CreaTV Staff
Suzanne St. John-Crane, Executive Director
suzanne(at)creatvsj.org
Suzanne has worked in community television for the last twenty years as a volunteer, producer, manager and advocate. She earned her Masters in Non-Profit Arts Administration at San Francisco State, where she fell in love with video. Suzanne began her career as Operations Manager at Pacifica Community Television, and moved on to be Assistant Director of Community Television of Santa Cruz County. After nearly seven years of running a four-channel community television station for Gilroy, Suzanne decided to move on to CreaTV San Jose, opening the long anticipated media center for San Jose. Suzanne is the recipient of over a dozen regional and national awards for programs she has produced, and was honored to receive the 2001 Gail Rich Award in Santa Cruz County as an Interdisciplinary Artist. Suzanne has served on both the Regional and National Boards of the Alliance for Community Media. She lives with her husband and two daughters in San Jose, and regularly indulges her passion of singing in Pearl Alley, her blues band.
Alison Nicole Stewart, Production & Operations Manager
alison(at)creatvsj.org
Alison is a graduate of the Documentary Film & Video Program at Stanford University where she earned her Masters in Communications. She also holds a B.S. from Boston University and a J.D. from St. John’s School of Law. Her media experience includes working as the Video Lab Manager at Google in Mountain View, as a Producer/Editor for The Minority Television Project in Palo Alto (KMTP-TV), and for Central Virginia’s PBS station (WCVE-TV). She has also produced her own award-winning short documentaries, and was previously the Operations Manager at Transvideo Studios. Alison currently lives in Alameda, having traveled to California via a cross-country road trip from DC where she worked in the field of international human rights. In addition to movies and television, she enjoys music, bike riding, scenic road trips, and all things chocolate.
Justin Cowgill, Chief Technology Officer
justin(at)creatvsj.org
Justin loves working in Television and enjoys sharing his passion of TV with others. Prior to his tenure at Petaluma Community Access as Production Director, he served as Newscast Director / Chief Photographer at TV50. Justin started his life in media while in high school as a sound technician at his hometown church. He decided to get a degree in radio and audio recording; but that all changed when he took a video production class. At the beginning of the next semester, he dropped all his audio classes and dove into video. He loves technology and equipment and loves to talk to people about it.
Luis Costa, Programming Manager
luis(at)creatvsj.org
Luis has been involved with community television for twelve years. Before joining CreaTV as Programming Manager, he was the Program Director at TV30 in Pleasanton and Media Specialist at KMVT15 in Mountain View.
Pam Kelly, Director of Membership and Marketing
pam(at)creatvsj.org
Pam has lived and worked in San Jose since 1971. She was the Director of Marketing for the Camera Cinemas in San Jose for 16 years, leaving in 2000 to work for PRx Communication Strategists, one of Silicon Valley’s leading agencies, where she held the positions of Account Manager and Vice President of Client Services. Pam is a board member for the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival and the San Jose Dublin Sister City Program Committee and is an adviser for the Catholic Charities marketing group.
Rosa A. Castañeda, Educational Access Coordinator
rosa.castaneda(at)creatvsj.org
Rosa is a recent UC Santa Cruz graduate, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature. At UCSC, Rosa was also a journalist and layout designer for City on a Hill Press and Third World and Native American Student Press Collective, through which she developed a passion for media. She also wrote for Urbino Now, through a study abroad program in Urbino, Italy where she fell in love with la vita italiana. After working in digital media projects with Santa Cruz elementary students, Rosa’s drive for education strengthened. She hopes to serve under-resourced and under-represented students in developing confidence and skills needed through media and project-based learning in order to succeed and become leaders in their communities. Aside from her love of writing, drawing and Mexican Folklórico dance, Rosa enjoys traveling and trying new food.
