Ellen Schned once seemed on the path to a political career. The new vice president of distribution at arts and culture network Ovation was president of her class both at Simi Valley High School and at University of California, Hastings School of Law.

“I was really involved with public affairs back then,” said Schned. But she always harbored an attraction for the glamour of the entertainment world.

“I majored in political science at UCLA, but I took as many classes in the entertainment department as I could,” said the Simi Valley native. “Growing up in the Los Angeles area, it was in my blood.”

Her path to L.A.’s entertainment world did take a detour through Washington D.C., however. After graduating from Hastings in 1988, she went to work for the Federal Communications Commission as an attorney adviser.

“When the FCC came calling, a big light went on,” she said. “It married my interests in politics and entertainment. It was a dream job coming out of law school.”

After a decade of putting her entertainment law degree to work, she took a job at Court TV.

“After being in D.C. for about 10 years or so, I wanted to transition in to the business side and give New York a go,” she said.

From there, she eventually jumped to CBS College Sports, also in New York. But Southern California’s pull proved too much for her.

“I missed the weather and the laid-back atmosphere,” Schned said. “I like that Los Angeles has that entertainment industry vibe.”

She returned to join Ovation in Santa Monica, where she is in charge of growing the cable channel’s distribution, and will oversee the launch of its high-definition channel. Schned said Ovation’s arts and culture programming dovetails with her love of Broadway musicals such as “Cats” and “South Pacific.”

Schned is single and lives in Santa Monica. In her free time, she plays golf in Palm Springs, which she calls her home away from home.