For Filmmakers|April 28, 2025|5:04 pm

Five Questions with FilmLA Board Chair Melissa Harman, CPA

5 questions with FilmLA Board Chair

As a not-for-profit organization, FilmLA is governed by an all-volunteer, 27-member board of directors, which includes entertainment industry executives, labor and trade representatives and local community leaders.

For 2025, the FilmLA Board of Directors is chaired by Melissa Harman, CPA.  Melissa has practiced public accounting since 1998. As a Partner and National Practice Leader, Higher Education at Moss Adams, Melissa provides professional services to a wide variety of not-for-profit clients, primarily institutions of higher education, associations and foundations.

As a national subject matter expert for the not-for-profit industry, Melissa regularly presents at industry conferences such as the AICPA National NFP Industry Conference, ASAE Annual Meeting, CalSAE Elevate and the Large Community Foundation Conference on subjects related to accounting updates, not-for-profit financial statement trends, endowments and split-interest agreements, issues facing private foundations, and the California Transparency in Supply Chain Act.

We caught up with Melissa to talk about the priorities of the FilmLA Board this year, and how FilmLA is adapting to the challenges facing the industry.

What are the most important issues before the FilmLA Board this year?

There are a lot of expectations on FilmLA and we know we can’t be all things to all people. Apart from the core permit function, a main focus is advocating for a more effective Film & Television Tax Credit Program in California. Our goal has been to make sure that the conversation taking place in Sacramento is fully stakeholder inclusive.

Along with that, helping the region support filming when it returns is critical. Part of FilmLA’s role is to advise local government on how to be more film-friendly. We have a responsibility as a board to help educate people in the industry and community, highlighting where FilmLA’s influence ends, and government accountability begins.

You work with many not-for-profit organizations. What is unique about FilmLA?

First I think you have to look at the similarities. Many people don’t know that FilmLA is a not-for-profit, supported by a staff with a deep belief in the work. Many employees serving today stayed with FilmLA through pandemic and strike era furloughs, embracing other hard decisions to keep the business running. They have family, friends, close associates in the industry. They have a supportive leadership team and stay engaged because they care.

For an organization of its size, FilmLA has a strong governance structure. Financial controls, risk management plan, business continuity plan, conflict of interest policies… all these things and more. Although the past few years have tested us, FilmLA is financially stable, meeting its contractual obligations, and publishing clean, independent audits year after year.  Anyone with an interest in the audit findings can read them on FilmLA’s website.

Which of FilmLA's accomplishments are you most proud of as a Board member?

The board’s investment in digitalization, removing paper from the permit process, was critical. Without MyFilmLA and related systems, FilmLA would be in a very different place. Consider 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic — many companies forced to embrace remote work went immediately back to the status quo. FilmLA, in contrast, applied its technology to sustain remote work and downsize its office. Lower leasing costs help us keep a lid on permit fees — at least, the ones FilmLA controls.

How is the FilmLA Board applying its influence to improve the local filming environment?

One area where we are already active but also know we need to do more is advocacy — using the influence of the board to motivate change in local policy. There are literally dozens of cities in LA and neighboring counties whose policies discourage local filming, and the City and County of LA have some work to do as well. This is an opportunity to purposefully engage in dialogue with local leaders. We need to be looking ahead, not just to 2026 but years from now with LA28 coming and international focus on LA.

How is FilmLA adapting to challenges facing the film industry?

FilmLA is nimble but also not immune to the risks of global disruption. Taking things for granted — that California will always lead the world in film, for example — that kind of thinking isn’t productive.

As a board, later this year we’ll be updating our Strategic Plan, taking a fresh look at the services FilmLA provides. We’ll discuss how to better engage with the local community of content creators. And for other mission supportive work that we know is important, but unrelated to efficient permitting, we have some creative ideas to sustain that.

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