Getting To Know The President | PAULA SHUGART, Miss Universe Organization

"The greatest Miss Universe fans in the world are here in the Philippines" - Paula Shugart on Filipino fans

With more than 20 years experience in the television industry, Paula M. Shugart has become a driving force in entertainment television production for local and international viewers.

Did you know that Paula was a Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Television Production and Interpersonal Communications when she graduated in 1981? Wow! Currently, she's also the  Dean's Advisory Council to the Scripps College of Communication.

As President of the Miss Universe Organization, producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants, Paula takes responsibilities in  all business transactions and handles the production of the live worldwide telecasts each year. Shugart is also a mentor and a role model to the three titleholders, as they travel the world on behalf of the organization.

The daughter of naval officer Admiral Kenneth Shugart joined MUO in 1998 as the Vice President of Production. By 2001 she was appointed as President by then MUO owner  Donald J. Trump who, incidentally, had never met Paula but had noticed her outstanding work within the company. In the years since taking charge of MUO, Paula's goal to break the stereotypes typically associated with beauty pageants and to boost the viewer demographics of all three MUO Pageants has paid off.

MUO President Paula Shugart with Ex-MUO Big Boss Donald Trump/getty images

OTHER POSITIONS and HONORS
**Dean’s Advisory Council to Ohio University Scripps College of Communication.
**Medal of Merit for Achievement in Entertainment and Television Production.
**Commissioner to NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg on New York City’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission.
**Honored member of Women's Leadership Board at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

In an article posted by NYC.gov, Paula oversaw the successful sale of 50% of MUO to NBC Universal and has worked closely with the network in maximizing the organization's potential. The Miss USA pageants have garnered great success with "out of the box" cross-promotional concepts conceived by Paula and NBC. For example, Miss USA contestants and reigning titleholders have been featured on pageant "lead-in" episodes of "Fear Factor", "Deal or No Deal" and "Identity".

Paula Shugart at MUO Head Office/ image by Critical Beauty

Paula was  the Executive Producer of the MTV reality series hit "Pageant Place". Pageant Place is an American reality show that follows Miss Universe Organization pageant winners Miss Universe Riyo Mori, Miss USA Rachel Smith and Miss Teen USA 2006 Katie Blair, (who was later replaced by her successor Miss Teen USA 2007 Hilary Cruz) as they live together for a year in an apartment in New York.

Tara Conner, Rachel Smith, Hilary Cruz, Katie Blair and Riyo Mori (from left)

READ ALSO : SHAWN C. MCCLAIN : Miss Universe Org VP for Business Dev't and Marketing

Working at the Miss Universe Organization may have saved Paula's life, literally.
 In 2000, she heard Miss USA 2000 Lynnette Cole,  give a speech about breast cancer awareness ( the official cause of MISS USA) which triggered her to be checked up.
Both Shugart's  parents died of cancer, she was very concerned with her findings, an aggressive pre-cancerous condition known as 'DCIS'. After early detection, she is cancer-free and has joined Miss USA's Breast Cancer Awareness advocacy.

Paula Shugart with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

Paula and her husband Carl have been married for 11 years and reside in both New York City and in California.

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**credits to photo owners

**sources : www1.nyc.gov
www.pageantrymagazine.com