BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK MEDIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Community Media Production & Distribution Manager
- Technician, Writer, and Producer
Ashley is an experienced Studio Technician, Writer, and Producer. Driven by the creative atmosphere of Boston, she takes pride in drawing out new and engaging ideas from community members. As a producer, she aims to write and produce a TV/Web and comic series. For over seven years, Ashley has been a noteworthy Boston Neighborhood Network team member. She currently serves as the Community Media Production & Distribution Manager.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Engineer & Radio Engineer
- Assistant Engineer to Dennis Dutra
- Radio Manager & Assistant Engineer
- Radio Manger & Assistant Engineer
Brett Rodrigues is Assistant Engineer to Dennis Dutra and implements system design, maintenance, repairs & upgrades. He is also Radio Engineer for WBCA-LP 102.9FM for which he produces, edits, programs and technically maintains. He also teaches Radio Production classes at BNN. Brett has been BNN Staff for over 9 years.
Born and raised in Southeastern MA, Brett received his BA in Music & Sound Recording from University of New Haven. He is a fluent musician and studio/live audio connoisseur who loves all music and art, priding oneself in his ever-growing technical & musical capabilities and the endless legacy of erudition. He loves Hockey, dogs, literature and all of our wonderful hardworking BNN & WBCA community producers that make our channels great.
Job Titles:
- Media Center
- Media Center / Timothy Smith Network Media Lab
BNN named it's new home in memory of Charles J. Beard II, who passed away in March 2004.
Attorney Charles Beard was a pioneer in the legal field of cable television regulation and the first African American to be named partner in a major Boston law firm. In the early ‘80s, Charlie was part of a group of people brought together by Mayor Kevin White to write a contract for the City of Boston and their first cable television provider. He was a founding BNN member, a long-term member of the Board of Directors and acted as an advisor until his death.
Job Titles:
- Chief Engineer
- Member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers
Dennis Dutra oversees all technical aspects of BNN including system design, maintenance, repairs, upgrades and technical planning. He has been providing engineering services to BNN for over 18 years.
Born and raised in the Boston area, he has over 30 years in the professional and broadcast video industry. Employed at Comcast Cable for 18 years, he left to start Dutra Video Systems, a video and audio design and installation company serving the educational, access, corporate and broadcast television industry.
Dennis is a current member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Professional achievements include an FCC second-class license, SBE Broadcast Television Engineers Certification and various manufacturer certifications (Sony, JVC, Motorola, etc).
Faith Imafidon is a proud Boston native and first-generation Nigerian. Having grown up in Dorchester and Hyde Park, Faith has insider knowledge of the best local bakeries and steak and cheese sub-spots. Faith received her MFA and BA in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University. While at Harvard, she wrote for the Harvard Crimson Arts section, served as an Editorial Assistant for Transition Magazine at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, and led BlackCAST (Black Community and Student Theatre) as a producer, director, and Co-President.
A lover and supporter of the arts, Faith's career began with the former Wang Center for the Performing Arts in its educational outreach program, Suskind Young At Arts. Since then, she has worked with other media and art institutions such as WCVB-TV Channel 5, Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, and STAR Education as a Theatre Arts Teacher for K-12 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Faith is the News Director at Boston Neighborhood Network Media and a 2022 New England First Amendment Institute Journalism Fellow.
Janice joined BNN in 2006 after more than 20 years at Cablevision and Comcast working in Governmental Compliance and Executive Customer Care. Janice is a Hyde Park resident, mother of three and grandmother of one.
Job Titles:
- President of the BNN Board of Directors
- President of the Board of Directors
Justin A. Petty holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music and a Master of Science in Broadcast Administration and Television Management from Boston University. He is the youngest and first Tenured Professor of Broadcast Media Technology at Roxbury Community College, where he chairs the Department of Technology. