Many Arcadians will likely recognize the man in the photo below right that was featured on the front page of the Feb. 23 edition of The Daily News.
r-l Mickey Segal, Jeffrey Katzenberg, George Clooney, Bob Beitcher. Photo by Andy Holzman of The Daily News
No, not George Clooney, and not DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. That other gentleman on the right side of the photo. Yes, that’s Arcadia City Councilman Mickey Segal rubbing shoulders with Hollywood elite.
I’m not sure how many people realize what Segal does in his day job; he’s managing partner at Nigro Karlin Segal & Feldstein in Century City, ranked this month by The Los Angeles Business Journal as the fifth biggest of the top 75 certified public accounting firms in all of Los Angeles County. The only firms bigger are the far more prominent PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and KPMG. Segal’s firm, which he started with only two partners in 1981, has grown to more than 220 employees with expertise in business management and other entertainment industry-related services. The firm handles every phase of finance for dozens of NBA players, dozens of Major League Baseball stars, and many actors, directors, producers, writers, and musicians. NKS&F even hires the domestic staff and handles travel for A-list clients such as David Letterman, Lenny Kravitz and Maroon 5.
by Scott Hettrick
The photo with Clooney was taken at a breakfast and press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel during which Segal joined Clooney, Katzenberg, and Bob Beitcher in announcing the launch of a campaign to raise $350 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund over the next three years to provide long-term care and other health services provided at the fund’s Woodland Hills campus. The fund already has raised $238 million this year.
Two years ago Segal was hosting his own breakfast as Mayor of Arcadia. He arranged to have one of his clients speak at the annual Mayor’s Community Breakfast: David Milch, creator of the new HBO series “Luck,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte and now filming its second season at Santa Anita Park.
Segal is also the chief fundraiser for Methodist Hospital, raising millions of dollars and arranging for entertainment icons such as Paul Anka to perform at the Hospital’s annual Crystal Ball.
Last night (Tuesday, March 13) he joined in the celebration with proponents of the Measure A school parcel tax, for which he was called to help raise more than $125,000 for the election campaign.
Segal received Variety‘s Business Manager Elite Award at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons hotel in December for his tremendous impact on business management and his tireless dedication to philanthropy.
What does a man with all that financial and celebrity clout do when he’s not at work? Twice a month you’ll find Segal working for next-to-nothing making decisions in Arcadia City Council chambers that help keep Arcadia running smoothly.
— By Scott Hettrick