The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Board of Directors
Chuck Jones Center for Creativity Board of Directors, from left standing: Linda Jones Clough, Andrew Turner, Mike Smith, Alex Kausen; sitting, Ben Olson, Craig Kausen (Chairman), on the video screen, Jessica Kausen
Linda Jones Clough IMDB
-Secretary
Linda has been a member of the Chuck Jones family since July 25, 1937. She founded Linda Jones Enterprises, Inc., in 1977 for the purpose of getting Chuck’s artwork out from wherever it was (in storage or in his head) into people’s homes where they could enjoy it. She served as president and CEO of that company until 2002. She also served as president of Chuck Jones Productions from 1992 to 1996, producing various films with her father, including segments for Mrs. Doubtfire and Stay Tuned and later as one of the producers (with George Daugherty and David Lik Wong) of the Emmy Award winning Peter and the Wolf, plus six theatrical short cartoons produced for Warner Bros. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity since its inception and has served as its recording secretary for the past two years.
In previous lives she worked for the U.S. Army in the Military Intelligence Department as a clerk typist, for a criminal tax lawyer in Baltimore (he was a tax specialist and also a criminal), production line worker for Bendix Radio Company, assistant in an employment agency, assistant to the minister of a Unitarian/Universalist Church, and co-owner of a van-to-camper-conversion company with her husband, Jim.
Craig Kausen
-President & Chairman
Chuck Jones’ grandson, Craig, received a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA (1985). He held various teaching positions at Orange County colleges in digital/computer sciences while pursuing his scientific career with Hughes Aircraft and MAI Basic Four. For the past 18 years he has been in the fine art business and has been involved in art publishing, opening and managing art galleries, artist management, and many other art business related endeavors.
He has served as President of the Chuck Jones Companies for the past eleven years and Chairman of the Board at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity until present.
Extra-curricular activities have included Board Member at Padre Foundation, Board Member at Get A Grip Foundation, Adjunct Faculty at Irvine Valley College, Fullerton College, Orange Coast College, and pursued additional education at The Anderson School of Management/UCLA.
Alex Kausen
Alex has been in love with his great-grandfather’s work ever since he first watched a bunny, slowly and methodically, push a duck toward insanity. In 2018, Alex decided to leave an accomplished career in high-tech to travel, hitting 13 countries in the process. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in psychology, partly to research art and music therapy treatments, but mainly to more accurately diagnose his own neuroses. He also loves animals, taking long walks on the beach at sunset and talking about himself in the third person.
Jessica Kausen
Jessica was inducted into the Jones family in July of 1986, and while she can't draw her way out of a paper bag, she has been inspired by her great Grandfather's work since day one. Her list of accolades is still being written, but after nearly 10 years of living in New York City, she feels she's earned some sort of stripe. Jessica currently resides in Astoria, where she manages Strategic Brand Partnerships for Squarespace by day, and attempts to write quirky bios about herself by night. Previous work includes Linda Jones Enterprises (!), Theatre Development Fund, The Museum of the City of New York, and Ray Bloch Productions. Jessica has a strong interest in providing all humans access to the arts and is thrilled to be a part of the next generation of the Chuck Jones family to join the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity’s board.
Ben Olson
Ben is the founder and principal owner of 3 Monkeys & Aardvark Studios, a creative agency based in Schaumburg, IL.
From the age of 5, Ben has unleashed his imagination to venture through a wide variety of mediums. Upon his acceptance into Ringling School of Art & Design, Ben soon realized that the cost of a great art school wasn’t in the books. However, fine art, illustration, graphic design and more would all become tools in his creative repertoire through college, self-teaching, mentors, and collaboration between very talented colleagues.
In 2008, he would start 3 Monkeys & Aardvark Studios just outside Chicago. Within a relatively short amount of time, Ben began creating for companies such as Verizon, Mattel, and Simon Malls, just to name a few. His work and talents reach across international waters in Japan, China, and across Europe.
Ben is very active in the community. He serves as a former chairman and ex-officio board member of the Schaumburg Business Association and serves on the board of directors of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and serves as Chairman of the backyard EXPERIENCE. In addition, he:
• volunteers as an emcee at various events for non-profit events
• mentors art students
• serves as a Warner Brothers fine artist with works in the Chuck Jones Galleries and
• donates design work to a variety of causes.
