Our Staff

Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson is a former high-powered television producer turned author and activist on the subject of fearless aging and autism awareness. She co-authored Not Your Mother’s Midlife: A Ten Step guide to Fearless Aging (Andrews McMeel) and Fearless Women: Midlife Portraits (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). She wrote and performed in the stage show “Boomer Babes” and has done motivational speaking to sold out audiences around the country. Alspaugh-Jackson is an Emmy-Award winning television producer and executive who pioneered the magazine program format with Westinghouse’s PM Magazine. After serving as Vice-President of Group W Productions, she served as executive producer for a number of network and nationally syndicated programs, including the long-running NBC talk show, LEEZA. She has been honored with the United Press International Award, the Associated Press Award, the Gabriel Award, the Genesis Award, as well as having been named one of the Hollywood Reporters “Women to Watch”.

Alspaugh-Jackson feels her most important assignment came after her adopted son Wyatt was diagnosed with autism at the age of three (Wyatt is now 8 and making tremendous progress). She saw an urgent need for families to have somewhere to turn to for advice and assistance when dealing with this devastating disorder. “As difficult as it was getting the diagnosis for our son, we have never forgotten that we are the lucky ones in that we have the resources to find help – what about those families that don’t have the time or money to access treatment and care?” With that in mind she began the annual Denim and Diamonds for Autism fundraiser to benefit ACT Today! at the ranch home she shares with her husband, Fox television executive Read Jackson. Denim and Diamonds just celebrated its fourth year as an annual ACT Today! event, the most successful ever! Nancy has now been at the helm of ACT Today! for the last year and a half, overseeing its numerous annual fund raisers, special events and campaigns. Nancy is married to FOX SPORTS television executive Read Jackson. When she is not running the activities at ACT Today!, she runs marathons and spends time with her family and their menagerie of animals -- one Bernese Mountain dog, two Jack Russell Terriers, and three and a half horses (one miniature).

Laura Marroquin is the newest addition to the ACT Today! staff. After producing the first Mother's Day event in May of 2009, she was asked to join ACT as the Director of Marketing and Development. Laura has an extensive background in the restaurant industry and she and her husband currently own a small restaurant in Newport Beach, CA. In addition, her family has owned and operated the Newport/Naples Rib Companies located in Southern CA for over 25 years and have always believed that both businesses and communities benefit when they serve one another.

Laura is a wife and mother to three children including a set of twins. As with many who work in the field of autism charities, one of Laura's twins, her son, was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 ½ years old. Thanks to amazing doctors, therapy providers and the grace of God, Laura's son was recovered just 3 years after his diagnosis. She believes that his recovery is a gift which was made possible in part because her family was able to afford the financial burden which autism brings. Laura is passionate about helping families acquire the resources needed to help their childen on the spectrum progress. This guiding principle makes Laura a perfect fit on the ACT Today! team.

Amy Zhang is the Marketing and Administrative Assistant at ACT Today!. Amy joined the ACT Today! team in 2008 after graduating from Pepperdine University where she studied Sociology and Non-Profit Management. During her junior year at Pepperdine, she met and worked with Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson on the first of many fundraisers together.

Amy grew up in Temple City, CA - a suburb of Los Angeles. Like a true Angeleno, she loves the beach, loves the Lakers and has spent too many hours of her life stuck in traffic.

Amy is here to answer your questions and help you through the grant application process. She can always be reached at Amy@act-today.org. Send her an email – she gets excited when there is something in her inbox.