Chad.Johnston@creatvsj.org

Chad has been working at the intersection of media and social justice since the late 90’s. He has led nonprofit Community Media Centers since 2004 in North Carolina and Minnesota, and in late 2016 moved to San Jose to take the CEO position at CreaTV. He has a passion for managing and shifting organizational cultures, and believes in challenging traditional nonprofit models. He has a double BA from Antioch College in Theater and Media Arts and a passion for community organizing. As a board member of the Alliance for Community Media and member of the Media Action Grassroots Network, he has advocated for policies in support of community media and media justice. An occasional 35mm photographer and lover of all things in the kitchen, he feels at home when surrounded by plants and radical left political art.

Breanna.Gilbert@creatvsj.org

Breanna Gilbert has extensive nonprofit experience, having served in leadership roles at organizations including Planned Parenthood and KQED. Prior to joining CreaTV as Interim Chief Operating Officer, she was a founding Board Member and served as both Vice Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors during her tenure. She is a former co-host and interviewer for Outlook Video, an award-winning LGBTQ+ television show recorded at CreaTV, and has a BA from UC Berkeley in English and Mass Communications. In her spare time, she loves to garden, spend time with family, and pursue her artistic interests including painting and photography.

Justin.Cowgill@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.

Juliann.Lallemand@creatvsj.org

Juliann joined CreaTV San Jose in 2022 and has brought together her two passions: helping people and working with numbers. She has been working in finance and HR since her arrival to the Bay Area in 2015. She was first introduced to the non-profit world back home in New York and has always remembered the pleasure of working for WPBS-TV and the joy of giving back to the community. In her spare time, she enjoys playing MTG, traveling, crocheting, and spending time with her family.

Donalda@creatvsj.org

Donalda received a Bachelor of Science in Music from the University of Colorado at Denver. She has worked for more than 20 years for nonprofits in Colorado, Nevada, and California in the sectors of higher education, health, parks and recreation, libraries and literacy, environment and science education, and public television. Donalda is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. Her professional career experience includes work in almost every aspect of fundraising—from database and volunteer management to grant writing, major donors, fund development, corporate and community partnerships, direct mail, and planned giving. She’s a “people person” who deeply values the relationships that she builds through fundraising.

Francesca.Enzler@creatvsj.org

Francesca was born in the Central Valley of California and graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in Film and Digital Media. Their short films have been screened at underground film festivals in the US and Canada. In addition to their film work, they have been involved in various community organizations and mutual aid projects. They love plants, languages, food, star gazing, community gardens, public parks, and are passionate about all things related to community access. 

Constance.Button@creatvsj.org

Constance has been an engaged participant, fan, and supporter of all things creative for as long as she can remember. Since childhood, she was fascinated with art, photography, film, TV, music, and radio and spent much of her time consuming, creating, and sharing these things with anyone who was interested.

Because of her passion for art, media, and the people who make it, Constance came to the Bay Area to study and meet new, likeminded people. During her time at San Jose State University, she got involved in the campus radio station and photography department which inspired her to fully invest in the creative world on all fronts - personally, professionally, and educationally.

Since graduating with a BFA in Photography, Constance has worked in fields ranging from bartending to gallery installation and administration to real estate operations. She’s also exhibited her artwork throughout the Bay Area and volunteers locally with genARTS Silicon Valley to create and invest in professional, networking, and exhibition opportunities for emerging local artists and arts administrators. Through her varied professional experiences, Constance has fostered a unique people-minded perspective that has only furthered her appreciation for the diversity and creativity that people bring to media and the arts.

Gurparsad.Thind@creatvsj.org

Gurparsad was born and proudly raised in San Jose. He has always had a knack for capturing a variety of talents with a lens. He first started creating content for his hometown dance team, Bhangra Empire, helping them reach millions of views on YouTube at the young age of 16. He furthered his passion for entertainment at Piedmont Hills High School where he became a leader and stand-out in the performing arts department. Continuing his studies, De Anza Community College helped him secure his passion for film production. From there he transferred to UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television.

In 2021, Gurparsad Thind became the first Sikh to ever graduate from UCLA’s film directing program in its 100-year history. Now fully residing in the Bay Area, Gurparsad has started his own production company, FilmsVille Productions. His short film that debuted him as a director has now received numerous nominations from film festivals throughout the globe. 

