Independent Writers' Caucus
Independent Writers' Caucus
Chairs and Board Members
IWC Chairs - 2026
Our Chairs are members of the IWC whose leadership helps to elevate all of our members and
bring opportunity to the organization
Julie Dare
A former film and TV writing instructor and current Creative Executive at Pipeline Media Group (Script Pipeline), Julie's made a career of championing writers and their stories. Since joining the IWC in 2024, she's brought this same passion to her service with the IWC's Script Challenge Committee and Production Committee.
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Nicola Pittam
Nicola, one of the newest co-chairs to serve with the IWC, is a veteran writer in several different fields. She’s a former Fleet Street journalist, screenwriter and award winning author. She is proud to be a Co-Chair as well serving and leading on several committees including Education,
Marketing/PR/Merchandise, New Membership and Production. She loves mentoring writers of all levels and ages but particularly champions writers over 50 and screenwriters looking to turn their scripts into IP/novels.
James Moorer
James brings to the IWC the same passion for helping he created while working for Roadmap Writers. James proudly serves on several committees including Diversity and New Membership. James is also a champion for writers with disabilities and helping writers understand the business of screenwriting.
Kimberley Sparks
Kim has been a member of the IWC since the organization’s inception, and she became a Chair in 2023. She is happy to serve on the Script Challenge, Meet and Greet, and New Members committees. She is dedicated
to helping writers of film, television, and video games develop and
further their careers.
Rich Orstad
Rich joined IWC in 2024, volunteered for Finance Committee, and became Treasurer later that year as IWC pursues 501c6 non-profit status. Passionate about storytelling and helping others to do so, Rich brings this same passion to the future of IWC’s growth, outreach, and stability as Chair.
Kim Turner
Kim has been a Chair since the IWC's inception in 2021. She is proud to serve in Leadership as well as a member of the Marketing/PR/Merchandise; Finance; Best of the IWC; and New Membership committees. She is an engaged advocate for emerging writers and enjoys building relationships that help to bring opportunity to the group.
IWC Board of Directors - 2026
Garrick Dion
Garrick Dion is a former VP of Development at Brön, following an 8-year run in a similar role with Bold Films. At Bold, Garrick was involved with such acclaimed projects as Damien Chazelle's Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning drama Whiplash; Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive; the coming-of-age drama Middle of Nowhere starring Anton Yelchin and Susan Sarandon; Sony Pictures' sci-fi sequel Starship Troopers: Marauder, and Lost River, the forthcoming directorial debut of actor Ryan Gosling. He has overseen a slate of projects that includes Robert Rodriguez's live-action remake of Ralph Bakshi & Frank Frazetta's Fire and Ice; and screenwriter Dan Gilroy's directorial debut Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Prior to joining Bold, he worked in feature development for producers Joel Silver (The Matrix) and Denise DiNovi (Batman).
AJ Feuerman
AJ FEUERMAN is a PR and social media executive representing a diverse client roster across the entertainment industry. AJ founded @ajfeuerman Communications in January 2018; clients have included agencies (i.e., Rogers & Cowan PMK), indie studios and distributors (Gravitas, Freestyle, VMI), podcasts and individual talent, among others.
As Valhalla Entertainment’s VP of Publicity and Marketing, she directed all publicity, social media and marketing efforts for the industry stalwart, best known for titles like The Terminator, The Abyss and “The Walking Dead.” AJ was previously VP of Communications at influencer marketing agency QYOU and was the Director of PR and Social Media for global film distributor, Gravitas Ventures.
Elizabeth co-founded The Writers Lab with Nitza Wilon in 2015, and they co-produce the flagship international lab based in New York, plus labs in the UK, Europe, Canada, in addition to global virtual programming for audiences in Africa, Australia and more.
Elizabeth is also a founding Partner, with Nitza, of Women in the Script Trade (WIST), where she works individually with exceptional women screenwriters. WIST developed
and ran the Athena Screenwriting Labs alongside the Athena FIlm Festival from 2016 to 2019. Elizabeth previously served as Head of Development at Tangerine Entertainment, an independent production company that produces films directed by women, and has
mentored at Stowe Story Labs. A former theater and film critic and graduate of Princeton and the Yale School of Drama, she lives in New York with her family.
Elizabeth Kaiden
Hilliard is an accomplished, veteran writer/producer with credits on esteemed shows like The Russo Bros SYFY series DEADLY CLASS and as EP/Showrunner of the acclaimed digital series TICKER, Hilliard has solidified his reputation as a creative force in the industry. Currently, he serves as the Executive Producer with Ben Watkins on Amazon’s upcoming, CROSS: AFTER HOURS and Producer on the new feature film MERMAID! A vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the industry, Hilliard completed the WGAW TV WRITERS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. He champions these values through his involvement with the WGAW, where he served for over a decade as Co-Chair of the Committee of Black Writers and Education Committee. Additionally, he lends his voice to the LGBTQ+, Latinx, and Genre Committees, amplifying underrepresented perspectives.