Ryan Kapowich, Volunteer and Training Coordinator
ryan.kapowich(at)creatvsj.org
Ryan started working in TV production at a young age. He worked his way up from Camera to Floor Director and then to Technical Director. Ryan was also CreaTV’s Access Facilitator, until his 2012 promotion to Volunteer and Training Coordinator.
Burton McKerchie, Engineer 1
burton.mckerchie(at)creatvsj.org
Burton McKerchie has been working with community radio and television since the early 1980s beginning with Public Television/Radio at WNMU-FM/TV at Northern Michigan University. In 1994, Burton moved to Arizona and lived on the Hopi and Navajo Reservation as a technical engineer for Northern Arizona University. His travels as an engineer have taken him from the remote tundra of Alaska to the tropics of Mexico and Latin America. Burton has a passion for blue water sailing, writing and jazz music. He just published his first guitar instruction book. Burton is married and has four children and three grandchildren and currently lives in Redwood City.
Adam MacEwen, Programming Assistant
adam.macewen(at)creatvsj.org
Adam attended San Francisco State University where he received his B.A. in Radio and Television. During his time there, Adam interned at Pacifica Community Television. Upon graduation, he worked as a Production Assistant with KSBW Action News 8 in the Monterey Bay area. Adam’s glad to be back working for community television.
Karla Hodgson, Executive Assistant
karla.hodgson(at)creatvsj.org
Karla Hodgson graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a double major in English and Political Science. She worked in the Financial Services industry as a manager, risk consultant and auditor in the Santa Barbara area for more than 15 years before moving to Seattle, where she worked for a General Contractor and Developer as the Executive Administrator, Warranty Service Manager and Office Manager for more than 10 years. Karla is credentialed to teach at the community college level and through UC Extension in finance. Karla joined CreaTV in 2011 as Executive Assistant to CreaTV’s ED, Suzanne St. John-Crane. She is married and has grown twin sons. Karla says “I have good luck with cats and horses as pets and bad luck with dogs. Cats are easier to leave at home while I enjoy travel. I still have 87 countries to visit.”
Elizabeth Barron, Receptionist
elizabeth.barron(at)creatvsj.org
Gopher Gold, Crew
gopher.gold(at)creatvsj.org
Gopher Gold has more than 35 years of experience in the entertainment business. He started out as a sax/flute/vocalist in the early 70′s with rock and jazz bands and later became an audio engineer designing and operating various studios in the Bay Area. In the past 10 years, Gopher has added video production to his skill set.
Juan Serna, Crew and Access Facilitator
Juan.serna(at)creatvsj.org
Juan Serna is a nationally recognized, award-winning video producer and an access facilitator and instructor at CreaTV San Jose. Since joining CreaTV in 2008, he has produced and directed more than 200 TV shows and videos. Juan has more than 10 years of experience working in the community access field. Prior to joining CreaTV, he worked for Cox Broadcasting, producing KICU Channel 36′s Q&A with Roy Avilla and owned his own production company.
Juan graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Radio, TV and Film and is a recent graduate of the MALI program, (Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative) of 1st Act San Jose. Juan is always willing to help mold future media professionals and says “The time is now, your stories must be told, who better to tell them than you.”
Kristen Mattozzi, Access Facilitator
kristen.mattozzi(at)creatvsj.org
A San Jose native, Kristen’s fascination with computers and video production began at an early age while creating videos and animations on her family’s Macintosh Performa. She is a graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Throughout college, Kristen interned as a production assistant at the top production companies in Hawaii. After graduation, she worked for Olelo Community Media, Oahu’s Public, Education, and Government Access station. Upon returning home to the Bay Area, Kristen worked for NASA Ames Research Center as a Multi-Media Specialist. Kristen brings a passion for helping others, especially with the use of technology.
Steve Macias, Crew
steve.macias(at)creatvsj.org
Originally from El Centro, California, Steve moved to the Bay Area in 1958. In 2007, after a 35-year career as a land surveyor, he became the co-producer for Native Voice TV, the first television show dedicated to indigenous people. This was the kick-starter to his career in video production. Steve was hired on to the CreaTV field and studio production crew in 2010. Before being hired, he was a volunteer and the first to win CreaTV’s Volunteer of the Year Award.
