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Thursday, October 18, 2018

The Morning Keynote

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Ahmanson Hall, Webcast Live

Fran Drescher, Wellness Activist and Global Celebrity

One-on-One with:

Moderator - Clare Fox, Executive Director, Los Angeles Food Policy Council

 

Fran Drescher has a reputation for passion and commitment. She received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as the lovable "Miss Fine" on CBS’s hit series The Nanny, which she both created & executive produced. TV Land aired the ground breaking sitcom Happily Divorced, which she also created, executive produced and starred in. The series was inspired by her own life; Fran played a woman sharing a loving friendship with her gay ex-husband. Most recently, she has enjoyed guest appearances on the popular millennial shows Broad City on Comedy Central and Alone Together on FreeForm, as well as an animated pilot with Jack Black, produced by Scooter Braun. An accomplished author, Fran received the prestigious NCCS writer’s award for Cancer Schmancer, which along with Enter Whining, were New York Times best sellers. Most recently she penned the celebrated children's book Being Wendy. Fran recently made her Broadway debut as “Madame” in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Tony-award winning Cinderella.

Her famous voice is currently featured in the top-grossing animated feature franchise film Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, in which she reprises her role as Eunice, the wife of Frank Stein, soon to be released world-wide. In the past, Fran has co-starred and starred in many iconic films, such as This is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner, Ragtime, directed by Milos Forman, Jack, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and Beautician and the Beast, in which she starred opposite Timothy Dalton.  Fran will return to the big screen in two indie films currently in post-production: The Creatress, and Safe Spaces.

 

A 18-year uterine cancer survivor, Fran turns lemons into lemonade and pain into purpose through her leadership as a cancer advocate. Her mission is to shift America’s focus toward proactive health care and healthy, toxin-free living. She believes that that the best cure for cancer is not getting it in the first place. As Founder, President and Visionary of the non-profit Cancer Schmancer Movement, she focuses on three prongs to fight the disease: Early Detection, Prevention, and Advocacy. Annually, Fran hosts a master class Health Summit at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, where she gathers together the most renowned and cutting-edge doctors as part of an all-day seminar, where Cancer Schmancer supporters are transformed from patient into medical consumer and leave with a game plan.  This program is also live-streamed around the world.

 

Some of the health organization’s accomplishments include early detection Fran Vans provide free mammograms to women without access to health care.  Its Detox Your Home prevention campaign educates people of all ages to reduce risk through healthy living, and Fran uses her unique voice on Capitol Hill to advocate for a range of health issues. Fran was instrumental in passing the bi-partisan ”Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act” by unanimous consent, earning her two commendations in the Congressional Record.  She is a U.S. State Department Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women’s Health, traveling globally to meet with heads of state, cancer patients, local NGOs, as well as military bases and hospitals. The Washingtonian named her one of the most effective celebrity lobbyists in D.C.

 

Fran has won countless awards for her leadership in the health space, including the John Wayne Institute Woman of Achievement Award, the Gilda Award, City of Hope Woman of the Year Award, The Albert Einstein Medical School Lifetime Achievement Award, Queens College Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and the 2014 Citizen Artist Award. The Knesset in Israel honored Fran as the first Jewish actress who played an openly Jewish character embraced by not only Israel, but by many Arab nations. Fran was also honored with the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality Award for her efforts to defend civil liberties and, most recently, the Stonewall and Liberty Bell Awards for her advocacy of Gay Civil Liberties. Fran's other passions are protecting the environment, arts in education, and raising awareness about detoxing the home, organically grown foods and a healthy, preventative lifestyle.

 

Clare Fox is a civic and non-profit leader with experience in cross-sector campaigns focused on environmental, health and social justice. She is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), a non-profit organization with a mission to make food healthy, affordable, sustainable and fair for all. In this role, she partners with a large network of public, private, non-profit and community leaders to change policies that promote ‘Good Food For All’ – the motto of LAFPC. Under Clare’s leadership, LAFPC has grown its partnership network to over 400 food organizations. First joining LAFPC in 2011, she led the organization toward several legislative wins, including universal food stamps at farmer’s markets, the first county urban agriculture program, first citywide food rescue program, decriminalizing street food, and expanding Good Food Purchasing Policy to include Los Angeles World Airports (LAX), City of Los Angeles Greek Theater and Summer Lunch Program, now improving over 11 million meals with local, sustainable, organic and fair food. Clare created the nationally-recognized Healthy Neighborhood Market Network, a program that fights ‘food deserts’ by working with neighborhood businesses to bring fresh food to low-income families, which has trained over 350 entrepreneurs since 2012. In her first career, she was a radio producer at National Public Radio and Youth Radio, where she taught radio and media production to teenagers throughout Los Angeles – from Boyle Heights to Inglewood. She currently serves on Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Los Angeles Promise Zone Leadership Council, the Board of Directors for LA Compost, and was a founding board member of Critical Mass Dance Company. Trained as an urban planner at UCLA with a background in critical theory, Clare is an adept facilitator and group experience designer, with a passion for igniting leadership for a just and regenerative world.