Gurparsad started at CreaTV on the production team as a camera operator. He loves being the branch between the community and their interest in all things media production. He strives to mitigate the stress production might bring so people can focus on having the most fun creating. He loves being in a mode of production and is constantly working on passion projects within the community outside of work. His hobbies include gaming, singing, dancing, volleyball, and anime.

Ato.Walker@creatvsj.org

Ato has more than 30 years of experience working with non-profit organizations including City Year, Public Allies, Third Street Community Center, EAH housing, Silicon Valley DeBug, NATHA, and LifeMoves. He is also a humorist, producer, and content creator with San Jose Improv, The Caravan Lounge Comedy Show, & San Jose Foos. He loves art, talking to interesting people, making a positive impact in our community, and connecting everyone to amazing resources like Open San José and CreaTV.

Shawna.Khorasani@creatvsj.org

Shawna is an award-winning independent filmmaker in the Bay Area who enjoys burritos, TV shows, and positive LGBTQ+ media representation (in no particular order). She graduated with two English Literature degrees and soon after fell in love with the film world. Shawna has volunteered as the Website Editor for Lesflicks, a global film database company for the LBTQ+ community, as well as written/directed an award-winning short film called LoverGirl. Her most recent short film, Popping the Question, is now on streaming platforms. She is passionate about diversity and inclusive representation in her work, and enjoys connecting with other creatives in the local community.

Enrique Oliver, a San José local with a passion for making things happen! He has 15 years of experience in operations management, corporate security, non-profit administration, and program coordination under his belt, and a proven track record of driving results. But when he's not busy rocking the corporate world, Enrique can be found traveling the globe, playing either flute, clarinet or bassoon in an orchestra or singing baritone for a choir. He's even completed the Multicultural Arts Leaders Incubator (MALI) program, because why not add to the list of his accomplishments! He's passionate about delivering the highest levels of service and customer satisfaction, and is ready to bring his unique set of skills to CreaTV San José and make a real impact.

Sakshi.Pathania@creatvsj.org

Sakshi is a marketing and communications professional with a background in Journalism. She started her career in the television broadcast industry and worked as a producer for an English news channel. During that time, she extensively produced breaking news stories, entertainment stories, and talk shows. Prior to joining CreaTV, Sakshi had worked in the communications team of many nonprofits in the sectors of education, healthcare, human rights, and environment. She is passionate about nonprofit marketing and communications and enjoys sharing the voices, stories, and experiences of the community through her work. In her spare time, she likes to jog and loves spending time with her family.

Tom.Cohen@creatvsj.org

Tom is a multiple Emmy Award-winning Showrunner, Executive Producer, Series Developer, Writer, Producer and Director. He was the EP and Showrunner of the long-running series Cash Cab on Discovery Channel; he was nominated for 6 and won 3 Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on the series. After Cash Cab he went on to create and serve as Executive Producer of three seasons of the documentary series Bandit Patrol for Nat Geo Wild. In addition to his TV projects, Tom has produced and directed dozens of short films for non-profits, foundations, organizations, and brands over the past 10 years, including a wide range of animal welfare organizations, healthcare clients, advocacy groups, start-ups, tech companies, and more. Tom is a huge hockey fan, a published author, an amateur wildlife photographer, and he lives in Pacific Grove, CA with his wife, dog, cat, and son Quinn. 

Bianka.Bell@creatvsj.org

Bianka Alexandria Bell is a California-based creative producer, director and actor. Though well-versed and interested in politics (which she majored in at Bard College), she has been involved with an array of film, music and print media projects throughout her adolescence, undergraduate and post-graduate years. Bianka received her Master's Degree in Film at California College of the Arts in 2019. In 2020, she worked as a Creative Producer for NextGen America and co-founded / co-produced the annual Black X Film Festival, where she now serves as Chief Creative Officer. Bianka then directed and produced a handful of film and commercial content in 2021-2022 as a freelancer. She now serves as the Production Specialist for CreaTV San Jose. She is signed with RSA Talent Management in Los Angeles as a theatrical talent, and stars as 'Dani' in the upcoming comedy television series, Chosen Fam, the story of a tragically unpopular QTPoC punk band struggling to make it in San Francisco. 