Hilliard Guess
Carolyn Kras is a Co-founding Member of the IWC and former Co-chair. She has developed projects for 20th TV Studio, Escape Artists, Welle, and more. Her awards include the Alfred P. Sloan First Place Screenwriting Award, Hamptons International Film Festival Screenwriters Lab, Visionary Playwright Award, New York Television Festival Official Selection, Plume & Pellicule Screenwriting Award, Middlebury Script Lab Selection, Hearst Creative Artist Fellowship, and a Fulbright to the United Kingdom.
Carolyn Kras
Meg LeFauve
An Oscar Nominated writer, Meg LeFauve won an Annie Award for writing Pixar’s blockbuster Inside Out and its sequel, Inside Out 2. She also wrote Pixar’s Golden Globe nominated film “The Good Dinosaur” and was a writer on Marvel’s “Captain Marvel.” She adapted the classic book “My Father’s Dragon” for Netflix and Cartoon Saloon in 2022. She began her career running Jodie Foster’s Egg Pictures, developing and producing films nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Spirit Award and she won a Peabody Award. A world wide consultant, she has taught at AFI and UCLA Graduate Film School, and is a returning mentor at The Writer’s Lab (sponsored by Meryl Streep), the Sundance Creative Labs and is a mentor and Board Member of the CineStory Script Sessions.
Lorien McKenna
Lorien McKenna is an Emmy-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning writer.
As a Story Manager at Pixar Animation Studios, Lorien worked on UP, BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, and THE GOOD DINOSAUR. She was the Development Producer at Paramount Animation and was the Co-Executive Producer for CURIOUS GEORGE for the TV series and animated feature films. She has written and developed for platforms including NBC, Hulu, Comedy Central, and Netflix. Lorien has also worked on multiple projects for Red Raion. Recently, she was the Showrunner for the Emmy-winning YouTube/Kids at Play preschool show TAB TIME. A mentor for the Cinestory Foundation and the Nostos Screenwriting Retreats, Lorien is a passionate advocate for emerging voices in screenwriting.
Mark Protosevich
Mark Protosevich has been a working screenwriter for over thirty years, but began his career as a story analyst and development executive, working for producers Scott Rudin and Dawn Steel, and the studios Sony Pictures, Orion Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His feature credits include THE CELL, Wolfgang Petersen’s POSEIDON, I AM LEGEND, THOR, and Spike Lee’s OLDBOY. In 2024, his first television/streaming series, SUGAR, starring Colin Farrell and directed by Fernando Meirelles, premiered on Apple TV. Protosevich’s pilot script was nominated for a Writers Guild Award in the Episodic Drama category. He lives on Cape Cod, with his wife, the painter Robena Malicoat.
Howard A. Rodman
Howard A. Rodman is a screenwriter, author and educator. He is the former President of the Writers Guild of America, West; professor and former chair of the writing division at the USC School of Cinematic Arts; and an artistic director of the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs. Rodman is a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the National Film Preservation Board, which advises Librarian of Congress on the annual selection of films to the National Film Registry, and on national film preservation planning policy. He also serves on the Brown University President’s Advisory Council on the Arts.
Nitza Wilon
Nitza co-founded The Writers Lab with Elizabeth Kaiden in 2015, and they co-produce the flagship international lab based in New York, plus labs in the UK, Europe, Canada,
in addition to global virtual programming for audiences in Africa, Australia and more.
Nitza is also a founding Partner, with Elizabeth, of Women in the Script Trade (WIST), where she works individually with exceptional women screenwriters. WIST developed
and ran the Athena Screenwriting Labs alongside the Athena FIlm Festival from 2016 to 2019. Prior to committing to script development for women, Nitza was an actor,
journalist, and magazine and book editor. She earned her BA from the Annenberg School of Communications at UPenn. In addition to her work advocating for women in film, Nitza is a writer and voice actor. She lives in New York City with her family.
Warren Zide
Warren Zide is a prolific American film producer, having produced 26 feature films and collectively earned over $1.9 billion at the box office. Widely recognized for creating the iconic franchises "American Pie" and "Final Destination," Warren Zide captivated global audiences and influenced a new generation of filmmakers with their innovations in the comedy and horror genres. Fade-In magazine named Warren one of the "Top Ten People In Hollywood You Need To Know." Warren's ability to recognize talent and nurture creative projects has kept a lasting impact on Hollywood. If you're curious about film and literary management, Warren Zide's current career is an inspiring example of what persistence and a keen eye for talent will achieve. His legacy extends to the writers whose careers he ignited.
AJ Feuerman
Elizabeth Kaiden
