About Us
Paul Williams’ granddaughter, Karen E. Hudson, sparked a revival of interest in his life and career with her 1993 book Paul R Williams, Architect. Seeing this book inspired Royal Kennedy Rodgers to begin development of a documentary film on him. Here is the team that led the effort to bring HOLLYWOOD’S ARCHITECT: The Paul R. Williams Story to the screen. A full list of the film’s crew is listed on the Production Credits page.
Royal Kennedy Rodgers
Producer, Director, Writer
Royal Kennedy Rodgers is an award-winning producer, director, and writer with experience in local and network news as well as Public Broadcasting. She began her career as a reporter for NBC television stations in New Orleans, Cleveland and Chicago. As an ABC Network News correspondent, based in Los Angeles, she covered the Western US, Mexico and Canada with assignments which included breaking news, presidential politics and the entertainment industry. After working at the PBS station in Chicago she set up her own production company, RKR Media, to develop the PBS documentary “Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story.”
Her professional awards include two Emmys, a Golden Mike from the Radio and Television News Directors Association, a Silver “Telly,” a Best Feature Documentary Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, as well as a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Documentary.
She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and is based in Los Angeles.
Kathy McCampbell Vance
Producer, Director
Kathy McCampbell Vance is an Emmy Award winning television producer, director, and former TV executive with experience in production, program development, syndication, community outreach and marketing. She is currently an independent producer, specializing in short-form story production and documentaries. At NBC4 Washington for more than 20 years, she worked as a Writer, Producer, Executive Producer, and ultimately Director of Programming, Community Affairs and Broadcast Standards. She produced and executive produced live broadcasts, awards shows, documentaries, entertainment, children’s shows, news, and other topical programs, some airing nationally, internationally and in syndication.
After leaving her executive position at NBC, she continued to produce special features for the station, non-profit videos, and high profile interviews for Jesse Collins Entertainment airing on BET. She has received CEBA, National Black Media Coalition, and Ohio State Journalism Awards. And for the PBS documentary “Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story”, a Golden Mike Award from the L.A. Radio & TV News Directors Association, a Telly Award, a Journalism award from the LA. Press Club, and her third Emmy Award. Ms. McCampbell-Vance resides in Washington, D.C.
Shirlyn Cesar
Associate Producer
Shirlyn Cesar has over 10 years experience working in scripted television, in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta, on programs such as “Blue Bloods,” “Marvel’s Daredevil,” and “Seven Seconds”. In addition, she has worked a number of years in documentary television, now as associate producer on “Hollywood’s Architect.” She began her career as recipient of the Academy of Television Arts and Science Foundation’s CTA, commonly known as student Emmy Award, followed by an ATAS Foundation internship on the acclaimed television show “Mad Men”. In her documentary work, Shirlyn’s expertise is in finding and booking high-profile interviews as well as scheduling and coordinating video and film shoots.
Karen E. Hudson
Special Consultant
Karen Elyse Hudson is Paul Williams’ granddaughter and the director of the Paul Williams Architectural Archives. She is the author of three books on her grandfather — Paul R. Williams: A Legacy of Style; The Will and the Way, a biography for children; and Paul R. Williams: Classic Hollywood Style. She also lectures frequently on the subject to architectural and preservation groups. With Karen Grigsby Bates, she has written Basic Black: Home Training for Modern Times and The New Basic Black, both etiquette books for our times. She recently launched Gumbo Girlz, an interactive journal for middle readers. Currently, Karen is working on a memoir of her two grandfathers, Paul R. Williams, Architect, and civil rights leader, Dr. H. Claude Hudson.