Bill Allen

The son of television pioneers Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, Allen was president of MTM Television and a member of its board of directors, expanding the company’s program development and production to include not only series for network television, but first-run syndication and cable as well. From 1986 to 1998, he was senior vice president, overseeing the production of such popular series as “Remington Steele,” “St. Elsewhere” and “Newhart.” In 1988 he was promoted to executive vice president with responsibility for all creative affairs of the company, and developed the popular CBS comedy series “Evening Shade.” During his tenure with MTM, Allen supervised the development and production of nearly 600 episodes of television programming. Allen began his career in television in 1979 at CBS as an executive trainee in programming, sales, marketing, research and affiliate relations. In his seven years with CBS, he also served as an associate program executive in the comedy series programming department, and as manager, and later director, of the CBS comedy programming development department, where he supervised the development of such successful CBS series as “Crazy Like a Fox” and “Designing Women.” Bill Allen is now the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles. Mr. Allen is also Co-Chair of the California Stewardship Network, a Vice Chair of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley and a member of the Board of Directors of the Weingart Foundation, Regional Economic Association Leaders of California Coalition, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, Film L.A., Unite L.A., and Sister Cities of Los Angeles. He also serves on the LA Advisory Board for BIOCOM and the Advisory Board for the CSUN Center for Southern California Studies. Allen earned his bachelor’s degree in cinema-television production from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1979 and was inducted into the honor society Skull and Dagger. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University in 1983. Allen and his wife, Marie, a 1978 graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business, have three children, Bradley, Bobby and Amanda.