TRIBUTE TO JOELLE DOBROW--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE YEAR; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 61
(Extensions of Remarks - April 09, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO JOELLE DOBROW--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE YEAR
______
HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional
District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Joelle Dobrow
of the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles in
1970 with a bachelor's degree in film and television, Ms. Dobrow became
a pioneering activist in Hollywood. At a time when women simply didn't
have opportunities to produce and direct films, Joelle and five other
female directors set out to make a change. The ``Original Six,'' as
they've come to be known, decided to get organized in the fight against
sexism and together, they formed the first Women's Steering Committee
of the Directors Guild of America. Decades before the Me Too movement
forced a Hollywood reckoning, Dobrow and the Original Six spearheaded
the first entertainment industry lawsuits against feature films studios
for discrimination against women and ethnic minorities.
Ms. Dobrow and the Original Six received the recognition for their
important activism efforts with the recent book Liberating Hollywood
and upcoming documentary This Changes Everything, which features Joelle
along with Meryl Streep and Geena Davis as feminist crusaders in
Hollywood.
Joelle's groundbreaking leadership is apparent in her television
career as the first woman Producer/Director for the bay area television
station KTEH, and later, the first woman Associate Director/Stage
Manager at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. She continued to have an
accomplished career as a television producer and director, including
working for Noticiero Estudiantil--for which she won an Emmy--and Good
Morning America among many others. She also helped produce live events
such as TV Goes to the Hollywood Bowl and Hollywood Remembers the
Blacklist.
Fifteen years ago, Ms. Dobrow founded the Edendale Library Friends
Society (ELFS) in her neighborhood of Echo Park and has since led the
organization as President. Joelle and the ELFS serve as a vital bridge
between the Los Angeles Public Library, elected officials, Echo Park
Neighborhood Council, other nearby non-profit organizations, and the
local community. In addition to her volunteer service with ELFS, Joelle
also served on the successful Yes on Measure L campaign, a measure
which permanently increased library funding for the City of Los
Angeles.
In 2013, Ms. Dobrow received an Executive Master of Arts in Arts
Management from Claremont Graduate University. She was recently the
recipient of the Drucker Women in Leadership Fellowship, the Ahmanson
Fellowship, and an Altrusa Richardson grant.
I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-
respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Joelle
Dobrow.
____________________