Meet Ginny Weissman
Mind, Body and Spirit Division
 

Ginny Weissman is a television writer, Emmy-nominated producer and director, journalist, author and literary manager and agent who has been an activist for pro-social and positive entertainment during her diverse career. She has developed, sold and supervised programming for cable and the networks focusing on issue-oriented topics. Ginny's acclaimed documentaries have appeared on A&E, The History Channel, Discovery Health Channel and PBS. Her views have been published in USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Time magazine.

Ginny Weissman began her career as a journalist at The Chicago Tribune. During her eleven-year tenure at the Tribune, she held a variety of management positions including editor of the TV Week magazine (circulation 1.2 million). She interviewed hundreds of celebrities and wrote personality profiles and articles about the importance of family programming. . She is the author of two critically acclaimed, best-selling books, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Anatomy of a Classic (St. Martin's Press) and Champagne Music, The Lawrence Welk Show (St. Martin's Press).

As an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, Ginny taught writing for film and television. She believed that the future of the entertainment industry would be determined by the work of today's students and taught ethics and responsibility along with technique

Her numerous television credits include "Investigative Reports," "American Justice," and "The Unexplained" for A&E, "Wrath of God" for The History Channel, "Chicago's Lifeline" for The Discovery Health Channel and "Highway to Heaven" starring Michael Landon for NBC.

Ginny was the Supervising Producer and Director for two Emmy Award-winning children's PBS specials and music videos featuring Gaia who sings while performing American Sign Language. She also wrote and produced an Emmy-nominated documentary, Magic by the Lake: The Edgewater Beach Hotel, for the PBS series, "Chicago Stories. In addition, she was a producer for the PBS magazine series, "Chicago Tomorrow."

Humanitarian work plays a large part in Ginny's life. After the Terrorist attack on September 11th, Ginny organized fundraisers for the ASPCA Disaster Fund and Canine Rescue effort. After a trip to Peru, she organized a Christmas toy drive for the children living in poverty near the mountains of Machu Picchu.

She is known for her valued, long-time commitment to non-profit organizations such as the Easter Seal Society and served as co host for their annual telethons for fifteen years. The Easter Seal Society honored her with the "Communications Award" for outstanding public service supporting the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. She was honored again by The Easter Seal Society with the "Outstanding Service Award" for fifteen years of dedication and service. Ginny also was the recipient of the Mother Theodore Guerin High School McManus Alumna Award which honors an outstanding graduate who has "distinguished herself in service to the community and achievement in her career."

Ginny served for eight years on the Board of Governors for the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and was elected second vice-president. She chaired two committees: the popular monthly luncheons featuring prominent broadcast personalities from across the country and the media literacy/scholarship committee. She has served as a judge for the Emmy Awards, the Humanitas Prize, a prestigious national award for television writing and Script, a film writing competition held by the Illinois and Chicago Film Offices.

Born and raised in Chicago, she also has lived and worked in the television industry Los Angeles. She co-founded Windy City West and hosted ten annual parties for transplanted Chicagoans working in the Hollywood entertainment industry, and produced a television special about Windy City West for NBC 5 in Chicago.

As of January, 2008 Ginny will acquire for the Mind, Body and Spirit division of Martin Literary Management based in Chicago. Her clients currently include John St. Augustine, author of Living an Uncommon Life, Essential Lessons from 21 Extraordinary People (Hampton Roads Publishing) and Every Moment Matters to be released in Spring, 2008 (Hampton Roads Publishing). St. Augustine is the Executive Producer of Oprah & Friends at Harpo Radio on XM. She also represents best-selling author Rev. Dr. Terry Cole-Whittaker who was a community and church volunteer; graduated from seminary and became a minister in 1973; authored 5 best-selling books including; What You Think of Me is None of My Business; How to Have More in a Have Not World; Inner Path from Where You are to Where You Want to Be; Love and Power in a World Without Limits-a Woman's Guide to the Goddess Within; Dare to Be Great and her newest Creating Your Destiny-A Remarkable Guide to Making Decisions that Give You Happiness and Prosperity. Dr. Terry’s work as a minister allowed her to grow a 50 member church into 5,000 on Easter Sundays and be the executive producer and minister of a six year, weekly, international, Emmy-winning television ministry syndicated on 400 markets reaching millions.

Ginny Weissman
Ginny@MartinLiteraryManagement.com
2511 West Schaumburg Road #217
Schaumburg, IL 60194
312-420-BOOK (2665)