After reading about my background, a perplexed client once turned to me and said, “I’ve never seen a biography like this.” When I asked him why, he replied, “I’ve not known anyone who has been associated with ‘The Tonight Show,’ child abuse prevention, organ donation and Tiny Tim’s wedding—all in one lifetime!”

You could say it’s that diversity that sums up my professional life, which began with “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in New York, where I was Assistant to the Producer. My 10 years with the show afforded me a unique and enlightening look at the inner workings of the entertainment industry.

Determined to “never leave my hometown,” I remained in New York when “Tonight” moved to the West Coast, and helped to create the American Academy of Humor with comic/producer Alan King. I then served as Associate Producer for ABC-TV’s “Annual Comedy Awards.”

I eventually did make the move to Los Angeles, and after rejoining “The Tonight Show” for two years, became NBC-TV’s Director of Network Creative Services. There I supervised numerous public relations campaigns for network programming and directed major corporate & station events and special activities, as well as handling affiliate requests for personal appearances by talent.

Next came a few years as Executive-in-Charge of Talent & Casting for the Marketing and Development Department of LA’s Public Broadcasting Station, KCET-TV. My career in public relations was launched when I became an account executive for Boonshaft-Lewis & Savitch Public Relations & Government Affairs. That opportunity to service a variety of clients with an eclectic list of needs prompted me, in 1987, to create the public relations firm of Barbara Meltzer & Associates.

In my “spare time,” I have taught a course on “Public Relations for Nonprofit Organizations” for UCLA’s Extension Division and have also been a monthly newspaper columnist. I serve on the American Jewish Committee’s Advisory Board and am a past Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Public Relations Society of America’s LA Chapter. I co-founded that organization’s Independent Practitioners Group and served on its steering committee.

My growing interest in the aging of the Baby Boomer generation led me to serve on the LA County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, for which I chair the Communications Committee. Most recently, I have been appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging.

There’s more to tell. If you’d like to hear it, just give me a call…..