RÉSUMÉ

Helped launch start-up documentary division for Austin and San Antonio,Texas bureaus. Developed, wrote and produced content for Central Texas and Los Angeles markets. The feature-length documentary I wrote and produced, "Lone Star Crisis: The Opioid Epidemic" won the 2018 Regional Emmy Award for Best Documentary. In 2018, I also secured and booked the only exclusive on-camera interview with the pastor of Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church and his wife on the one year anniversary of the 2017 mass shooting that left 26 members of their congregation dead. I received a 2019 regional Emmy nomination as executive producer for Continuing Coverage for "Sutherland Springs: One Year Later" and then

another Emmy nomination in 2020 for the special 30-minute special I produced on gun violence as a public health crisis for the Los Angeles market.

Media Process Group & Spring Green Films

Freelance Field Producer for "The Gate" 6/2016 - 12/2017

Responsible for all on-location advance work; location scouting, booking interviewees, casting Spanish and English-speaking actors, and filming in Spain and Israel for $1.6 million budgeted feature documentary on the history of the Baha’i Faith. Wrote, produced and edited behind-the-scenes web-content and DVD extras for film's 2018 release.

WYCC / PBS Chicago

Freelance Producer for "In The Loop" 09/2016 - 03/2017

2017 Emmy Nominee for a piece I produced on bail reform in Chicago. Researched, developed, pitched, produced and wrote field packages for weekly news and public affairs show.

AL JAZEERA AMERICA, Chicago Bureau Office
Freelance Field Producer 6/2015 - 4/2016

Five Days in Chicago

School Change

Illinois Budget Crisis

Basketball Phenom

Flint Water Crisis

Assisted in all aspects of news-gathering for national news broadcasts. Researched story-lines, booked interviews, field-produced local and national breaking news stories, coordinated live hits with network news desk, gathered elements and archive for packages, supervise edits and operate camera for additional footage/coverage in the field as needed.

NEW CHAPTER ENTERTAINMENT Chicago, IL
Executive Producer, “SelectEd” 8/2013 to 2/2015

Wrote scripts for Travel Channel's highly rated series, "Bizarre Foods - Delicious Destinations with Andrew Zimmern". Coordinate with Executive Producer to formulate show run down, segment structure and write entire 22 minute episode. See episode through all stages of edit and make changes to script as needed.

TREMENDOUS! MEDIA
Freelance Writer, 5/20/15 - 12/2015

Responsible for the creation, direction, production, all fieldwork, post-production supervision and subsequent publicity for this independent feature-length documentary profiling one of the nation’s most successful public high schools in one of the worst public school systems in America. selectED was nominated from over 1,000 submissions as “One of the top documentary films of the year”, winning the prestigious Gold Award at Atlanta’s 2015 Spotlight Documentary Film Series, and was an official selection for the 2015 Sarasota International Film Festival, 2015 Waterfront Film Festival, and 2015 New York No Limits Film Festival.

HARPO STUDIOS Chicago, IL
Co-Producer 7/2011 to 8/2012

OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK (OWN) “Oprah’s Next Chapter” - Coordinated domestic and international field
productions. Wrote, produced and edited segments for air, including all areas of ideation, research, validation, legal
analysis, brand integrity. Conducted guest interviews: operated cameras in the field; supervised editing.
• Booked and handled high-profile guests including; David Copperfield, Gloria Steinem, A.R. Rahman and
Shantaram Author Gregory David Roberts.

• “Oprah in India" – Responsible for all on-location advance work. Coordinated, booked, organized,
secured permits, field-produced and hired local fixers, and produced multiple segments for the 2012 two part
series shot on location in Mumbai, Agra and Jaipur, India.

OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK (OWN) “Oprah’s Lifeclass”
• Booked, developed and field-produced key interviews and helped develop show model for pilot episode and three
subsequent episodes.

HARPO PRODUCTIONS: THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW - Chicago, IL
Segment Producer / Associate Producer 4/2007 to 7/2011

• Created, facilitated, researched, pitched and produced segments with extensive field production work. Sourced, interviewed and booked guests ensuring adherence to show’s high standards; conducted extensive fact checking and legal assessments to ensure quality and mitigate risk.

