Off Camera Header 2021

New Governors Seated July 1st

Thank you for voting for our new Board of Governors. We are excited to announce the twelve candidates that received the most votes. They are seated as of July 1st and will serve until June 30, 2024: Justin Andrews, Reporter, CBS Bay Area KPIX; Roger Chiang, Director of Contact Production, KQED; Vern Glenn, Sportscaster, CBS Bay Area KPIX; Jim Jakobs, News Director, KMPH Fox 26, Fresno; Paula Marcheschi, Creative Services Director, ABC 7 KGO (second term); Joyce Mitchell, Producer, 4U Productions, Sacramento (continuing from VP Sacramento); Kevin Nious, Journalist/Producer, NBC Bay Area, KNTV (second term); Jim Parker, News Director, KIEM/KVIQ, Eureka (second term); Terri Russell, Chief Reporter, KOLO 9, Reno (continuing from VP Reno);  Faith Sidlow, Associate Professor, California State University, Fresno; Stephanie Sierra, Investigative Reporter, ABC 7 KGO (second term); Carolyn Tyler, Retired Anchor/Reporter, ABC 7 KGO.

In addition three other candidates were appointed vacated positions to serve one year positions. Chris Carpenter, Lecturer, California State University Monterey Bay (second term), replacing Raul Lima, now serving as VP Sacramento; Kris Sanchez, Anchor/Reporter, NBC Bay Area KNTV, replacing John Linn, now serving as VP Reno; Lexi Sisk, Producer, Iron Pine Media, Fresno (former board member), replacing Jose Muñoz, now serving as VP Fresno.

Special thanks to Governor Priya Clemens, Anchor Newsroom, KQED, and our Nominating Committee Chair.

Photographs and short biographies of each Governor follow:

TWO YEAR TERMS  7/1/22-6/30/24

JUSTIN ANDREWS, Reporter, CBS Bay Area KPIX 5, San Francisco

Justin Andrews’ first reporting job was in Kirksville, Missouri, where he was promoted to weekend evening anchor within days of his arrival. He then moved to the Hawkeye State of Iowa. Justin was the lead nightside reporter and later became the weekend night anchor at KWWL. Justin then spent more than 5 years at KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri as the lead morning reporter and fill-in anchor. Justin’s compelling live reports and direct style has gained him national exposure including live reports on CNN, CBS This Morning and HLN.

Currently, Justin is a morning reporter for CBS News Bay Area, KPIX-TV in San Francisco, CA. Justin has already covered the trial of Elizabeth Holmes, several mass shootings and a plethora of other major stories. From covering wildfires to tornadoes, protests to recalibrating state policy changes – Justin has covered it all.

For more than ten years, he’s been telling the stories of people who felt theirs were untold! To Justin, being a television journalist allows a community’s problems to be placed on platforms. It births conversations, demands change, recalibrates racism, and injects injustices with integrity and impartiality.

ROGER CHIANG, Director of Content Production, KQED, San Francisco
Decorated producer and executive Roger Chiang has played significant roles for award-winning television, digital content and film.

Currently, Roger is the Director of Content Production at KQED, the Bay Area’s PBS and NPR member station where he manages award-winning television news, entertainment and digital content teams, including NATAS San Francisco/Northern California winners “KQED Newsroom,” “Deep Look,” “Check, Please! Bay Area” and others. Prior to KQED, Roger served as the Executive In Charge of Production for the legendary TV series “America’s Most Wanted.”

Under Roger’s stewardship, AMW was honored by four U.S. Presidents and host John Walsh received the Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Roger has also consulted for CNN, developed “The Hunt” for CNN, collaborated with several production companies on scripted crime series for network television and Netflix, developed a reality pilot for Oxygen, co produced independent films and worked with acclaimed film directors.

In his spare time, Roger has volunteered with several mentoring organizations, and previously served as an Advisory Member with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Board Member for the University of California Santa Barbara Alumni Association.

Roger lives in Oakland, California.

VERN GLENN, Sportscaster, CBS Bay Area KPIX 5, San Francisco (Silver Circle 2021)

Vern Glenn joined KPIX 5/KBCWTV 44 Cable 12 in June of 2012 as weekend Sports Anchor/weekday sports reporter & MMJ. A 2-time Emmy® Award winner for Best Sportscaster, Vern had previously been at KRON 4 News since 1990.

At KRON, Vern was tagged with the nickname “Mr. Involvement” for literally throwing himself in the middle of his feature stories. His memorable stories include bungee jumping, skydiving, bull riding, boxing, pro football and a dirt bike crash. Among his personal assignments was reporting from the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Vern was part of the KNBR Radio Morning show in 1998 and drops in now and then as a guest on 95.7 The Game. Vern also worked at WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Maryland as weekend sports anchor and sports reporter from 1987 to 1990. Prior, he was sports anchor, sports reporter and photographer for WXEX-TV, now WRIC, in Richmond, Virginia from 1985 to 1987.

