CANOGA PARK, Calif. — The Free Speech Coalition listed candidates for the 2016 FSC Board of Directors election to be held this month.
Only active FSC members may vote in the election; electronic ballots will be sent by online survey service Survey Monkey.
FSC members may vote for six seats available in this year’s election, from the field of seven candidates.
New nominees include Inga Van Riper, Brand Manager at Honey’s Place. Incumbents in the race include Adam & Eve’s Bob Christian, ElDorado Trading Company’s Larry Garland, Moxxx Productions’ Mo Reese, FSC Board chair and attorney Jeffrey Douglas, NakedSword.com founder/CEO Tim Valenti, and ATMLA’s Mark “Blazing” Schechter.
If you have questions or you are an active FSC member and do not receive your electronic ballot by Dec. 4, please, contact the FSC office at (818) 348-9373 or email info@freespeechcoalition.com. The voting period ends on Dec 17.
Following are the list of candidates in alphabetical order by last name:
Bob Christian, director of new business at Adam & Eve
Bob Christian has been with Adam & Eve/PHE Inc. for 20 years. Currently, he serves as GM for Adam & Eve Pictures, as well as a member of Adam & Eve's senior management/marketing team. Was part of the creation of our Adam & Eve Retail Stores company, currently with 62 franchised stores open, and of Temptations Parties – Adam & Eve's Home Party company. Holds the title of president of the retail stores company — AEFC Inc. — but not involved in day-to-day. Has served on the board of directors of the Free Speech Coalition for 4 years, and as Treasurer for 2 years. Prior to Adam & Eve, Christian worked as GM of General Vitamin, one of Phil Harvey's non-adult businesses. Proud graduate of Duke University and the University of North Carolina (MBA).
Jeffrey Douglas, industry attorney and FSC Board chair
Jeffrey Douglas is a Santa Monica criminal defense lawyer, representing all segments of the adult entertainment industry since 1982. He is chair of the board of directors of the Free Speech Coalition, the trade association of the adult entertainment industry and chairman emeritus of the First Amendment Lawyers Association. A nationally recognized spokesperson for the adult entertainment industry, as well as an expert witness, Douglas appears regularly as a media commentator, and on invitation, has testified before Congress. He is the author of numerous magazine articles.
“I have had the honor of serving as FSC board chair for many years. I believe that it is important for the organization that I continue to serve as we select Diane’s successor and help everyone through the transition. I request your support.”
Larry Garland, founder/owner ElDorado Trading Company
Larry Garland is a graduate of the University of Virginia and has been the president of Eldorado Trading Company for over 40years. Eldorado has been recognized as a forerunner in the adult novelty and romance industries. As a dynamic player in the industry, Larry stays abreast of the current trends and forces that drive the market. His company is a merchandising leader in women and couples based stores. Garland is a staunch supporter and is the vice president of the Free Speech Coalition and supports the ASACP. He has been awarded for his achievement in the industry with the 2011 AVN “O” Awards Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2013 induction to the StorErotica Hall of Fame. While upholding the highest standards in honesty and integrity, he is proud to bring excitement and variety into the lives of consenting adults while always promoting safe sex. Garland and his wife, Wanda, are the proud parents of two and reside in the heart of the Rockies in Boulder, Colo.
Mo Reese, owner, MOXXX Productions
Mo Reese is an adult content producer, freelance production manager, and photographer with an extensive and rich professional mainstream background. Reese, as he’s most commonly known, was born and raised in Oregon State. He moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the Art Institute of Seattle in 1997. He then worked in commercial photography for 10 years before actively making the transition to adult.
Reese has since worked in a variety of production capacities including director, producer, general manager, and production manager for several noteworthy studios. Ever invested in the entire creative process, Reese has directed, edited, and performed in several award-nominated POV adult movies. Through his blog – TheAverageMo.com – Mo shows off his talents in photography and video. He also hosts a weekly podcast, “MORE w/Mo,” where he speaks to everyone from performers to directors about something besides porn – now at 110 episodes and counting.
Fueled by his love of porn and politics, Reese is a vocal activist for adult industry rights and welfare. He maintains: “I’m an average guy – I don’t have fame, I don’t run a big company, and I don’t have a political agenda. But I have built many close personal and business relationships over the years. I’m passionate about what I do, and I’m committed to helping make the industry better for all its workers.”
“We’ve all heard the saying ‘knowledge is power’ – it brings about awareness and, occasionally, community development. But in terms of politics and policy, it often seems like the general population of any group is the last to know… and sometimes the last to care. I want to continue to address the issue of industry awareness via a seat on the FSC board of directors.