Steve has played bass guitar since the age of 18 and was one of the founding members of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. He has been involved in drag racing since age 17, and has owned a 300mph jet dragster for six years. “I approach all my shoots like drag racing. When you get to the line, you only get one chance…so you better have it right first time around.”
Frank Mariscal, Crew
frank.mariscal(at)creatvsj.org
Frank Mariscal has been actively involved in video production since 2001. Before joining CreaTV in 2007, Frank ran his own production company, which produced cable access TV shows and concert videos of national recording artists. Frank loves combining his two passions — video and community — in the work that he does for CreaTV.
PRODUCERS
Janice Edwards
tvjanicee(at)yahoo.com
Janice Edwards is a published writer, talk show host, executive producer and media consultant. She is the host and executive producer of “Bay Area Vista” and “Signature Silicon Valley” and is the President and CEO of Edwards Unlimited.
Janice’s notable interviews include Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Maddow, Robert Redford, John Travolta, Jerry Seinfeld, Gloria Steinem, Robin Williams, Ang Lee, Danny Glover, Dr. Cornel West and John Cena. Janice has also worked as a special projects producer and writer at KPIX-TV and an update anchor/writer/producer and reporter/photographer/editor at KRON-TV. Janice is a published co-author of the book “Quality Angles” featuring interviews with Kevin Costner, Robert Townsend, veteran news anchor Evan White and Lloyd Richards.
Janice’s awards include the 2009 Western Regional Communications Award from the American Heart Association, the 2008 Woman of Excellence for Advocacy (Woman of the Year Award) by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Silicon Valley chapter, the Caring Through Communication award from the American Cancer Society and the Bronze award from Junior Achievement. Additionally, she has received recognition from NAWBO, the National Association of Women Business Owners–Silicon Valley, Healthy Silicon Valley, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In 2006, Janice was recognized as one of 101 Women Making A Difference in Our Community. 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley, 100 Black Men of the Bay Area and the Bay Area Black Media Coalition have also honored Janice for her work. Janice is a member of the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and of Friends of Faith, founded by KTVU’s Faith Fancher. Janice emcees or moderates over 40 community events each year. Support of those organizations is a critical part of her commitment and vision for community empowerment.
Mike Pierce
mike(at)newwestpictures.com
Mike Pierce is a professional Producer, Director/Cameraman and Editor, with over 25 years of Bay Area production experience. He is an award winning news cameraman and teacher with a passion for visual story telling. His breadth of experience includes television, independent film, documentaries and corporate productions. As a cameraman, Pierce’s list of television credits includes “Monk”, “Nash Bridges”, “60 Minutes” and he has worked on the original episodes of “Cops” and “American Detective”. Mike is also an Emmy award-winning editor as well as NPPA Cameraman of the Year. As a Producer, Mike has worked on dozens of documentaries, promotional and corporate videos and educational films.
INSTRUCTORS
Jen Vaughn
Jen received her BA & MA from the Broadcasting & Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) program and San Francisco State, and has been a lecturer in the BECA program for the past five years. Jen teaches Upper Division production courses specializing in Television Studio Production, Field Production, Editing, Directing and Sports Broadcasting. Her freelance career and love of travel has led her to produce, direct, and edit a series of international documentaries from Mexico, Russia, and Brazil. Television credits include programs aired on HGTV, DIY Network, and The History Channel. Her passion for music and live entertainment led her to become a videographer for the San Francisco Noise Pop Music Festival and Stern Grove Music Festival. Find out what Jen has been up to at http://jenvaughn.blip.tv
GOVERNMENT MEETING CREW
Kaitlan Beck
Rigel Brooks
Ben Collison
Russell Cordova
Lisbet Perez
Jennifer Sitter
Felisha White
