EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BIOGRAPHY
KEN CORDAY
Kenneth Robert Corday was born on June 16, 1950 in
New York. His parents, Ted and Betty, created "Days of Our Lives" in 1965. His
father, Ted, died in July 1966 and mother Betty assumed control of the show.
Corday graduated from the University of California in 1977, with a master's
degree in music composition. He had planned on teaching music composition when
Linda Line, then the "Days" music coordinator, asked him to write some music
cues (instrumental background music) for the show. He wrote his first music cue
for the character of Maggie, and ended up staying with the show ever since. He
worked as a production assistant from 1977-1978, fetching coffee for the staff
and answering fan mail. In 1979, he was named assistant producer and also took
over as music composer for the series, a title he still holds. In 1981, Corday
was promoted to producer, and also was named Chief Executive Officer of Corday
Productions Inc. In May 1986, his mother Betty decided to semi-retire, and he
was named executive producer, taking over day-to-day operations of the show.
Betty held the title of executive producer along with her son until her death on
November 17, 1987, at which point Ken assumed full control of the show. Corday
has been nominated for a "Days"-record 41 Daytime Emmys. He has
won nine Daytime Emmys. He married Sherry Williams on May 3, 1986. They
have three children: Amanda Elizabeth (born 9/17/88), Kimberly Jane (born
3/27/92) and John Theodore (born 5/20/00).
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
BIOGRAPHY
Janet Spellman-Drucker first joined "Days" in March 1984 as a
production associate. The next year, in 1985, she started splitting her roles,
as both a Production Associate and Associate Director. She was promoted to an
Assistant to the Producers in August 1988. Spellman-Drucker was named an
Associate Producer in December 1989. She was promoted to Coordinating Producer
in October 1993. She then became the show's Senior Coordinating Producer from
November 1997 until August 2015, when she was named Producer. Spellman-Drucker
was again promoted, this time to Senior Producer, in September 2020, the role
she held until being named Co-Executive Producer on August 4, 2023. She directed
her first episode of "Days" on June 27, 2022. She has been nominated for 16
Daytime Emmys for "Days", winning three times. Janet
Ellen Spellman-Drucker was born September 3, 1960. She married Dave Drucker
in 2011. She becomes just the fourth woman in the history of "Days of Our Lives"
to be an Executive Producer, joining Betty Corday (1966-1987), Shelley Curtis
(1989) and Lisa De Cazotte (2012-2015). In a 2015 interview, she stated that
"Days became such a wonderful place, it became my family. I've grown up
here." Tenure: March 1984-Present.
HEAD WRITER BIOGRAPHY
JANET
SPELLMAN-DRUCKER
RON CARLIVATI
STORY
CONSULTANT BIOGRAPHY
RYAN
QUAN
DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHIES
SONIA BLANGIARDO GOINS
NOEL MAXAM Noel Roger Maxam has returned to "Days" as a director. He was
previously with "Days" as a director from 2007-2011 and also worked as a
Producer from 2007-2009, Supervising Producer from 2009-2011, and
Co-Executive Producer from 2011-2012. Maxam also has been a director and
producer at "The Young and the Restless" from 1997-2007 and 2011-2012. He has
been nominated 6 times for Daytime Emmys for his work on "Days." Maxam was
born on September 26, 1967. Tenure: September 10, 2007-January 27, 2012;
September 10, 2015-January 18, 2017; June 24,
2019-Present. SCOTT McKINSEY
DAVID SHAUGHNESSY
ANGELA TESSINARI Angela Tessinari began her career as an associate
director at "Guiding Light" from 1980-1991. She was also an assistant
producer for "Search for Tomorrow." She later directed at "The
City" (1995-1997), "All My Children" (1997-2011, 2013), "As the World Turns"
(2008) and "The Young and the Restless" (2012). She has been nominated for 11
Daytine Emmys, winning once in 2003 for "All My Children." Angela M.
Tessinari was born April 1, 1963. Tenure: October 23,
2015-Present.
WRITER BIOGRAPHIES SONJA ALARR Sonja Alarr was born in June, 1964. "Days" is her first, and only,
soap writing experience. She is married to a former "Days" employee. Tenure:
June 25, 2018-July 5, 2018. June 12, 2023-Present. JOANNA COHEN Joanna B. Cohen has joined the "Days" writing staff as a script
writer. Her first episode aired on February 15, 2018. Cohen spent over a decade
as a reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated. An elective screenwriting course
in college sparked her interest in writing for television. Cohen was a writer on
"All My Children" from 2006-2011 and 2013; "General Hospital" in 2012; and "The
Young and the Restless" from 2013-2014. She has three Daytime Emmy nominations
for her work on "All My Children." Cohen's debut novel, Sweet Child, stems from
her experiences growing up in the 1980's in New York City. Cohen has also
written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. As her Amazon bio
states, Cohen "believes she is the only person ever to have covered the Yankees
in the World Series and written dialogue for daytime legend Susan Lucci."
