Committees

	Executive Committee Jennifer Williams, Chair The Executive Committee addresses emergencies, sensitive issues, and also provides advice, guidance, and assistance particularly in the area of coordination of interaction with the Board of Directors and the General Body.		Development Committee Jennifer Williams, Chair The DC will facilitate meeting the mission of OBS by assisting in the construction and implementation of annual fundraising plans, campaigns, as well as grants. The DC will identify and review prospects, act as points of contact with individual, corporate, and foundations of interest. The DC will work on strategies and implementation of plans leading to annual gifts, sponsorships, capital gifts, and underwriters.
	Communications Committee JaSheika James, Chair The Communications Committee will be responsible for the development and distribution of press releases and a quarterly newsletter. Responsibilities also include the collection of bios from members to be placed on the web, photos, including acquiring verification and creating electronic files.		Membership Committee *Bridgett Michele Lawrence, Caryn K. Hayes, & Christy Michelle Lavalais; Co-Chairs* This committee’s function will be to update the membership roster, send renewal notices to those whose membership have expired, and seek new members to increase the membership. It will also develop ways to reach out to out-of-state members to make sure they are kept in the loop with the organization. The Membership Coordinator will work under the direction of the Membership Committee Chair to build the organization and the development of membership database.
	Production Committee Doug Jackson, Chair Mission Statement “The OBS Production Committee will produce, film, and distribute contemporary media sourced from screenplays written by OBS members.” In effort to compliment the mission statement of The Organization of Black Screenwriters, which is to develop great writers, the OBS Production Committee will apply our screenwriting talent to the creation of both short and commercial length filmed properties. Projects will be selected from scripts submitted through Script Development and OBS Writers’ Groups. OBS believes that entrepreneurship in film-making is our surest way to independent success and job creation as screenwriters. Look for the announcement of our first production in May.		Education Committee & Library Rene Rawls, Chair The Education Committee will be responsible for the running and expansion of the library; gathering information on contest, fellowship, and education resources that members can tap into. This will require researching the credibility of the resources and possibility of securing when applicable special discounts and benefits for OBS members.
			Social Committee Jacqueline Givens, Chair The Social Committee may be established from time to time to assist in meeting specific goals for social events and then will be disbanded. The Social Committee will be charged with specific tasks and goals including, but not limited to, developing and delivering special events and brainstorming on engaging the greater writing community and other organizations in specific activities.
	Outreach Committee Kimberly Allen, Chair The Outreach Committee will be responsible for the development and implementation of OBS Programs that extend beyond the membership to create visibility in the industry and community. This will include various special events/fundraisers, educational programs for those outside OBS, secondary education seminars, professional workshops, and retreats.