Lynne Oropeza

Lynne's an uncommon Mestiza who entered the entertainment industry long before LatinX was "a thing" -- she developed into a passionate advocate for parity in racial and gender representation in the media.

Born & raised in Los Angeles, Lynne is a direct descendant of George Washington's second-in-command of the American Revolution [c.1775-1777]: General Artemas Ward, First Commander-In-Chief & Major General. Going further back, she's a direct twelfth-generation descendant of the early American settler, Englishman William Ward of Sudbury (founder of the Massachusetts towns of Sudbury [c. 1639] and Marlborough [c. 1660]).

This lineage took a distinctive twist when Lynne's mother (born to Laura Ward) married Lynne's late father, a gifted painter, who was a first-generation American of Mexican descent.

At 16, Lynne was spotted by a talent scout while rehearsing a high school play, and brought to Hollywood for her first professional audition. Though she didn't land that role, this was the beginning of Lynne's life journey as an arts and entertainment professional. She went on to work in Los Angeles theatre for over 25 years, honing her skills both on the stage and behind the scenes, venturing into film & TV work along the way.

Lynne earned her degree in Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California with an emphasis in producing. She served as the Chair of the USC Latina/o Cinema Society and produced USC's Fourth Annual Latina/o Film Festival. She is the recipient of several scholarships and awards, including the Mary Pickford Scholarship and the Hispanics for Fairness in Media Award. While at USC, in addition to acting in numerous film projects, Lynne wrote, directed and/or produced nine short films.

Shortly after graduating from USC, Lynne's life course shifted when her sister, then a California State Assemblywoman (later, Senator), was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After the 2010 passing of her beloved sister and navigating successive family matters, Lynne picked up where she left off at the steps of the Cinema School and worked above-the-line for the next decade in a mixed array of roles in a variety of film-tv-new media productions. Inspired by her family and passion for arts & entertainment, Lynne now focuses on advocating for the entertainment industry in government affairs and public policy.