New York, New York, United States
As a four-time EMMY and two-time CINE Golden Eagle -Award winning executive producer, I have a proven track record of delivering exceptional films and television shows that showcase compelling stories and impactful messages. I have successfully led and managed multiple production companies, including Knotty Oak Pictures and Via Studios Global, where I earned accolades and recognition for original creative development, meticulous production management, and exceptional client services. I have also cultivated and secured funding for award-winning documentary films and television programs. I am driven by a vision of excellence, collaboration, and innovation in the media industry, and I strive to empower and inspire my teams and audiences with my work.
• Led consumer engagement and interactivity initiatives for a global media business, driving brand growth through technology-driven fan experiences. • Developed and implemented gamification strategies to enhance user engagement and loyalty within passion-based communities. • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver engaging content and experiences that resonate with audiences worldwide.
During my tenure at WVIA Public Media - TV (PBS) & Radio (NPR), I led the building of the brand as the region's premiere storyteller and content production facility. I led the execution of the strategic plan and prudent stewarding of resources while steering all facets of financial, creative development, production and operations, inclusive of a $6M annual budget, to ensure profitability and fulfillment of mission and board objectives. I directly shaped the organizational culture by recruiting and developing the core leadership team to rally 36 full-time and 25 part-time personnel. Additionally, I actively cultivated and solicited funding to produce award winning documentary films and television programs. Select Highlights: ➨ Negotiated and Produced $1MM IMAX film production, "Expedition Chesapeake: A Journey of Discovery," with Emmy award-winning naturalist, Jeff Corwin that is being distributed in theaters world wide. ➨ Secured $200K sponsor to support Battling Opioid Campaign: Executive Producer of award-winning statewide multi-platform programming on opioid crisis that drove public awareness; heightened empathy; reduced stigma; aided in prevention; and helped people find treatment for addiction. ➨ Buoyed public support/membership from 11.5K to ~14K in 5 years by producing regional programming connected with public engagement and other high-touch activities by contracting with a full-service membership firm. ➨ Preserved PBS broadcasting capability and eligibility for $1M in annual federal funding while netting a $26M return to endowment by preparing for and navigating through complex, first FCC Spectrum Auction rules and regulations. ➨ Established the only qualified production & post-production facility in the northeast eligible to participate in the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit program.
As EVP, I diligently propelled completion of the digital streaming platform, smoothly integrated and nurtured a new record label, and sustained organizational mission during downturn in financial support. Select Highlights: ➨ Spawned ~$500K in additional annual net revenue after starting up and operating P&L multi-platform content production company Via Studios Global (VSG) for 4 years. ➨ Completed productions for clients such as TIME Inc., Meredith Broadcasting, PBSkids, American Public Television, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and Pennsylvania Public Television. ➨ Monetized well over $3MM to produce distinctive content for 40+ feature documentaries, an IMAX giant-screen film, and award-winning TV, radio, and digital content. ➨ Smoothly integrated and nurtured Chiaroscuro Records (CR) label from $800K to $1.2M value over 6 years. ➨ Set up 24/7/365 HD radio channel streaming worldwide on wvia.org; built app that played CR anytime, anywhere.
In my earlier career with WVIA, I was responsible for laying the groundwork for creative development, production and post-production excellence and excelled at connecting our skills with businesses, promoting access to targeted audiences, and capitalizing on value of brand association to accelerate revenue. Select Highlights: ➨ Nearly doubled corporate underwriting support from $600K to $1M+ in 4 years by restructuring 5-member team; collaborating on added-value messaging that positioned PBS as the most trusted and valued U.S. brand; and leveraging power of 14,000-member base across all 22 NEPA counties donating $1.5M each year. ➨ Maximized marketing efforts and multiplied viewer and listener audience reach across all 3 platforms by working closely with TV, radio, and digital asset leaders on devising and deploying a cross-promotion strategy for businesses supporting WVIA. ➨ Evolved website from a promotional site to an engaging, user-friendly content platform by shepherding a complex rebuild.
As a rostered filmmaker with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, I founded and operated United Studios which was focused on creating documentary films for TV broadcast and theatrical distribution. Select Highlights: ➨ Secured $500K and produced a model for an interactive TV series 'Studio Beyond' to an international audience of TV and online producers while representing U.S. at the International Content Market for Interactive Media (MILIA) in Cannes, France. ➨ Secured $300K and produced the EMMY nominated documentary film, Stories From the Mines, featuring Academy Award nomined actor Jason Miller. Distributed by American Public Television (APT) on PBS. ➨ Secured $75K and Produced 'A Dying Breath', a film about black lung disease for the Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN). ➨ Secured $50K and produced "An Empty Place At The Table." The short film won "'Best Social Documentary" at New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. "An Empty Place At The Table" featured an art exhibit that memorializes women and children murdered in acts of domestic violence and narrated by Academy Award-winning actress, Susan Sarandon.
Returned ~1M from a $150K baseline business in 4 years: While with the NYT, I spearheaded the design and implementation of an internal production company, NYT Video Productions, Inc. The team produced productions for broadcast and for all divisions of the NYTs, including: sales & marketing, HR training videos, marketing videos for the Forestry Division, Magazine Division such as, Golf Digest Videos, Sailing & Cursing World and McCall's and the Broadcast Group, producing station graphic packages. Select Highlight: ➨ Accolades with CINE Golden Eagle and Telly Bronze Awards, as well as an Emmy nomination from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for 'James Reston: The Man Millions Read' documentary and PBS biography.