‘Friends’ producer joins nonprofit board
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Kevin Bright has joined the board of directors of Gateway House of Peace, a nonprofit hospice organization in Ballston Spa.
Bright is one of the original executive producers behind the Emmy Award–winning television series, “Friends,” and is vice president and founding director of Emerson College Los Angeles.
He and his wife, Claudia, live in Los Angeles and have a summer home in Greenfield Center, where Claudia grew up. They have twin sons, Justin and Zachary.
Bright has produced numerous specials for Johnny Cash and David Copperfield. In 1986, he produced the Cable ACE Award-winning series “The History of White People in America,” as well as HBO specials starring Robin Williams, Harry Shearer and Paul Shaffer.
In 1989, he received his first Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series as supervising producer on Fox’s “In Living Color.”
In 1992, Bright won a Cable ACE Award for Best Comedy Series as executive producer of “Dream On.” He directed more than 50 episodes of the NBC series “Friends.”
“Gateway’s mission that everyone deserves the right to die with dignity touched my heart,” Bright, explaining his motivation to join the board, said in a news release.
Bright is a longtime supporter of Gateway, a donor driven charitable community organization, whose mission is dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable, caring residence for terminally ill patients in need of a home during their final days.
In 2016, Bright was introduced to a 35-year-old terminal cancer patient residing at Gateway. The young woman was an avid fan of “Friends,” so Bright’s sister-in-law, a member of the organization’s board, invited him to meet this young woman. Through this connection, Bright was deeply touched by his firsthand experience of the care provided by staff.
Gateway will hold its annual Thanks-for-Giving event on Nov. 2 at Longfellow’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs.