Our Staff
SIMON KILMURRY
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Simon served as chief operating officer of American Documentary for six years before assuming the role of executive director in Fall 2006. Since joining AmDoc in 1999, he has played a key role in helping to set strategic direction for the organization and implementing new initiatives, including the Diverse Voices Project, POV's co-production initiative in support of emerging filmmakers; POV's Borders, PBS' Webby Award-winning online series; and True Lives, a second-run series for independent documentaries on public television. In addition, he worked to secure pioneering partnerships with both Netflix and Docurama to expand the distribution opportunities for POV filmmakers and enhance branding for POV Previously, Simon was associate director at Teachers & Writers Collaborative, a nonprofit literary arts and education organization and publisher, where he is now a member of the board of directors. He has also served as a board member and treasurer for Elders Share the Arts and East Harlem Block Schools, and as an informal advisor and funding panel member for other organizations including the New York City Center for Arts Education, the Association for Independent Video and Filmmakers and New York State Council on the Arts. Simon attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Columbia University Business School's Institute for Not-for-Profit Management.
CYNTHIA LÓPEZ
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT / CO - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Cynthia López is the executive vice president/co-executive producer of the award-winning POV documentary series. López is responsible for all aspects of the organization's development including programming, broadcast distribution, community engagement, communications and marketing, online initiatives and overall strategic growth of the organization.
Under her leadership as communications director, national media coverage of POV programs more than tripled and she has forged strategic partnerships with Harpo Studios, Netflix, ABC News' Nightline, WNYC (New York Public Radio), Pentagram, Inc., the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) andMs. Magazine, among many others. The promotional campaign López spearheaded for the POV film, Farmingville, won the prestigious EPPSilon Award.
Before joining POV, López spent four years at Libraries for the Future as advocacy director, developing innovative strategies to serve some of the nation's poorest libraries. Her previous experience in public media includes stints as acting executive director of Deep Dish TV Network and executive producer of Satellite University Network. Her production credits include serving as executive producer on "Beyond the Browning of America" (PBS) hosted by Maria Hinojosa and as senior producer for "The Quincentenary," a Television Espanola, Canal+ and BBC co-production.
López is the founding chair of the board of directors and a trustee of NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and is on the advisory committee of REEL New York (THIRTEEN/WNET.ORG). She has been a media advisor for the Heinz Awards, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting, Rockefeller Fellowships, Independent Television Service (ITVS), Americans for the Arts, the Banff Centre in Canada and AIVF (Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers). She has been an invited speaker at a variety of venues including Medimed (Spain), Prague Eastern European International Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs (Canada), Silverdocs, Independent Feature Project, Hofstra University, White House Conference on Libraries, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, United Nations Women's Conference, Channels for Change (Scotland) Center for Democratic Communications (South Africa) and the international media alliance Videazimut (Peru), among others.
WEB PRODUCER, POV DIGITAL
Shannon is a Web Producer in POV's Digital Department, where she creates and maintains the front end of POV's digital properties, including web-based applications, documentary companion site features, and special projects. She is a 2012-2013 Collaborative Fellow at UnionDocs, a center for documentary art. Prior to joining POV in January 2013, she worked on documentary projects that promoted community engagement, cross-cultural understanding and human rights advocacy. She has worked at Documentary Educational Resources and interned at American Experience/ Frontline at WGBH. Carroll holds a bachelor's degree from Tufts University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
COORDINATING PRODUCER
Andrew Catauro is the Coordinating Producer of POV. Since joining the series in 2008, he has served on editorial panels and presented at festivals and conferences including the Sundance Film Festival, Doc/It in Trento, Italy, and the Asian Documentary Forum in Kolkata, India; as well as juries for the Brooklyn Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and East Silver Market in Jihlava, Czech Republic. His studies in Italian Cinema earned him the Immersion Award from the Milan International Film Festival. Andrew previously worked for the New York AIDS Film Festival and assisted Alexandra Kerry on documentary films in development. He holds a dual bachelor's degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University.
BETTY CORDERO
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Betty was the operations manager at the Kingsbridge Women's Assessment Center in the Bronx for over five years. In 2000, she was hired as POV's office manager, and she has since expanded her role. As a member of the administrative team of AmDoc, Betty manages the organization's financial activities, administers employee benefits and oversees all aspects of AmDoc's operations. In addition, she coordinates POV's annual mailings and special events.
JENNIFER DAVIS
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Jennifer coordinates fundraising activities and provides general assistance to POV's development department. Before joining POV, she worked in communications, fundraising and program development for organizations in diverse international contexts, including China, Laos, Mexico, Taiwan and Turkey. She graduated from Scripps College with a dual bachelor?s degree in Political Science and Cultural Studies. She recently completed her Master of International Affairs at Columbia University.
JAMIE DOBIE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION MANAGER
Prior to joining POV in 2010, Jamie worked at Northwestern University's satellite campus in Doha, Qatar where she was part of the team tasked with setting up the school's film and journalism programs in the Middle East. She has worked in various capacities on many documentary film crews around the world, including productions in West Africa, and has worked closely with acclaimed filmmaker Margaret Brown. Jamie has also previously worked in the exhibition department at the Field Museum of Natural History and the education and cinema programming departments at the Block Museum of Art. She holds a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in Radio/TV/Film and African Studies.
CATHY FISHER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS
Cathy is responsible for publicizing POV's programs and initiatives to media and consumers. She joined POV in 2003 after five years as manager of program press relations at PBS. Previously, she served as public relations director at Bravo and the Independent Film Channel; Group W Satellite Communications, where she managed PR for TNN: The Nashville Network; Westwood One Radio Networks; and D.L. Blackman, where she promoted classical music artists and IMAX movies. She was also the manager of press, advertising and promotion for NBC and ABC Radio.
