Behind the Scenes Superstar
Carla Pennington, executive producer at ''Dr. Phil'' and ''The Doctors,'' was inducted into SF State's Alumni Hall of Fame in 2008.
Carla Pennington (B.A., '85) came to SF State intending to turn a love of storytelling into a journalism degree. But after she wandered into the school's broadcast department during her freshman year, ''I knew I was home,'' says Pennington, the executive producer of the Emmy-nominated TV program ''Dr. Phil'' and the Emmy-winning ''The Doctors.''
The department was a good fit for her, especially since it ''really allowed a student to get hands-on experience, and not just theory,'' she says. ''And I did lots of internships, every chance I could,'' at stations like KQED and at KGO, where she was offered a job as a production assistant before she had graduated.
The urge to direct the story has kept Pennington in the producer's chair. ''I never wanted to be in front of the camera, ever, because I like to boss people around,'' she jokes. ''Plus, I was too self-conscious. If you're in front of the camera, you've got to worry about your wrinkles, and what you're wearing ... no thanks.''
Through a series of production jobs at shows such as ''PM Magazine,'' ''Hard Copy'' and ''Entertainment Tonight,'' Pennington recalls making small goals for herself. ''I've said, 'OK, I know how to do that now,' and I've looked around and said, 'What's next?'''
Pennington joined the ''Dr. Phil'' show for its debut in 2002 and has been its executive producer ever since. (Her boss recently told Variety that he considers her hire ''by far and away the smartest move I could have made when launching,'' describing Pennington as ''a behind-the-scenes superstar unrivaled in Hollywood or the history of daytime television.'')
''She's pretty amazing,'' agrees Associate Professor Miriam Smith, who leads an annual networking trip to Los Angeles for students in the Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. Pennington welcomed the latest group to sit in with her behind the scenes of two episodes and also fielded their questions about breaking into the entertainment industry.
The long hours she now spends guiding ''Dr. Phil'' and ''The Doctors'' can make work-life balance challenging, she told them, but her time at SF State was good preparation for the juggling act. ''The University pushed for the students to go out into the workforce as much as they could. I had a full class load, internships and a job while I was there,'' Pennington says. ''Talk about a school that really taught me a work ethic.''
Photo courtesy of CARLA PENNINGTON