No Film at 11
Wally Schlotter's recent abrupt resignation as chairman of San Diego's Film Commission floored many who were close to the Chamber of Commerce senior VP. He'd been moving up the Chamber's corporate ladder, and the Film Commission was stronger than ever. With no new-job announcement, there were the inevitable rumors Schlotter had been fired. (Nobody leaves a position like that without the next job lined up, do they?) But all sides insist it was the film commissioner's decision to leave. While declining to call it burnout, Schlotter says, "After 18 years, the Film Commission had reached maturity. And it seemed like a good time for me to go from the proven to the unknown." A good time for Schlotter, perhaps. A good time for the Chamber, maybe. While he leaves the commission in good hands (Cathy Anderson, his respected assistant for 10 years, takes over amid high expectations), there's no question Schlotter's personal magnetism has been responsible, in good measure, for the success of the commission. (In 18 years, the Chamber estimates, the Film Commission added $232 million to the local economy.) Schlotter's first post-commission project involves production of a fund-raising video for St. Jude's Ranch for Children in Nevada. But as for the official Chamber line that he was resigning to pursue "consulting and humanitarian work," Schlotter laughs. "The minute they used the words 'humanitarian work,' people thought I must be terminally ill. I guess that's the only time you're supposed to help other people. I'm not ill. I'm just terminally adventurous."