• Booked, interviewed and handled high-profile guests: including New York Times Columnist Nick Kristof, Actors Glenn Close, Shirley MacLaine, Goldie Hawn and Ben Affleck

• Developed and field-produced and segments with Oprah Show talent: Lisa Ling, Suze Orman and Peter Walsh

• Developed, booked, organized, co-produced and shot second camera for the 2009 “Story of Tererai Trent” on location in Zimbabwe, Africa.
This story was featured in Season 25 (our final show season) as “Oprah’s Favorite Guest of All Time”

TOWERS PRODUCTIONS Chicago, IL
Senior Producer 12/2006 to 4/2007 * Producer 3/2003 – 12/2006 * Associate Producer 2/2001–3/2003

                                  THE WEATHER CHANNEL “When Weather Changed History”
                                  • Co-produced and developed the model for this one-hour, HD series called “When Weather Makes History”
                                  • The pilot episode, “Operation Eagle Claw,” focused on the 1979 Iran Hostage crisis and the U.S. Military rescue
                                    attempt that was brought down by a massive desert sandstorm.
                                  • Field-produced additional episodes

                                    "Storm Stories": Developed, booked, wrote and produced more than twenty Storm Stories episodes including:
                                    • “Surviving Katrina” – Developed and created verite-style show and shooting model for the Weather Channel
                                       Series “Coast Guard Storm Stories.” This four-part series shot on location in New Orleans during the aftermath
                                       of Hurricane Katrina became the model for an additional 12 episodes of “Coast Guard Storm Stories” purchased
                                       by the Weather Channel.
                                  • “Hurricane Roxanne” and “Texas Border Floods” – Shot on location in Mexico: developed, booked (in
                                       Spanish), organized and field-produced two International Storm Stories for National Geographic.

• 2004 Silver Telly Award Recipient for “Storm Stories: Las Vegas Flash Floods”

A&E NETWORK Booked, conducted pre-interviews, interviews, field-produced and took a program through all stages of production for A&E documentary series American Justice® and multiple episodes of Minute By Minute®

• Minute by Minute: The 1972 Andes Survivors (The Alive Story)– Booked and organized shoot in Spanish.
Obtained actual archive photos and film of rescue and survival from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL Development: “Perilous Journeys”
• Pitched and developed additional locations and episodes for series on the World’s Most Dangerous Roads

Death Road: Bolivia

Minute By Minute

THE HISTORY CHANNEL Series Pilot Producer: "Death Road – Bolivia": Produced, researched, wrote and developed pilot episode of “The Worlds Most Dangerous Roads”
• Spent one month on location in La Paz, Bolivia: organized, scouted, booked interviewees and experts (English and Spanish speakers) and coordinated logistics for eight person crew on The World’s Most Dangerous Road.
• Directed and field-produced nine day shoot on location
• National Geographic purchased the series, rebranded it “Perilous Journeys” and commissioned an additional four episodes to be shot on some of the most dangerous stretches of road in the world.

WGBH - PBS "The American Experience" Boston, MA
Freelance Chicago Location Manager 6/2000-2/2001

PBS NATIONAL - Developed pool of local contacts, historical experts, interviewee and 19th century locations for The American Experience’s three-part series, “Chicago: City of the Century”

                                       WTTW - PBS "CEO Exchange" Chicago, IL
                                       Freelance Researcher/Writer, PBS’ CEO Exchange 6/2000-12/2001
                                       PBS NATIONAL - Provided host, CNN’s Jeff Greenfield, with all research and subsequent write-ups on upcoming
                                       guests for National PBS business show that profiled some of the world's most famous and successful CEOs

ODYSSEY and PAX TV NETWORK – Primary Focus Palos Heights, IL
Associate Producer/Off-line Editor 9/1998-6/2000
Helped launch a primetime, documentary news magazine series on religion and culture. Primary responsibilities
included: finding and interviewing prominent theologians and scholars who could speak eloquently and compassionately
about faith and belief.
• Produced, developed, wrote and edited six half-hour episodes which aired nationally
• Booked and interviewed former Minnesota Governor, Jesse Ventura, about his 1999 Playboy Magazine interview where he
stated that, “Religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people.”

ABC NEWS / BARWALL PRODUCTIONS New York, NY “THE BARBARA WALTERS SPECIALS”
Production Associate 8/1996-9/1998
• Responsible for research write-ups on proposed and upcoming guests as well as music and clip clearances
• Worked directly with Ms. Walters and producers on shoots
• Maintained crew contact sheets, responsible for arranging and contacting crews for all domestic shoots