Cohen was born November 6, 1972. She is married to Evan Kanew and has one
daughter, Bee (born 2009). Tenure: February 15, 2018-Present. CAROLYN CULLITON Carolyn DeMoney Culliton began her soap career as
secretary to soap opera executive Paul Rauch in 1978. Her first writing
assignment was at "Texas" in 1982. She has also written for "Guiding Light"
(1983-1984, 1995, 2002-2003), "Another World" (1984-1991, 1994-1995, 1998-1999),
"All My Children" (1992-1993), "Loving/The City" (1995-1997), "Port Charles"
(1997), "General Hospital" (1997), "Sunset Beach" (1999), "As the World Turns"
(1999-2002, 2004) and "One Life to Live" (2005-2010). Culliton has been
nominated for 22 Daytime Emmys (twice in 1985, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018,
2019, 2020, 2022), winning 6 times (2001, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022).
Culliton was born on September 14, 1948. She is married to fellow "Days" writer
Richard Culliton. They have one daughter, Emily. Tenure: March 3, 2010-Present.
RICHARD CULLITON Richard
E. Culliton began his writing career at "Texas" in 1981. He has also written for
"Guiding Light" (1983-1984, 1988-1990), "Another World" (1984-1986, 1997-1999),
"Search For Tomorrow" (1986), "Santa Barbara" (1990-1991), "All My Children"
(1991-1993, 2001-2002), "As the World Turns" (1995-1996, 2006-2008), "General
Hospital" (1996-1997), "Port Charles" (1997), "Sunset Beach" (1999) and had
brief stint at "Days of Our Lives" in both 1987 and 2001. Culliton has been
nominated for 18 Daytime Emmys (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997,
2002, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022),
winning 4 times (1991, 2012, 2018 and 2022). Culliton was born on March 26,
1949. He is married to fellow "Days" writer Carolyn DeMoney. They have one
daughter, Emily. Tenure: February 1987-March 1987, January 2001-August 2001;
October 24, 2008-March 9, 2018; April 2, 2019-Present. KIRK DOERING Kirk Doering joined "Days" as a writers' assitant in December
2016, a role he still holds today. He joined the writing staff on May 31, 2022.
Kirk M. Doering was born July 31, 1984. Tenure: December 26,
2016-Present. CHRISTOPHER DUNN Christopher Dunn began his writing career at "General Hospital" in
1983. He has also written for "Santa Barbara" (1991-1993), "Sunset Beach"
(1997-1999), "Guiding Light" (2000-2009), "All My Children" (2009-2011) and "The
Young and the Restless" (2016-2021). Dunn has been nominated for 7 Daytime Emmy
Awards, winning twice (in 2007 and 2012). Christopher Charles Dunn was born on
February 21, 1958. He has been married to soap opera director Catherine Sedwick
since 1991. They have a daughter, Emma (born 1998). Tenure: June 14,
2011-September 13, 2016; November 23, 2022-Present. JEANNE MARIE FORD
Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford first worked on the "Days"
staff from 1994-1996 as a writer's assistant. She became the show's
continuity coordinator in 1999 and became a full time staff writer in 2000,
leaving in May 2007. While away from "Days", Ford wrote for "As the World
Turns" and "One Life to Live." She returned to the show as a breakdown writer in
2008, and has worked as both that and a dialogue writer. She has been
nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards (2011, 2012), winning once (2012). Ford
was born on April 26, 1971 in California. She is married to James Ford and now
uses her married name professionally. Tenure: February 1994-February 1996; March
1999-April 27, 2007; October 24, 2008-Present. JAMEY GIDDENS
DAVID KREIZMAN
David Kreizman has joined the writing staff of "Days
of Our Lives" as a script writer. Kreizman began his daytime career as an
associate producer for "Guiding Light" from 1996-1998. He has previously written
for "Guiding Light" (2000-2009), "As the World Turns" (2009-2010), "All My
Children" (2010-2011) and "General Hospital" (2011-2012). From 2012-2013, he was
the head writer for WWE wrestling. For the past several years, he has been a
writer for AMC's website. He won a Daytime Emmy in 2007 for his work on "Guiding
Light." Kreizman was born on July 11, 1974. Tenure: November 17,
2016-Present.
FRAN MYERS
Script editor Frances L. Myers started her career as an actress,
playing Peggy Fletcher on "Guiding Light" from 1965-1980. She began her career
at "Another World" from 1983-1990. She later wrote for "One Life to Live" in
1992. From 1992-2004, Myers was a staff writer at "Days", returning to "One Life
to Live" from 2005-2008, and then back to "Days" from 2008-2011. She has been
Emmy-nominated 10 times and has won two Daytime Emmys (for "One Life to Live" in
2008 and for "Days" in 2012). Myers was born on September 15, 1950. She was
married to actor/writer Roger Newman until his death in 2010. Her son, John
Newman, is a former staff writer for "Days." Her other son, Henry, has also
written for "Days." Tenure: April 1992-March 2004; October 13, 2008-August 25,
2011; August 17, 2012-Present.
KATHERINE SCHOCK