An Eagle Scout and a graduate of the University of Virginia, Vern lives in Marin with his wife Nicole and three sons.

JIM JAKOBS, News Director, KMPH FOX 26, Fresno
Jim Jakobs is currently the News Director for KMPH-Television in Fresno. He began his career in 1995 at KCRA-Television in Sacramento, and did stints at KNTV in San Jose/San Francisco, KOVR-TV in Sacramento, KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City and back to California where he worked for 7 years at KFSN-TV in Fresno.

He’s passionate about promoting young professionals during the early stages of their careers and wants to help grow the Fresno influence through the local NATAS chapter.

 

 

 

PAULA MARCHESCHI, Creative Services Director, abc7 KGO, San Francisco (Incumbent)
As a Bay Area native, I grew up watching ABC7, but never expected to spend my nearly 30-year career at KGO-TV.  In all that time, I’ve never been bored… because as the TV business evolves, so do I.

I started out as an intern in Programming, learned to edit, and then I was hooked!  After gathering experience in nearly every department from News (writer/editor/media manager) to Marketing and even a quick stint in Accounting, I currently serve as the station’s Creative Director.  For my efforts, I’ve won eight Emmy® awards (and lost about the same).  I feel my background in both News and Branding gives me a valuable, diverse perspective to pass along to the next generation of journalists.

I’ve been on the NATAS board for nearly a year and would love to continue sharing my passion for storytelling with the San Francisco Northern California Chapter of NATAS…   Many thanks for your consideration!   P.S. And yes, I still love to edit!

JOYCE MITCHELL, Producer, 4U Productions, Sacramento (Silver Circle 2010) Current VP Sacramento

​Passion is what drives Joyce Mitchell. Couple that with 47 years of experience in TV and Mitchell strives to produce memorable programs that help make this world a better place. She has eight regional Emmy® Awards for her documentary work and was presented the Governors’ Award in 2017 by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) San Francisco/Northern California.

A member of the NATAS Silver Circle, Mitchell now serves as a Governor/Vice President on the NATAS Board and is a National Trustee. She’s also an AIDS Activist and President of Sacramento’s Capitol City AIDS Fund (CCAF), providing much-needed support to people infected and affected by HIV.

​Mitchell began her television career at Sacramento’s KCRA-TV in 1975 where she produced the 11 o’clock news for 13 years. She also worked a decade at CBS 13 as Special Projects Producer and two years at PBS KVIE TV. Mitchell owns and produces programs through 4 U Productions/TV Rebels With A Cause.

​Her first job was in 1972 as a print Capitol Correspondent – the youngest member of the Capitol Press Corps and one of only two women. Mitchell has a BA in Government-Journalism and an MA in Communication Studies. She also served as adjunct faculty teaching Writing for Television at Sacramento State University for 15 years.

KEVIN NIOUS, Journalist/Producer, NBC Bay Area, KNTV, San Jose (Incumbent)
Kevin is an award-winning producer with NBC News and a public affairs specialist with the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing.

Prior to joining NBC News, Kevin spent a decade at NBC Bay Area as a founding member of the station’s Investigative Unit.

Kevin’s stories have prompted state & federal actions, including a $19 million settlement against the world’s largest food distributor for unsafe handling practices & legislation to protect transit workers from assaults.

Kevin is passionate about journalism and hopes to continue serving on the Board of Governors to help recognize excellence in the field.

JIM PARKER, News Director, KIEM/KVIQ, Eureka (Incumbent)

In January 2022, Jim Parker was named a regional news director for Cox Media Group, overseeing its northwest cluster of stations –  KIEM-TV and KVIQ, the NBC/CBS duopoly in Eureka, and KMVU, the Fox affiliate in Medford, Ore.

This is Jim’s second time serving on the NATAS Board of Governors. He previously served as a Governor a decade ago, while director of digital operations at KPIX-5 in San Francisco, and played a key role in the launch of the Chapter’s new website at that time.

Jim’s career spans well over 30 years in the industry, with management positions at television stations located on both coasts (SF; Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia) and everywhere in between (Indianapolis; Texas; upstate NY; Iowa; Illinois; Ohio). His honors include a national Sigma Delta Chi Award for deadline reporting.

Previously, Jim taught communications and journalism courses at Academy of Art University in SF and as a broadcaster-in-residence at the University of Oregon. He’s also served on university accreditation site teams for the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Jim is a graduate of the Journalist Law School program at Loyola Law School and has been published in the Federal Communications Law Journal.

TERRI RUSSELL, Chief Reporter, KOLO 8, Reno Current VP Reno

Terri began her broadcasting career as an associate director for KTVN in Reno. Given a chance to advance by then-news director Ed Pearce, (Silver Circle Member), Terri steadily rose through the ranks and became a producer, general assignment reporter, medical reporter and fill-in anchor.

