Governor Phil Bredesen named Perry Gibson executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission.

Ms. Gibson is a longtime commercial real estate broker from Los Angeles who has spent the better part of her career representing entertainment and Fortune 100 companies in their relocation efforts. From 1983 to 1995, Ms. Gibson worked as Vice President of Sales for one of the largest and most prominent commercial real estate companies in the country, CB Commercial Real Estate, where she worked with entertainment industry leaders including CableVision, Sony, Fox Pictures, TV Guide, Paramount Pictures, and New Line Cinema.

"Perry Gibson is known as a hard working, top producing sales executive with extensive experience working with entertainment industry executives," said Governor Bredesen. "The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission needs a leader who not only knows how to aggressively market the State of Tennessee to the film and music industries, but who also has experience in business management. She has these skills and I have every confidence that she will successfully lead the commission."

The Film, Entertainment and Music Commission is responsible for promoting Tennessee as a premier location for films, television programs, videos, commercials and music production. In addition to helping entertainment companies scout locations, the commission encourages the use of Tennessee-based production crews, equipment suppliers and service providers.

"I'm honored to accept this appointment from Governor Bredesen to lead the Film, Entertainment and Music Commission," said Ms. Gibson. "One of my first priorities as the director of this commission will be to get the new incentives program set up properly so that we can both aggressively market Tennessee's wide-ranging assets to the entertainment industry, while also growing this important part of Tennessee's economy. We need to get this program set up correctly, and quickly, so that it will be an attractive program for the industry, and will produce positive results for the people of Tennessee - creating more jobs and more revenue for our state."

"Throughout my years working in the commercial real estate business in California, I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to develop relationships with a number of entertainment industry executives. I look forward to having the chance to build on those relationships here in Tennessee."

Ms. Gibson, 58, worked for 12 years as Vice President of Sales at CB Commercial Real Estate, based in Beverly Hills, Ca. In this role, she was consistently in the top tier of sales and leasing on a national level. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Virginia.

"The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission plays an important role in continuing to grow the entertainment industry in Tennessee," said Harry Warner, chairman of the board of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission. "I want to thank Governor Bredesen for his strong support of the industry, and I look forward to working with Perry Gibson to promote Tennessee as a premier destination for film, television and music production."

Ms. Gibson and her husband, Kenneth Kraus, an entertainment lawyer with Loeb & Loeb, LLP, a leading law firm in the areas of entertainment and media, have lived in Nashville for 14 years with their son, Nick.