COMPANY TOWN : Disney Exec Joins DreamWorks

Terry Press is leaving her post as senior vice president of marketing at Disney to join DreamWorks SKG in a senior executive position as head of strategic marketing and special projects.

In her new role, Press will be involved in all facets of the start-up studio, which her former Disney boss, Jeffrey Katzenberg, launched a year ago with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Press has had a close relationship with Katzenberg that dates back to the many years he served as chairman of Disney Studios.

“Having worked with Terry for close to 10 years, I find she is one of the most creative, inventive, articulate, tasteful and talented people I know and virtually anything she puts her mind to do she does in a first-class way,” says Katzenberg.

One of her first endeavors will be to help DreamWorks executives Mike Montgomery and Dave Mannix design and develop the company’s $75-million animation studio facility in Glendale.

Press will remain at Disney to wrap up duties on the upcoming holiday films “Father of The Bride 2” and “Nixon,” but already has been meeting with architects and designers on DreamWorks’ new plan for its main studio.

The management of DreamWorks, currently based at MCA/Universal, hopes to make its home at the multibillion-dollar Playa Vista development along Jefferson Boulevard between Westchester and Marina del Rey. But governmental and environmental hurdles remained to be resolved.

Press joined Disney as a staff writer in April, 1987, and worked her way through the publicity ranks until moving into a more prominent marketing role about a year and a half ago when Joe Roth became movie chairman.

“I have enjoyed my years at Disney and will miss working with Joe Roth and [marketing-distribution chief] Dick Cook, but I look forward to the excitement of working at DreamWorks,” Press said.