ARTICLE: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces New Board of Directors, Replacing Board of Trustees

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) recently announced that it will replace its longstanding Board of Trustees with a new Board of Directors. The news follows a multi-year restructuring of the Academy’s bylaws and governance to be more representative of the industry communities it serves.

The first class of Board members will initially serve terms of one, two, or three years each. Adam Sharp remains President & CEO, and Terry O’Reilly remains Chair.

The organization that oversees the Daytime Emmy Awards noted that a national membership model organized around peer groups will elect future Directors to full three-year terms. 

The initial Board includes (listed alphabetically):

• Eva Basler
• Phillip Bell 
• Bob Boden 
• Jared Bowen
• David Burt, First Vice Chair 
• Joan Cartan-Hansen
• André Hepkins
• Jeremy Hubbard 
• Martha Kattan
• Ronit Larone 
• Julie Lucas, Secretary 
• Theresa Maher Johnson, Treasurer
• Michelle McHugh
• Terry O’Reilly, Chair 
• Amy Schmelzer 
• Adam Sharp, President & CEO 
• Jeremiah Slovarp 
• David Solomon 
• Barbara Williams Perry, Second Vice-Chair.

NATAS recently announced the winners of “The 75th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards,” which will take place in partnership with the NAB New York media & technology convention in October. The organization is gearing up for “The 45th Annual Sports Emmy Awards” in New York in the spring, followed by “The 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” in Los Angeles. Details on the awards ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks. “The 45th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards” are open for submissions and will be presented in New York in September.

More information about the NATAS executive committee, board members and NATAS itself can be found below.

About the NATAS Executive Committee

Terry O’Reilly, Chair

O’Reilly is President and Chief Executive Officer for Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, operator of public radio stations 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP, and has served in this position for more than seven years. In 2023, O’Reilly marked his 50th year in broadcasting. He has served in positions in the US and abroad, in journalism, programming, production and executive leadership, with companies that include ABC News, The Weather Channel, Twin Cities Public Television and Westinghouse Broadcasting Company.  In addition to his role as CEO of Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting, he serves as Chairman of NATAS. He is a multiple Emmy Award winner himself, having been honored more than two dozen times by the Academy over the course of his career. 

David Burt, First Vice Chair 

Burt is Station Manager for Boston City TV and Boston Kids and Family TV in Boston, Massachusetts. He produced and directed award-winning and Emmy®-nominated programs, including About Health with Jeanne Blake, Commissioners Corner, Mayor’s Game of the Week, Read TV and Seniors Count. In his 25+ years with the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), Burt has served as Chapter President and National Trustee, Chair of the Chapter’s Education Committee, National Student Television Coordinator, 2nd Vice President and Awards Chairman. In his role, Burt helps manage the coveted Emmy® Awards for Daytime, Sports, News & Documentary, Technology & Engineering and the Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards.

Barbara Williams Perry, Second Vice Chair

Williams Perry worked at WTTW-TV, Chicago’s PBS station, on the news and public affairs team, producing programs on topics of local and national importance. She served as President of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, from 2005 to 2010. She established new scholarships and started a Silver Circle Awards ceremony in Milwaukee, WI, honoring television professionals who have worked in the industry for more than 25 years. As a Governor of the Chapter, Williams Perry chaired the Silver Circle Production Committee, and has written several regional Emmy productions. Williams Perry was a Trustee on the board from 2006 to 2016 and worked with leaders of NATAS chapters in creating the Presidents’ Council of NATAS. She first served on the Executive Committee as the Representative of the Presidents’ Council.

Julie Lucas, Secretary 

Lucas is the national secretary for NATAS. She was senior director of marketing for Metropolitan State University of Denver, directing special projects, university communications and establishment of a brand journalism initiative, whose videos were nominated for a Regional Emmy Award.

