Advisor
Motion Picture Association
While Sean held various roles at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) over his 17+ year tenure, he currently leads SPE’s Content Protection Group, which is responsible for the worldwide protection of SPE’s produced and/or distributed content and networks. In this role, Sean maintains relationships globally with regulators, law enforcement, trade organizations, entertainment companies, and digital intermediaries to create a multifaceted and holistic approach to deter infringement and drive increased consumer adoption of legitimate content viewing.
In addition to leading the Content Protection Group, Sean is a Corporate Officer for numerous SPE production and distribution entities and is an active member of SPE’s DEI subcommittees and various legal and technical committees at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
Sean was named a Top 10 Líder by Hispanic Executive Magazine, was selected as an Influential Latino in Media by The Imagen Foundation, and sits on the President’s Executive Advisors Council at Whittier College, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Sean is also an active member of The Television Academy and a Board Member at Bet Tzedek, a non-profit law firm committed to providing access to justice to 100k+ Los Angelenos annually.
Sean grew up in El Monte, CA and is a first-generation college graduate with degrees from UC Berkeley and Stanford Law School.
Edy Mendoza
Director, Comedy, Original Series
Netflix
Edy Mendoza serves as Director, Comedy, Original Series for Netflix.
Previously, she served as Sr. Vice President, Comedy Series Development at CBS, where shedeveloped and oversaw CBS’s new comedy projects. She was involved in the development of many of the Network’s hit comedies including THE BIG BANG THEORY, KEVIN CAN WAIT, MOM and LIFE IN PIECES. She is currently working on the new fall series 9JKL, ME, MYSELF & I and YOUNG SHELDON.
Mendoza joined the CBS comedy development department in September 1996 as an assistant. She was named Supervisor, Comedy Development in June 1998, was promoted to Manager, Comedy Development in June 2000, Director, Comedy Development in September 2001 and Vice President, Comedy Development in May 2006.
Mendoza was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and is a graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.
Jennifer Ortega
Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs
BET Networks/BET+/BET Studios
Jennifer Ortega is a veteran entertainment business affairs executive with an industry track record of over twenty-five years working at entertainment industry networks, studios and law firms. Ms. Ortega currently serves as a senior executive at Paramount Media Networks, overseeing business and legal affairs across all of the BET branded businesses (BET-branded television channels, the BET+ streaming platform and BET Studios operations). Jennifer previously served as the head of business and legal affairs for the former Telepictures Productions division of Warner Bros Entertainment. Prior to Warner Bros, Jennifer spent the majority of her career as a senior executive at Viacom Media Networks (subsequently VIacomCBS and now Paramount Global). Over the course of her initial twelve years at Viacom, Jennifer’s roles and responsibilities included working in a divisional role across Viacom’s suite of cable television networks, leading the business and legal affairs department for the former Music & Entertainment Group and serving as the business and legal affairs department head for the MTV, VH1 and CMT channels and businesses. Ms. Ortega started her career as an entertainment transactional associate with the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman.
Ms. Ortega received her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and her undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Jennifer is an active member of numerous entertainment industry organizations and is a tireless advocate for diversity in both the entertainment industry and legal profession. Over the course of her career, Ms. Ortega has been recognized as one of the Most Powerful and Influential Latinos in Entertainment, was profiled in an edition of Hispanic Executive Magazine and has been named one of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable by CableFax Magazine. Jennifer served on the Board of Directors of the Imagen Foundation for many years while she was in private practice and during her early years at Viacom, and has recently returned to her board seat to continue her front-line advocacy for the positive portrayal of Latinos in media and the recruiting, retention and promotion of Latino leaders in the entertainment industry.
Frank Salinas
Head of Unscripted Post Production, US, Expansion Territories and Specialty (Live & Near Live)
Amazon Studios
Salinas is responsible for overseeing and managing post-production delivery for unscripted content to Prime Video. He is based at the Amazon Studios newly built office in Culver City California.
OTT distribution with a core understanding of post-production workflows, Salinas has extensive knowledge of traditional distribution and localization on a variety of platforms.
A native of Southern California, Salinas holds a degree in film studies from Cal State Northridge with a focus on multimedia. His tenure in the entertainment business includes positions at Viacom Networks under the Los Angeles MTV News Bureau where he spent over 4+ years working under the production management division at MTV News covering all aspects of news, entertainment, music, pop culture and political platforms. From budgeting and pre-production, editorial, localization, mastering, and final delivery Frank has an excellent understanding on the entire production to post process.
Salinas’s broad range of experience encompasses both large and small-scale productions, which includes work on The Golden Globes, The Grammys, MTV Movie Awards and the VMA’s, while serving as VP of Post-Production and Operations at 25/7 Productions. He has worked as Supervising Producer on ABC’s The Vineyard, CBS’s The Briefcase, NBC Universal series S.T.R.O.N.G and most recently on the Netflix series The Ultimate Beastmaster and Fearless that was recently nominated for a multiple sports Emmy that included editing, sound design, and GFX. Additional experience includes working as Supervising Producer & Post Producer on a variety of projects for Film 45, Endemol/Reveille/Shine America, RDF/Zodiac USA, and Next Entertainment. Possessing the technical knowledge required in today’s changing world of deliverables, Salinas has delivered shows to all the major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS as well as OTT’s Amazon and Netflix. Prior to making the leap to Amazon Studios Salinas worked at STX Entertainment.
With a passion for modern day storytelling, Salinas prides himself on working with some of the smartest, most talented creative minded people in the business. With a true love for editorial and the craft of story and character development, he stays true to what he loves.
He is an active member of SMPTE community, The Television Academy, Film Independent and has been a member of the Producers Guild of America for over 10 years. Most recently Frank has been accepted to the Board of Directors for the Imagen Foundation.
Cindy C. Villa
Executive Support Professional
Cindy C. Villa has worn a variety of hats in her 20 plus years in entertainment. Born and raised in Southern California and a first-generation college student, it was at UCLA where Cindy fell in love with the entertainment industry and soon found herself running the offices and coordinating events for the biggest names in town. She has worked as a chief of staff and right hand to major studio/production heads as well as A-List talent. Cindy started her career at Universal Pictures and held previous positions at Tribeca Productions as well as worked with the musical artist Prince. For the past 8 years Cindy worked with television icon and trailblazer Norman Lear at Act III Productions based at Sony Pictures Television. Norman introduced Cindy to Helen Hernandez and the Imagen Awards and she immediately shared his passion in supporting this incredible organization that recognizes and celebrates Latinos in entertainment. Cindy has also produced, emceed, and coordinated hundreds of noteworthy events throughout her career. A tireless creative, Cindy thrives on connecting like-minded souls whilst curating unique experiences. A professional baker and avid tennis player in her free time, Cindy’s greatest joy is giving back to her community and making memories with family and friends.