Katherine Fugate

Katherine Fugate always wanted to be a writer, but her journey to that end was a roundabout one. She began as a production assistant and eventually worked for literary agent Barry Mendel at ICM. Fugate went on to be a creative executive at both Twentieth Century-Fox and Columbia/Sony, climbing the corporate ladder until, one day, she had an epiphany. The devastating events of the Northridge Earthquake reminded Fugate of what she really wanted, and she abandoned the studio lot for the writer's chair. She has had several successes in the romantic comedy genre (most notably "Valentine's Day," starring a diverse cast ranging from Jessica Biel to Kathy Bates). Her claim to fame, though, is indisputably "Army Wives," her own labor of love. The TV show examines the lives of women who share one powerful common bond: they are all married to soldiers who are often in harm's way. As the creator of "Army Wives," Fugate shone a spotlight on military families in general and the quiet suffering of military spouses in particular.