Theresa Maher Johnson, Treasurer

Johnson is the Vice President of Creative and Partner Services for Recruiting.com and joined the organization in 2005. She has spent much of her career developing employment and job seeker-related content for media outlets across the country. Johnson currently oversees the delivery of the latest recruitment technology and video services designed to help organizations strengthen their employment brand and more effectively attract the right candidates. She is focused on all aspects of employment marketing execution, from brand strategy and recruitment video to copywriting and design. In addition, she manages Strategic Partnerships and has spent much of her career providing various community partners and media outlets with information on the topics of recruitment, employment and job seeker issues.

Phillip Bell, At-Large Executive Committee Member

Bell’s career in the television industry has included a variety of assignments as a news anchor, reporter, producer and manager for major network affiliates in Tennessee, Florida, Illinois and Iowa. He is past president of NATAS Nashville/Midsouth. As National Trustee, he was elected to the Nominating Committee in 2001, appointed to the Constitutional Review Committee, elected to the National Awards Committee for 2006-08, and appointed to the National Rules Committee in 2011.

Adam Sharp, President & CEO

Sharp currently serves as the President and CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, overseeing the annual presentation of the coveted Emmy® Awards for Children’s & Family, Daytime, Sports, and News & Documentary television, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering. From 2010 through 2016, Sharp was Head of News, Government and Elections at Twitter. He has also held leadership roles at NBC News and C-SPAN, is currently a board member of the National Press Foundation, and is a former President of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Press Secretaries Association.

About the NATAS Board

Eva Basler

Basler is Vice President of Communications and Talent Relations in charge of publicity, marketing, social media, talent relations, and special events for Bell-Phillip TV Prods—Inc., which produces the world’s most-watched daytime drama, The Bold and the Beautiful. Basler is dedicated to the advancement and success of all aspects of television. An active member of the Television Academy since 2000, she is currently the Governor of Daytime Programming. For NATAS, she represents the Daytime Dramatic Programming community on the National Awards Committee. 

Bob Boden

Boden’s career in all forms of non-fiction and unscripted/alternative TV programming has included senior management and production functions for a variety of television studios, networks, and production companies. He is frequently acknowledged as an industry leader in the game and reality genres. Boden served the Television Academy as Governor of the Reality Programming and Daytime Peer Groups for 13 years, in addition to one year on the Executive Committee. He has served on many committees for the TV Academy, including Membership, Activities, Bylaws, Diversity, Creative Arts, and Anti-Proliferation. He currently is a member of the National Awards Committee for NATAS, representing the Daytime Non-Dramatic Programming community. 

Jared Bowen

Bowen is the host of the daily radio program The Culture Show on 89.7 GBH and is also the Emmy Award-winning Executive Arts Editor at GBH exploring the creative process through a lively mix of local and national artist profiles, performances and exhibitions. Jared is a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour covers the latest happenings in the region’s theater, art, music, dance and film scenes on GBH’s MorningEdition and Boston Public Radio. He is also the moderator of the Boston Speakers Series at Symphony Hall facilitating conversations with everyone from world leaders to Oscar-winning actors. 

Joan Cartan-Hansen

Cartan-Hansen produces for Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience. Her nationally oriented documentaries have aired on the BBC and PBS, and she occasionally reports for The PBS Newshour.  Her longest-lasting effort is as the creator/producer/host of Science Trek (sciencetrek.org). This digital-first project teaches science to elementary age students and provides support for educators and parents. The site has more than 100 topics and covers the Next Generation standards for elementary age children. Cartan-Hansen is a past president and trustee of the NATAS Northwest Chapters and past president and current treasurer for the Idaho Press Club. 

André Hepkins

Hepkins co-anchors WBAL-TV 11 News at 6:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. with Deborah Weiner. Hepkins anchoring of the Capital Gazette mass shooting and the death of Congressman Elijah Cummings contributed to the station respectively winning Emmy awards in 2019 and 2020. While at KMOV-TV in St. Louis, he earned three Emmy nominations for his reporting and writing. 