YANCE FORD
SERIES PRODUCER
Yance works closely with POV's executive director and programming director to evaluate films submitted to POV She is instrumental in curating the series, a showcase of acclaimed documentary film on PBS. Yance frequently represents POV | American Documentary at conferences, festivals and markets, procuring work from filmmakers both nationally and internationally. Yance also oversees POV's annual call for entries, which yields upwards of one thousand entries, and coordinates POV's annual programming advisory board. Yance is a Programming Consultant and Pre- Screener for film festivals around the country, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the Black Maria Film Festival, the Newport International Film Festival, Latino Public Broadcasting, Creative Capital and the Sundance Film Festival. She has served on festival juries at Full Frame and Silverdocs, appeared on panels at Sunny Side of the Doc and DocuClub and served on the IFP Advisory Committee. A graduate of Hamilton College and the production workshop at Third World Newsreel, Yance is a former Production Stage Manager for the Girls Choir of Harlem and has worked as a Production Manager on numerous independent productions for the Discovery Health and History channels. Ford has also worked in various capacities on the documentaries The Favorite Poem Project, Juanita Anderson, Executive Producer, Brian Lanker's They Drew Fire (PBS), and Barry Levinson's Yesterday's Tomorrows (Showtime).
AUBREY GALLEGOS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Aubrey started at POV as an intern in 2011, and worked briefly as Special Events Coordinator before moving into a full time position as Community Engagement and Education Coordinator. Prior to joining POV, she spent three years as an environmental educator and deckhand aboard wooden sailing ships, including the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, which was co-founded by Pete Seeger. She has also worked as an Event Manager for UnionDocs, a documentary art space in Brooklyn, and served as a Production Assistant on a number of independent film and theater productions. Aubrey graduated from Whitman College with bachelor's degree in Rhetoric and Film Studies.
SEAN HOLMQUEST
PRODUCER, POV DIGITAL
Sean Holmquest started as an intern with POV in 2009, before coming on-board as a staff member in 2010. In his current position, he manages online video content, produces companion features for the POV film websites, and implements social media strategies. Prior to joining POV in 2010, he freelanced as a film editor and writer, in addition to working as an assistant for an independent music artist. He has written and directed several short, experimental films, and holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University in Literary Arts.
ELIZA LICHT
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION
Eliza oversees the development and implementation of POV's national community engagement and education campaigns. She works with public television stations, educators, and community-based organizations to present community screenings of POV films and to develop and distribute accompanying educational resource materials to teachers nationwide. Over the years, she has expanded POV's community engagement activities by nearly 400% and increased POV's educational efforts by over 80%. To further develop these areas, Eliza established a Library Board and a Teachers' Advisory Board, which provide feedback on activities and help produce POV's companion resource materials. Before joining POV in 2001, she traveled extensively in Spain and Mexico, teaching English as a foreign language. Eliza is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University.
DAVID NANASI
CONSULTANT, OPERATIONS
David has worked on the POV website, since its infancy, helping to develop and improve it as well as producing special features. David also oversees and administers POV's internal computer network, maintaining hardware and software for the POV staff. Prior to joining POV, David, served on the staff of CyberEd, an 18-wheeler Internet classroom that toured nationwide. Since 1997, David has worked independently as a computer consultant, specializing in systems, networks and Web design and construction.
AMANDA NGUYEN
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Amanda is responsible for administering and coordinating all internal and external company branding, marketing and communications initiatives. Previously, Amanda worked in POV's community engagement and education department, where she first began as an intern in 2006 and then became staff in 2007. As community engagement and education coordinator, she organized over 500 events in partnership with high schools, colleges, museums, libraries and community based organizations across the country. Amanda graduated from Evergreen State College in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in media studies and community development.
ADNAAN WASEY
DIRECTOR, POV DIGITAL
Adnaan heads POV Digital, the Webby Award-winning interactive department of the acclaimed PBS documentary series POV. Prior to joining POV, Adnaan was an online editor and manager with PBS NewsHour, PRI/WNYC's The Takeaway and the local news organization DNAinfo. His digital media company Science Bistro produces Festology, a website builder for events, conferences and festivals, and other social apps. And, before technology was cool again, he co-directed the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and directed the short film festival Light Plays Tricks.
CHRIS WHITE
VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCTION
Chris and his team work closely with the executive director in the areas of programming, production and PBS station relations. Previously, he worked as associate producer and production office manager on the documentary Blue Vinyl (HBO, 2002). Chris spent a number of years as vice president of sales and acquisitions at Angelika Films International, and at BNN-TV in New York as associate producer on projects for the History Channel and the Smithsonian Museum. He also produced the children's program An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance for the Museo Italo-Americano in San Francisco.
CHI-HUI YANG
PROGRAMMING CONSULTANT
Chi-hui Yang is a film programmer, lecturer and writer based in New York. As a guest curator, Yang has presented film and video series at film festivals and events internationally, including the MOMA Documentary Fortnight, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar ("The Age of Migration"), Seattle International Film Festival, Washington D.C. International Film Festival and Barcelona Asian Film Festival. From 2000-2010 he was the Director and Programmer of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the largest showcase of its kind in the US. Yang is also the programmer of "Cinema Asian America," a new On-Demand service offered by Comcast and currently a Visiting Scholar at New York University's Asian/Pacific/American Institute..
