Press release on “Days” writing staff changes…9 out/7 in

PRESS RELEASE ON "DAYS" WRITING STAFF…SEVEN WRITERS JOIN STAFF

The "Days of Our Lives" writing staff is undergoing a major change on Friday, August 17. Leaving the series are head writers Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr.; breakdown writers Lisa Connor, Victor Gialanella and Elizabeth Snyder; and script writers Lacey Dyer, Peter T. Rich, Roger Schroeder and Nancy Williams Watt. Additionally, script editor Jeanne Marie Ford is switching positions and becoming a script writer.

Remaining in their positions are breakdown writers Rick Draughon, Christopher Dunn, Ryan Quan, and script writers Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton and David A. Levinson.

Seven new writers are joining the show: Head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell; breakdown writers Lorraine Broderick and Dave Ryan; script writers Janet Iacobuzio and Melissa Salmons; and script editor Fran Myers.

Here are biographies for the seven writers joining the show:

GARY TOMLIN

Head writer Gary Tomlin began his career as an actor on such shows as "Search For Tomorrow", "The Waltons" and "Another World". He switched to writing and was a dialogue writer at "Days" from February-October 1980. He was then the head writer (along with Michelle Poteet Lisanti) at "Days" from October 20, 1980-October 20, 1981. He later wrote for "Texas", "Search For Tomorrow", "Another World" and "Santa Barbara." Tomlin switched to producing in 1995 and had stints at "All My Children", "Sunset Beach" and "One Life to Live." From 2003-2008, Tomlin began the next phase of his career, as a director on "Passions." From September 2008-September 2011, Tomlin was the Co-Executive Producer of "Days." He has been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning twice (in 1989 and 2002). Gary D. Tomlin, 62, was born March 6, 1950 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

CHRISTOPHER WHITESELL

Head writer Christopher Whitesell has a long history in daytime, beginning in 1984 with "Guiding Light." He was on the writing staffs of "Guiding Light", "As the World Turns", "Another World" and "One Life to Live" before being named to his first co-head writing position, on "General Hospital", in 1997. From 1998-1999, he was the co-head writer on "Sunset Beach." Whitesell then was a breakdown and dialogue writer at "Days" from March 2000-March 2001. He later was co-head writer on "One Life to Live" from 2001-2003 and "As the World Turns" from 2003-2008. From October 2008-June 2011, Whitesell was the co-head writer at "Days." He wrote for "The Young and the Restless" from 2011-2012.  Whitesell has been nominated for 14 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning five times (in 1986 for "Guiding Light"; 1994 for "One Life to Live"; 2004 and 2005 for "As the World Turns"; and 2012 for "Days"). Christopher Joseph Whitesell, 55, was born on January 17, 1957 in Iowa Falls, Iowa.

LORRAINE BRODERICK

Breakdown writer Lorraine Broderick Delehanty once taught English as a Second Language. She was also an associate dean and professor at Wesleyan University. She began her daytime career as a writer for "All My Children" from 1979-1991. She has also written for "Guiding Light" (1992-1993), "Another World" (1994-1995), "All My Children" (1995-1997), "As the World Turns" (1998-1999), "Port Charles" (2000-2001), "One Life to Live" (2001-2004), "Guiding Light" (2004-2005), "All My Children" (2010-2012). This is Broderick’s second stint with "Days." She was the show’s head writer, briefly, for 19 episodes from October 15, 1999-November 10, 1999. Broderick has been nominated for 15 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning six times (1985, 1988, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998). Broderick, 63, was born January 17, 1949 in Andover, Massachusetts and is married to Ronald Delehanty.

DAVE RYAN

Breakdown writer David F. Ryan started his daytime career as a writer at "General Hospital" from 2009-2010. He also wrote for "All My Children" in 2011. He received his first Daytime Emmy nomination in 2012. Ryan is a graduate of Wesleyan University. Ryan, 47, was born on December 31, 1964.

JANET IACOBUZIO

Script writer Janet Iacobuzio started her writing career with "Another World" from 1989-1992 (and returned from 1994-1995). She has also written for "All My Children" (1993-1994, 2000-2003), "General Hospital" (1997-1998), "Sunset Beach" (1998-1999), "One Life to Live" (2005-2009) and "As the World Turns" (1996, 2009-2010). She has been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning twice (for "One Life to Live" in 2008 and for "Days" in 2012). Iacobuzio, 50, was born February 1, 1962 in Port Chester, New York.

MELISSA SALMONS

Script writer Melissa Lynne Salmons started her writing career for "Guiding Light" (1987-1991, 2004-2006). She has also written for "Another World" (1999), "The Young and the Restless" (2008-2009) and "One Life to Live" (2009-2012). She has also written for the animated MTV series "Liquid Television." Salmons has received 6 Daytime Emmy nominations, winning twice (1990, 2005). Salmons, 53, was born on October 1, 1958.