Jeremy Hubbard

Hubbard is an evening news anchor at KDVR-TV in Denver. He’s also a former ABC News anchor and correspondent, anchoring the network’s national early morning newscasts World News Now and America This Morning. He also reported for Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer and Nightline, traveling across the country and overseas to cover breaking news, severe weather, the economy and politics for the network. In addition to his work with NATAS, he serves on the board of directors of Shimmering Wings, a non-profit that sends grieving children to Camp Erin Denver, a summer grief camp to help cope with the loss of a parent, sibling or other close family member. He also travels the world with The Greatest Generations Foundation, a veterans charity that returns World War II and Vietnam heroes to the battlefields where they served, from the Pacific Islands to Asia and Europe.

Martha Kattan

Kattan is an accomplished broadcasting executive who has led KXLN-DT Noticias Univision 45, the No. 1-rated Houston news operation, for the past 13 years. She is the recipient of many awards, including 12 Regional Lone Star Emmy Awards and received DEA’s (Drug Enforcement Administration) recognition for Community Service. In 2002, Kattan joined the newly formed Lone Star Emmy Chapter and was named to the Board of Governors as a representative of Spanish-speaking media for the state of Texas. In 2017, she was inducted into the NATAS Silver Circle in recognition of more than 25 years of exceptional contributions in the broadcast industry. 

Ronit Larone

As Vice President, Executive Producer for the National Football League, Larone leads production of NFL original Content Marketing and is responsible for NFL Marketing integration across NFL Media’s live network programming. A nine-time Emmy Award winner, Larone’s previous roles with the NFL include: Executive Producer of ‘NFL 100’ content strategy & production and Senior Coordinating Producer of NFL Network Studio Production. She also represents the Sports television community on the National Awards Committee.

Michelle McHugh

McHugh serves as the Program Director for Drexel University’s Television & Media Management Graduate Program, embodying a rich dual career trajectory that encompasses profound expertise in both the television industry and the realm of multiplatform communication strategy. She has received a prestigious Regional Emmy® Award, acknowledging her exceptional coverage of the impact of crime in Philadelphia on the city’s youth and families and is a six-time regional Emmy® nominee, 

Amy Schmelzer

Schmelzer serves as the KCCI’s News Operations Manager in Des Moines and has garnered six Regional Emmys. She also serves as a Regional Vice-President for the Upper Midwest NATAS Chapter and maintains a connection to the future of the industry by sitting on the national advisory council for the Drake University School of Journalism & Mass Communication.

Jeremiah Slovarp

Slovarp started Jereco Studios in 2010, designing his first commercial recording facility in Bozeman, Montana. He currently leads an event production team, entertainment system designers, and AV technicians at Jereco Studios.  He is responsible for producing and engineering Post Production Sound, Live Sound, Music Recording, and Location Sound for shows and events both nationally and regionally. Slovarp Jeremiah earned his first Emmy Award for Audio for his work on the 11th & Grant TV series.

Jessica Snyder

Snyder is the Director, Web Systems for WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital, and has over 20 years of experience in building and producing websites on a variety of informational and educational topics for both local and national audiences. She is active on the regional board in the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter. 

David Solomon

Solomon joined WQED, the PBS station co-founded by Fred Rogers, in 2000. He held various positions through the years and oversaw content that included documentaries, series, specials, and multiplatform projects. He led the launch of WQED’s award-winning digital content division. Solomon also serves on NATAS’ National Awards Committee. At the regional level, he has served in various roles for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter including Trustee, President, and Awards Chair.

About The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy Awards for News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime and Children’s & Family programming, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering. NATAS membership consists of more than 18,000 broadcast and media professionals represented in 19 regional chapters across the country. Beyond awards, NATAS has extensive educational programs, including regional student television and its Student Award for Excellence and the National Student Production Awards for outstanding journalistic work by high school students, as well as scholarships, publications, and major activities for both industry professionals and the viewing public.

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