Ben enjoys spending time with his kids as a father of teenagers and toddlers - all of whom have inherited a healthy affection for all things Looney Tunes, Marvel, DC, Star Wars & Disney.
Fernando Del Rosario
A seasoned advertising creative, with a heart of an artist, and a passion for teaching. Fernando bridges the world of marketing, design, art, and education. His agency roster consist of Y&R, Campbell-Ewald, Wunderman, David&Goliath, BBDO, Innocean World Wide to name a few. His roster of brands are as diverse as his vision of creativity; from Hyundai to Hot Wheels, from Covered California to Taco Bell and from Oakley to Pacifico Beer.
Fernando is also an educator, with a MA ED in Educational Leadership. He has taught at the Art Institute of California-Orange County for 16 years; leading to opportunities to be a guest lecturer/speaker at Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton and Chapman University. Fernando has also found time to build a career as an artist. With over 24 gallery showings, 4 art gallery representations (LA, Rolling Hills Estate, Chicago IL. and Portland OR.), his REAL HEROES Collection continues to gain traction and expand beyond Southern California.
Mike Smith
Before beginning his hirsute pursuits as founder, executive producer and creative director of Beard Boy Productions -- a Tustin California-based company specializing in writing and producing television, radio, interactive and direct response advertising -- Mike worked as a harried (or was it hairy?) press aide for the New York State Assembly, a radio news reporter and public relations manager for two Northeastern regional savings banks.
Tiring of the world of politics, news and high finance, Mike said "Enough of this Schick!" and ventured into advertising. As a copywriter, senior copywriter and associate creative director for ad agencies in New York and Southern California, he came up with razor-sharp concepts for a variety of health care, restaurant, financial, retail, technical and automotive clients.
Agencies, schmagencies, it was time for this Smith Brother to move on -- forming Beard Boy Productions in 1994.
Over the past 21 years, Mike has written and produced over 500 TV, radio and video projects -- along with thousands of print ads, brochures and direct mail pieces. His clients have included: Miller Beer, John Deere, Blue Cross and Blue Shields nationwide, Olympus Cameras, Lexus, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, National Association of Realtors, Taco Bell, Microsoft, Sharp Solar, Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences, Custom Building Products, American Cancer Society, Dunlop Tire, Butterball Turkey, Dunlop Tire, Yamaha, El Torrito Disneyland and many more. His work has garnered Clio, Effie, Andy, Belding, Telly, Maxi and New York Art Directors Awards.
A spare-time author, Mike's written feature stories for National Lampoon, National Geographic Kids, Men's Exercise, the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, San Antonio Express News, St. Petersburg Times and the Buffalo News. He also helps publish a comic book based on a character he created called, "Pete, the PO'd Postal Worker.” His latest book, "100 of the Worst Ideas in History" is available now from Chicago's Sourcebooks.
A vocational high school drop out, Mike can be found listening to Metallica while scraping Beeman's off the bottom of the corndog counter at Walmart.
Andrew Turner
Andy is an attorney and principal of Turner Law Firm, LLC, in New Jersey. He earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and law degree from Loyola University of Chicago.
He met Chuck Jones in a chance encounter during law school while Chuck and his daughter, Linda Jones Clough, were visiting Chicago. Following a few minutes of conversation, a lasting friendship was born and Chuck invited Andy to visit next time he was in California.
Andy shares Chuck's enthusiasm and vision for creativity. In fact, Chuck created a drawing for Andy entitled "An Interesting Challenge" following Andy's suggestion to bring two of Chuck's characters together even though they had not previously appeared in the same scene. The drawing remains one of Andy's favorites.
Prior to joining the Center's Board of Directors, Andy served two full terms as a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Inns of Court Foundation, which is a leading organization for mentoring attorneys. The Foundation consists of nearly four hundred local Inns around the United States whose judge and attorney members are dedicated to promoting professionalism, civility, and excellence in the practice of law. Andy has lectured extensively for professional legal groups and looks forward to bringing his talents to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.
Michael Wedaa
A lifelong entrepreneur, Michael has owned, operated, and sold dozens of businesses. His consulting firm has worked with thousands of small businesses in both one-on-one and group formats. Michael speaks about the benefits of incorporating all over the country and is a contributing author to The Power of Imagination, published in 2015. He currently teaches a section of an economics course at UCLA on for-profit and non-profit corporations in addition to providing consulting for the student-created businesses in the course. Michael is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton where he received his bachelor’s degree.