She has worked in Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon before moving back to Reno in 1997 to be close to family.

Terri has received numerous awards and accolades, including an Emmy® award for a series of reports on organ transplantation called “The Silent Heroes.” In 2021 she was part of an Emmy® Award winning small market newscast which focused on a fatal avalanche at Alpine Meadows.

She’s been recognized 13 times with Emmy® nominations.

She currently serves on the Board of Governors for the San Francisco / Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

She wants to continue to serve and advocate for the Reno market.

FAITH SIDLOW, Associate Professor, California State University Fresno (Silver Circle 2012)
Faith Sidlow is the chair of the Department of Media, Communications and Journalism at Fresno State, where she is an associate professor teaching courses in broadcast and multiplatform journalism. She oversees production of the student-run Fresno State Focus TV newscast and Fresno State Focus Radio Edition on 90.7 KFSR.

Faith is an award-winning broadcast journalist with three decades of experience in television and radio news. She is a past member of the NATAS board of governors and chaired the education committee from 2007 to 2010.

Faith was inducted into the Silver Circle Class of 2012.

 

 

STEPHANIE SIERRA, Investigative Reporter, abc7 KGO, San Francisco (Incumbent)

Stephanie Sierra has been dedicated to securing sponsorships to support annual events for the San Francisco Northern California NATAS Chapter. During her first term, she secured the main sponsorships for the past two Emmy® Awards Galas. Sierra has been an active member of the Awards Committee and will continue to cultivate these relationships to help support future funding for our chapter.  Professionally, Sierra is an Emmy® and national Edward R. Murrow award-winning investigative journalist at KGO-TV in San Francisco.

 

 

CAROLYN TYLER, Retired Reporter, abc7 KGO, San Francisco (Silver Circle 2007)

Carolyn Tyler is best known for her award-winning 32-year career as an anchor and reporter at KGO-TV ABC7.

Tyler has received numerous honors for her work, including George Foster Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards for the station’s team coverage of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Tyler is also extremely proud of her coverage of gay marriage, beginning at San Francisco City Hall in 2004 and running through the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2015. In 2007, NATAS-SF inducted Tyler into the distinguished Silver Circle.

She is a longtime member of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association and was the founding co-chairperson of Friends of Faith, a non-profit organization that raised funds and awareness for low-income breast cancer survivors in the Bay Area. Tyler is also a new member of the San Francisco Film Commission.

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcasting from the University of Wyoming. She also received specialized journalism training at Vanderbilt University and at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication in collaboration with the Poynter Institute. She grew up in Wyoming.

ONE YEAR TERMS  7/1/22-6/30/23

CHRIS CARPENTER, Lecturer, California State University Monterey Bay (Incumbent)

Chris Carpenter is a Senior Adjunct Professor in the Cinematic Arts & Technology department at California State University, Monterey Bay.  For over 25 years he has empowered his television and film students and alumni to be hardworking and ethical media creators.

Chris has 25 years of broadcast television experience. Starting as a PA at KCBA FOX35 when he was 16 years old in 1987 and worked his way up through the news and commercial production ladders to become a Creative Services Manager at KSBW NBC8. He has empowered many broadcast professionals and produced thousands of commercials and marketing campaigns.

He has won numerous awards in film and television and recently won a New York Emmy® for Best Sports Documentary through his company Honest Engine Films.

KRIS SANCHEZ, Anchor/Reporter, NBC Bay Area KNTV, San Jose

I am proud to say that I just celebrated my 25th anniversary as a working journalist. I’ve spent the last 18 years working for KNTV, NBC Bay Area as a reporter and anchor, mostly for our early morning newscast, “Today In The Bay.”

I also report for Telemundo Area de la Bahia, delivering reports in Spanish, and produce relevant and accurate news content for our social media platforms. Previously, I anchored and reported at KGPE in Fresno, KVIA in El Paso, Texas, and KJCT in Grand Junction, Colorado. I also worked as a correspondent at Channel One News, which delivered current events newscasts into 8 million middle and high schools across the country.

I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and have bachelor’s degrees in journalism and in Spanish Language. I grew up in Colorado, where I was born, Venezuela and Texas.

I live in the South Bay with my husband, a fellow journalist, and our two California-born daughters.

It is a tremendous responsibility and a gift to deliver the stories of our communities and to provide reliable information to help people make the best decisions for themselves and their families.

LEXI SISK, Producer, Iron Pine Media, Fresno (former board member)

Studied Business and graduated from UCLA.  With over 6 years of experience working in Television, I enjoy donating my time and using my skills and experience to give back to the television community. Currently an active judge on the Telly Awards Judging Council, I am also a current member of the Television Academy. I have been with Valley PBS for over a year working as technical crew for live pledge shows and raffle drawings in the studio. Spring of 2019 I started a full service production company with my husband, Iron Pine Media LLC serving the central valley.

 

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