Meet the Board of Directors

This Friday, we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to our new Board of Directors. One of our values is transparency with our donors and alumni, so please reach out to me or Sarah directly if you’d like contact information for any of them:

Board President Chris Retts is the LAFSC Program Director. Chris is a spring 2005 alum of LAFSC. He came on as the Program Administrator in 2017 before eventually becoming Program Director in 2021. Chris has led the initiative not only to get LAFSC back up and running, but also to create a stable future for the program long-term. In addition to serving as the director of LAFSC, Chris works independently as a screenwriter and producer: ccretts@olivet.edu.

Board Secretary Sarah Duff is the LAFSC Assistant Program Director. She first joined the LAFSC team in 2005 as the Residence and Student Life Director and has seen many LAFSC alumni go through the program, graduate, and launch their careers. Sarah was brought on as Assistant Program Director in the spring of 2022 following the relaunch of the program and has been vital to the transition LAFSC into a nonprofit organization: sjduff@olivet.edu.

Board Treasurer Kelly Eltschlager is currently the Vice President of Operations & Strategic Planning at Madison Wells Media, an award-winning, independent entertainment company that partners with creatives to bring overlooked stories and storytellers to life. Kelly is a spring 2008 LAFSC Alum, and will play an important role in establishing the program’s financial stability for years to come.

Board Member Heather McLaughlin is the Olivet Nazarene University Chair of the Department of Communications. Heather was instrumental in getting the program back off the ground following its hiatus in 2020, launching a virtual version of the program in Spring 2021, and successfully helping re-establish LAFSC as an “on the ground, in Los Angeles” program in Spring 2022 and following.

Board Member Mark Mountain is the Olivet Nazarene University Academic Dean and Registrar. Mark played a major role in Olivet Nazarene University’s administration of the program for 2022 and 2023, which ultimately allowed LAFSC to successfully move toward both in-person semesters as well as a nonprofit model.