Using social media, I've helped keep topics like Measure B, condom legislation, and statewide condom laws in front of our industry’s general population, including the people it affected most – performers and producers. Over the past two years, I have traveled to Sacramento to attend State Assembly meetings alongside FSC members and industry leaders to help fight condom legislation. Though this fight only works as a team effort, I feel I have contributed significantly to keep our team viable in the fight for industry rights.
I have a broad professional skill set, but I don’t specialize in any one thing. I talk about industry-relevant information with people throughout our community, but I don’t speak for anyone but myself. At the same time, however, my experiences relate directly to the experiences of a large proportion of the industry. I’m running to keep my seat on the FSC’s Board of Directors so that I can continue being a vocal and vigilant participant, one that’s dedicated to improving the adult industry community.
As a member of the FSC Board of Directors, I will continue to bring a more “average citizen’s” point-of-view to our trade organization. I feel my on-set experience and perspective will be beneficial in at least two ways. First, I am closely connected to relatively typical “life and work in porn” experiences. Conversations about issues impacting our community could benefit immensely from this sort of familiarity. Second, my involvement will provide FSC with an additional way to connect with members of the industry. Ideally, this will make the organization feel more accessible to the entire adult community and will foster increased performer awareness.
Ultimately, I am running again for a seat on the FSC’s board of directors because I want to actively work toward bringing members of our industry closer together. This way, we can take on the challenges we collectively face.”
Mark Schechter, owner/agent, ATMLA
Owner, ATMLA (Adult Talent Managers Los Angeles); 57 years old, with 17-plus years in the adult industry (since 1998). Now with over three years as the sole owner and hands on operator of ATMLA, Schechter has established a very reputable talent agency. He is a current Free Speech Coalition board member as well as an active participant in the PASS Advisory Committee. Prior areas of involvement include affiliate marketing, content production, sales, publishing and distribution all in association with being part owner of award-winning affiliate program BlazingBucks.
“After serving my initial two-year term as an FSC Board Member, I feel as though I just got started. These past two years have been extremely rewarding, being able to give back to an industry that has provided me and my family very well over the past 17 years, I am compelled to continue devoting my time and energy to the efforts of the FSC. With my well rounded array of knowledge and experience in the industry, having worked in several different aspects for a number of years, I feel I am a strong candidate for a continued position on the board of directors for the FSC and if re-elected, I feel I would be a positive contributor and participant of decision making policy’s and events that involve our industry.”
Tim Valenti, owner/founder, NakedSword.com
Tim Valenti is the founder of NakedSword.com, President of Falcon Studios Group and the current President of the Free Speech Coalition. A pioneer of video streaming, Valenti has been a leading figure in the adult industry for nearly twenty years. His first company, Cubik Media, was instrumental in bringing many adult studios online; his flagship site, NakedSword.com, often referred to as the Netflix of gay porn, is now also one of the industry's most respected production companies. NakedSword has also become an award-winning producer of boundary-pushing independent film, including the narrative feature “I Want Your Love” and the documentary “Seed Money.”
As the recently announced head of Falcon Studios Group and the NS Network, Valenti is the largest producer of gay adult entertainment in the world.
Inga Van Riper, Brand Manager, Honey’s Place
Inga Van Riper has been part of Honey's Place and their ecommerce platform, BuildTheStore.com since 2011. Van Riper has brought her 15-plus years’ experience in analytics and project management to launch and manage the distributor's Build the Store program. Her expertise in SEO and online marketing has helped these two companies to boast record sales.
In 2015, her expertise in SEO improvement and customer training resulted in a 100 percent increase in site sales. Van Riper is the author and creator of Build The Store's blog called "SexyTech", which provides guidelines in ecommerce including, SEO, Social Media Marketing and AdWords. Inga has also been featured in several publications including, XBIZ, AVN, Brandignity, Cyber Coders and New York Magazine.
“Working with a sex toy distribution company, its digital marketing and CPC campaigns such as Adwords, I see the entire industry being censored, attempting to advertise with search companies such as Google. Even though many sex toys are being promoted in mainstream television and in popular magazines, companies such as Google are making it harder for the honest, hard-working people in our industry to utilize cost-per-click campaigns such as Adwords. We, as an industry, need to find ways to reach out and to work with Google so our companies can continue to advertise online and continue to be successful. Being on the board of directors of such an influential organization as the Free Speech Coalition, I believe we can make a difference.”
