‘DEAR DUMB DIARY’ PRODUCTION BIOS JANET ZUCKER (Executive Producer) — Janet Zuker has been producing and managing in the entertainment business for over two decades. Janet co-runs Zucker Productions with her husband, writer/director Jerry Zucker. She most recently produced Screen Australia and Universal Pictures’ “Mental,” directed by PJ Hogan and starring Toni Collette, Liev Schreiber and Anthony LaPaglia. Other recent producing credits include director Doug Liman’s “Fair Game,” starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and Screen Gems’ “Friends With Benefits,” starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Zucker’s development slate includes “Imagining Nathan” at Disney; “Greenpeace,” with Jon Turteltaub attached to direct; an adaptation of “Elephantmen,” Richard Starkings’s award- winning comic book series; a television series entitled “No Tits in the Pits,” set in the world of stock car racing and a gripping thriller written and directed by PJ Hogan. She produced Paramount Pictures’ “Rat Race” and served as executive producer on “First Knight” for Sony Pictures. Zucker is also a passionate advocate for stem cell research. In 2004, she and Jerry, along with two other families, started Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. Zucker is the president of CuresNow, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting stem cell research. She is a founder and co-chair of The Science & Entertainment Exchange, a communications initiative designed to open up lines of dialogue between entertainment industry professionals and the science community to promote positive and accurate science in the media. For her contributions to the scientific community, Zucker has been inducted into the National Academy of Sciences Einstein Society. ### JERRY ZUCKER (Executive Producer) — Jerry Zucker began his career when he formed the production company ZAZ with his brother David Zucker and Jim Abrahams. The team wrote and directed the comedy classics “Airplane!” and “Top Secret.” They also directed the comedy “Ruthless People” starring Bette Midler and Danny De Vito and wrote and produced the cult favorite “Kentucky Fried Movie.” They created the popular “The Naked Gun” franchise starring Leslie Nielsen, based off their acclaimed television series “Police Squad!” Zucker also directed the box-office hit “Ghost,” starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg; “First Knight,” starring Sean Connery, Richard Gere, and Julia Ormond; and the comedy “Rat Race,” with Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jon Lovitz. Also a producer, Zucker’s body of work includes “A Walk in the Clouds,” starring Keanu Reeves; “My Life,” starring Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman; the romantic comedy “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” starring Julia Roberts; “Fair Game,” starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts; “Friends With Benefits,” starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and “Mental,” starring Toni Collette. ### (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL/ ‘DEAR DUMB DIARY’ – Production Bios – Page 2 JIM BENTON (Executive Producer, Writer) — Jim Benton is the author and artist of “Dear Dumb Diary,” a New York Times Bestselling series published by Scholastic, which has sold more than 6 million books, and is printed in 18 languages. Benton is also the creator of “It’s Happy Bunny,” the licensing hit that has generated over three-quarters of a billion dollars at retail. The “It’s Happy Bunny” books have been chosen three times by the American Librarians Association as their top picks for teen readers and “It’s Happy Bunny” programs have taken top awards from the Licensing Industry Merchandising Association five times. Benton’s anti-drug program for middle school kids for The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has won three Addy awards and a Governor’s Award. Benton’s series, “Franny K. Stein,” published by Simon & Schuster, has sold over a million books. The National Cartoonist Society (NCS) awarded Benton with a Reuben award in the Greeting Card division. ### LOUIS J. GRIECI III (Executive Producer) – Louis Grieci began his career with TeleNext Media, Inc. as the warehouse supervisor for the Emmy Award®-winning programs “Another World” and “Guiding Light.” From there, Grieci became the production manager for “Another World” and later the Director of Production Services for “Guiding Light.” In 2006-2007, Grieci was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award® for Outstanding Broadband Program – Variety for his work on “Guiding Light’s” 70th anniversary campaign, entitled ‘Finding Your Light.’ In 2009, Grieci was elevated to Vice President, Director and Production for LiquidThread. In this role, he created and managed the Production Services division, which produced digital content for Proctor & Gamble Entertainment properties, such as the People’s Choice Awards. In 2011, Grieci became a co-executive producer on feature films such as “Truth Be Told,” “Field of Vision,” “Who Is Simon Miller?,” “Game Time: Tackling the Past” and “Game of Your Life” for FOX and NBC. In 2013, Grieci became executive producer for Walden Family Theater’s “Return to Nim’s Island and “Space Warriors” for Hallmark Channel. Grieci graduated from the College of Staten Island, City University of New York in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. In 2010, he completed his Masters of Arts in Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix. ### JANET M. MORRISON (Executive Producer) – Janet Morrison began her career at “Guiding Light,” eventually creating and running the show’s digital department and serving as a line producer on the show as a whole. In 2006-2007, Morrison was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award® for her work on the show’s 70th anniversary campaign, entitled ‘Finding Your Light.’ Since “Guiding Light,” Morrison has focused on branded entertainment, including extensive work for the People’s Choice Awards. Scripted credits include co-executive producer on “Truth Be Told,” “Field of Vision,” “Who Is Simon Miller?” and “Game Time: Tackling the Past.” Morrison executive producer on “Game of Your Life” and for Hallmark Channel, “Return to Nim’s Island and “Space Warriors.” (more) HALLMARK CHANNEL/ ‘DEAR DUMB DIARY’ – Production Bios – Page 3 Morrison graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in television, radio, film and minors in political science and management studies. ### KRISTIN HANGGI (Director, Writer) — Kristin Hanggi developed and directed the international smash-hit Rock of Ages, which was nominated for five Tony® Awards nominations including Best Direction of a Musical for Hanggi. She has directed the productions on Broadway, the West End, Australia, Toronto and two national tours. Hanggi's other productions include acclaimed pop opera Bare produced by Dodger Theatricals. Bare was rated the No. 1 off-Broadway production in New York by Zagat audiences and played to sold-out audiences in New York and in Los Angeles. The play received the Ovation Award and the L.A. Weekly Award for best musical, while Hanggi received the Robby Award as best director. Bare continues to be produced all over the world. Hanggi also directed initial production that launched the Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy, with Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra and special guests Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa and Charlize Theron. Other stage productions include: And the Curtain Rises at the Signature Theater; the 2007 winner of the New York’s Fringe Festival, Catch the Fish; Brian Crano’s play Twelfth Premise (L.A. Times Critics Pick); the Los Angeles premiere of Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi (2001 Ticketholder Awards, best production and best director; 2001 Robby Award, best director); Crane, Mississippi (L.A. Times Critic’s Choice, Backstage West Critic’s Pick) and the New York and Los Angeles productions of the underground cult-hit Ann E. Wrecksick and the Odyssey of the Bulimic Orphans. -- HALLMARK CHANNEL -- .