FRAN MYERS

Script editor Frances L. Myers started her career as an actress, playing Peggy Fletcher on "Guiding Light" from 1965-1980. She began her writing career at "Another World" from 1983-1990. She later wrote for "One Life to Live" in 1992. From 1992-2004, Myers was a staff writer at "Days", returning to "One Life to Live" from 2005-2008, and then back to "Days" from 2008-2011. She has been Emmy-nominated nine times and has won two Daytime Emmys (for "One Life to Live" in 2008 and for "Days" in 2012). Myers was born on September 15, 1950. She was married to actor/writer Roger Newman until his death in 2010. Her son, John Newman, is a former staff writer for "Days."

Here are biographies of the seven staff writers staying with the show:

CAROLYN CULLITON

Carolyn DeMoney Culliton began her soap career as secretary to soap opera executive Paul Rauch in 1983. Her first writing assignment was at "Guiding Light" from 1983-1984. She has also written for "Another World" (1984-1991, 1994-1995, 1998-1999), "All My Children" (1992-1993), "Guiding Light" (1995, 2002-2003), "Loving/The City" (1995-1997), "Port Charles" (1997), "General Hospital" (1997), "Sunset Beach" (1999), "As the World Turns" (1999-2002, 2004) and "One Life to Live" (2005-2010). Culliton has been nominated for 15 Daytime Emmys (twice in 1985, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012), winning four times (2001, 2002, 2008 and 2012). Culliton, 63, was born on September 14, 1948. She is married to fellow "Days" writer Richard Culliton. They have one daughter, Emily.

RICHARD CULLITON

Richard E. Culliton began his writing career at "Texas" in 1981. He has also written for "Guiding Light" (1983-1984, 1988-1990), "Another World" (1984-1986, 1997-1999), "Search For Tomorrow" (1986), "Santa Barbara" (1990-1991), "All My Children" (1991-1993, 2001-2002), "As the World Turns" (1995-1996, 2006-2008), "General Hospital" (1996-1997), "Port Charles" (1997), "Sunset Beach" (1999) and had brief stint at "Days of Our Lives" in both 1987 and 2001. Culliton has been nominated for 11 Daytime Emmys (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012), winning twice (1991 and 2012). Culliton, 63, was born on March 26, 1949. He is married to fellow "Days" writer Carolyn DeMoney. They have one daughter, Emily.

RICK DRAUGHON

Richard Lamar Draughon began his career as the assistant to the executive producers of "Party of Five" from 1994-1997. During this time, he began writing several scripts for "Loving" in 1994 and "Another World" in 1996. Draughon then went on to write for "Sunset Beach" from 1997-1999. From 2000-2001, he was the "Days" website producer, in charge of all the web content on the official site. Draughon was on the "Days" writing staff from 2002-2006, as the story continuity supervisor and a breakdown writer. He wrote briefly for "The Young and the Restless" in late 2006. In 2007, he created and wrote the Internet soap "Coastal Dreams." Draughon returned to "Days" in April 2008. He has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards (2011, 2012), winning once (2012). Draughon, 44, was born July 14, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

CHRISTOPHER DUNN

Christopher Dunn began his writing career at "General Hospital" in 1983. He has also written for "Santa Barbara" (1991-1993), "Sunset Beach" (1997-1999), "Guiding Light" (2000-2009) and "All My Children" (2009-2011). Dunn has been nominated for 7 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning twice (in 2007 and 2012). Christopher Charles Dunn, 54, was born on February 21, 1958. He has been married to soap opera director Catherine Sedwick since 1991. They have a 14-year old daughter, Emma.

JEANNE MARIE FORD

Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford first worked on the "Days" staff from 1994-1996 as a writer’s assistant. She became the show’s continuity coordinator in 1999 and became a full time staff writer in 2000, leaving in May 2007. While away from "Days", Ford wrote for "As the World Turns" and "One Life to Live." She returned to the show as a breakdown writer in 2008 and is currently a script writer. She has been nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards (2011, 2012), winning once (2012). Ford, 41, was born on April 26, 1971 in California. She is married to James Ford and now uses her married name professionally.

DAVID A. LEVINSON

David A. Levinson began his daytime career as an office production assistant at "Sunset Beach" in 1997. He was promoted to assistant to the executive producer in 1998, and to research & continuity supervisor in 1999. Levinson began his writing career at "One Life to Live" from 2001-2002. He later for "All My Children" from 2003-2004 and "As the World Turns" from 2006-2010. He has been nominated for 4 Daytime Emmys (2002, 2004, 2010, 2012), winning once (2012). Levinson, 38, was born on July 29, 1974 in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

RYAN QUAN

Ryan Shigeru Quan graduated from UCLA in 1999 and started off his soap career by winning Procter & Gamble’s writing contest for college students. Quan was the writers’ assistant for "Passions" from 1999-2005 and served as the show’s website coordinator from 2005-2007. He joined "Days" as the writers’ assistant in 2007 and wrote his first trial script for the show in September 2008. He did double duty as both the writers’ assistant and trial script writer from September 2009-December 2009, and later joined the writing staff full time from December 28, 2009-March 17, 2011, all the while continuing to also be the writers’ assistant. In September 2011, he became a breakdown writer. He has been nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards (2011, 2012), winning once (2012). Quan, 34, was born on September 9, 1977 in California.

http://www.jason47.com

For photos of the staff, including the writers, please visit http://www.jason47.com/days/stafflist.html