Sam Nazarian, aka Sammy Boy, described by IMDB as "multi-hyphenate film producer, real estate financier, hotelier restaurateur, and CEO of Element Films", has been elected to SCI-Arc's board of directors. Some of Nazarian's claims to fame include Sunset Strip nightclubs Area, Hyde, and Privilige; movie production company Element Films; Philippe Starck-design Katsuya restaurant; and hotel properties such as the Ritz Plaza in Miami’s South Beach and Le Meridien in Beverly Hills. Press release after the jump...
Sam Nazarian, Hospitality and Lifestyle Entrepreneur, Joins SCI-Arc Board of Directors

Los Angeles, CA (February 20, 2008) -- The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is pleased to announce that Sam Nazarian has been elected to the SCI-Arc Board of Directors. In his role as CEO and founder of the Los Angeles-based SBE, Nazarian has become one of the country's most respected innovators in the hospitality, entertainment and real estate sectors.



Raised in Los Angeles, Sam Nazarian balances and directs SBE's operating groups, which include hotel, restaurant, nightlife and real estate divisions, as well as Bolthouse Productions and Element Films, in all phases of acquisition, development, and management. In addition to owning and operating numerous restaurants and nightclubs in Los Angeles and beyond, Nazarian and SBE will launch their first luxury hotel property to be designed by partner Philippe Starck, SLS at Beverly Hills, later this summer and recently acquired the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which will be completely redeveloped and unveiled in 2010. In his effort to elevate the quality of lifestyle destinations at home and internationally, Nazarian and SBE have forged important partnerships with such visionaries as designer Philippe Starck, nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse and chefs Katsuya Uechi and Jose? Andre?s, among others.

"We are pleased to welcome Sam Nazarian to SCI-Arc's Board of Directors," said Chairman John Geresi. "Sam's presence on the Board complements many of the present strengths of SCI-Arc's leadership. Sam is an accomplished businessman and his vision of how architects can and will work creatively to advance their art in the future is valuable to both students and faculty alike. At a time when the problems facing architects are growing in complexity, SCI-Arc values its Board, which can draw on the many diverse insights of its members to assure that SCI-Arc's mission is never compromised."

"Architecture and design are passions of mine, both personally and professionally," said Nazarian. "As you will see in all of SBE's properties, I have a profound appreciation for beautiful, innovative, progressive design. It's an honor to be working with SCI-Arc, one of the most respected educational institutions in the world of architecture, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to contribute to their incredible programs, which encourage the kind of inspirational, creative thinking I have long admired."

SCI-Arc's Board of Directors has been invigorated by the influx of notable Angelenos, like Nazarian, who work outside architectural-related sectors. The SCI-Arc Board of Directors is comprised of 21 individuals who enable and support SCI-Arc in its mission to be an audacious leader in the field of architectural education, internationally. In the next six months, the Board will be active in supporting programs and seminars addressing innovation in technology and material application, supporting the school's outstanding faculty, and helping SCI-Arc further support Downtown L.A. and its redevelopment.