University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

Entertainment Industry Leaders, Health Care CEO
to Receive CSUN’s Highest Alumni Honor

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., April 27, 2007) — Cal State Northridge’s 2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented Saturday, May 12, to three businessmen who have made their marks in the entertainment and health care industries.

This year’s awards go to James Berk, chief executive officer of Participant Productions, which produced such films as "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Good Night, and Good Luck;" Brad Bowlus, president and chief executive officer of PacifiCare Health Systems’ Health Plan Division; and Michael Klausman, senior vice president, CBS Corporation West Coast Operations and Engineering, and president, CBS Studio Center.

The trio will be honored at a special dinner at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. The evening is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception, followed at 7:30 p.m. with dinner and the program. The night’s master of ceremonies will be Northridge alumnus Bill Griffeth, anchor of CNBC’s "Power Lunch."

The Distinguished Alumni Awards pay tribute to those whose achievements place them at the summit of their professions.

"These awards allow us to celebrate the accomplishments of those being honored," said D.G. "Gray" Mounger, assistant vice president for alumni relations at CSUN. "We are proud of the role the university played in helping them prepare for their successful careers. They serve as inspiration and role models to our current students, and affirm the quality of the education that our alumni received while at the university."

Berk (Music, ‘81) is an accomplished entrepreneur and executive in the field of entertainment and the media with a rich and varied background in business and public service. Berk was chairman and CEO of Gryphon Colleges Corporation, a private-equity company operating for-profit secondary education schools, and president and CEO of Fairfield Communities, Inc., the largest independent vacation ownership company in the world. As president and CEO of Hard Rock Café International, Berk was responsible for the restaurant and retail chain’s worldwide operations in 29 countries. He also led the Save the Planet Foundation, Hard Rock’s humanitarian arm.

As founding executive director of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Foundation, he led the creation of Grammy Records, Grammy Showcase, the Grammy National Concert Series for Children and specialized professional development programs for academy members, including the Grammy Professional Forum Series.

At Participant Productions, which this year garnered two Academy Awards for "An Inconvenient Truth," Berk is responsible for the day-to-day executive leadership and management of the company as well as for the operation of the company’s related divisions.

Berk began his career as a high school music teacher in South Los Angeles and went on to found the Academy of Music, one of the city’s largest public school magnets. In 1990, he became the youngest principal in the history of the Los Angeles Unified School District when he assumed the helm at Hamilton High School.

Bowlus (Accounting, ‘78) oversees all aspects of PacifiCare Health Systems’ Health Plan Division’s performance in 37 states, including health services, network contracting, sales and marketing and underwriting for both commercial and senior business.

During his tenure at PacifiCare, Bowlus serves as president and CEO of PacifiCare of California, president and CEO of PacifiCare Washington and president and CEO of PacifiCare Dental and Vision. Prior to joining PacifiCare in 1994, Bowlus spent 14 years with WellPoint Health Networks, Inc., the managed-care subsidiary of Blue Cross of California, where he performed a variety of financial, contracting and operational roles overseeing Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

Bowlus is a board member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County and the West Coast Healthcare Executive Roundtable. He is also an active participant in the Young Presidents Organization, a global business leaders’ organization.

In 1975, Bowlus was a member of Northridge’s NCAA Division II title-winning swim and dive team, finishing second in the 50-meter freestyle and setting an NCAA record in the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Michael Klausman (Biology, ‘74) started out at CBS Studios as an usher in 1971, working on such shows as "All in the Family" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." He quickly moved up through the ranks from videotape librarian, eventually becoming director of program production services. In 1991, he became vice president and general manager of CBS/MTM Studios at CBS Studio Center in Studio City. A year later, he became president of CBS Studio Center. In 2001, he was promoted to the position of CBS Television Senior Vice President, West Coast Operations and Engineering, and continued as president of CBS Studio Center.

Klausman, who has been an active alumnus of Cal State Northridge, played a key role in establishing a relationship between CBS Studio Center and CSUN’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts (CTVA) that has led to numerous CTVA classes being taught at the Studio City location.

In addition to his many responsibilities at CBS, Klausman is the immediate past president of the Studio City Chamber of Commerce and treasurer of the Studio City Neighborhood Council. He is active with Child S.H.A.R.E. and the Hunger Homeless Committee of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. He received the Olive Crest Leadership Award for his dedication to Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children.