Francisco.Alvarez@creatvsj.org

Francisco Allan Alvarez is a Chicano filmmaker from the South Bay Area. He's loved telling stories since his Tia showed him Lord of the Rings when he was 6 years old. They’re also still his favorite movies. He studied filmmaking at SJSU, where he joined and eventually led Film Production Society, a club where students would write, pitch, and produce short films. In his senior year he began freelancing and had been freelancing in the Bay ever since, but recently transitioned to focus on a more community-oriented filmmaking front, notably working with Audacity Performing Arts Project and the Latino Film Institute's Youth Cinema Project. On a personal front, he wrote and directed a short film titled Luz de la Luna with the help of local Latino filmmakers in the Bay. Additionally, he is now creating personal and commercial content through his small production company Alienboy Productions. He's ecstatic to join the team at CreaTV as their new Media Production Coordinator and Producer!

Gopher.Gold@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.

Kaitlan.Zizzo@creatvsj.org

Kaitlan developed her passion for broadcasting in high school when she became a member of the Radio and Television staff. Wanting to continue in the industry after graduation, she moved to Northern Kentucky and attended The Ohio Center for Broadcasting where she graduated at the top of her class. While interning at a cable access station, TBNK, she went from running camera to directing a weekly live show. Before graduating, she was asked to join the TBNK family and worked there for three years. Wanting to move to a bigger market, she decided to give Silicon Valley her best shot. She is now the Government Meeting Crew Supervisor and Programming Coordinator here at CreaTV.

Jennifer.Sitter@creatvsj.org

Jennifer received a BA in communications from Santa Clara University, specializing in video production. She has worked on all aspects of a variety of productions, including directing live MMA and boxing shows, San Francisco 49er games, and San Jose Sharks video board graphics. 

Photography is her passion. She loves to capture people honestly and beautifully. Making people feel comfortable in front of the camera is one of her many skills. Over the last 10 years, Jennifer has turned her production company towards portrait photography, where she learned how to master lighting. She loves to teach and share the knowledge she's gained over the many years and productions she's worked on. Jennifer has an 8 year old son who is her world and keeps her on her toes. She learns new things every day!

Holly.Garcia@creatvsj.org

Holly graduated San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio-Television-Film. She found her love for film in a 9th grade media class and landed her first production job just after high school. She has been creating ever since and loves all art. When she’s not busy creating content for brands and her own social media channels, she dances with Spartan Spectrum at SJSU games and events. She’s a huge Friends fan (a self-proclaimed Chandler Bing) and loves her cat, Meister, more than anything. She takes him on walks to the park every evening, and every morning she drinks her coffee out of a mug that says “I work hard so my cat can have a better life”. 🐾

Francisco.delrosario@creatvsj.org

With over 20 years in the television broadcast industry, Francisco has enjoyed the various events he has covered. His humble beginnings started at KICU in 1997 as a camera operator for the in-studio productions for the station. In 1999, Francisco started a new venture as a news photographer in San Luis Obispo. After attending an Oakland Raiders game, he decided to focus on sports production. In 2002, he started working with CBS and Fox Sports productions as a utility for NFL broadcasts in San Francisco and Oakland. His experiences have led to working Super Bowl 50, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup Finals, Pebble Beach golf tournaments, Oakland Athletics games, and interviewing President Bill Clinton. His favorite time of work was in October 2010. Francisco worked the entire run of the San Francisco Giants playoffs leading to the World Series title.

When away from the camera, Francisco loves exploring foreign lands, cooking, and collecting vinyl records.

Richard.Daniels@creatvsj.org

Richard started his Public Access television career working with the City of Pinole. During that time, he was also going to Diablo Valley College to receive his AA in Music Industry Studies. After a brief stint with AVT and the Santa Clara County of Education, Richard was employed with CreaTV as well as The Town Of Windsor as an AV Technician. In his spare time, he works as a Music Producer and books live shows with an organization called Today's Future Sound, based out of Oakland, California. 

Kevin.Burnett@creatvsj.org

Kevin started with Public Access television in 2011, when he started volunteering at the Midpen Media Center in Palo Alto, filling various different crew positions for TV studio productions.  In 2016, he was hired by the Media Center to be a City Hall Video Operator, covering government meetings for the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. In 2022, Kevin was also hired by CreaTV to be a Government Meeting Crew member.  In his spare time, he likes to read Marvel comics and watch movies.

Rigel.Brooks@creatvsj.org

Russell.Cordell@creatvsj.org

Gary.Dugas@creatvsj.org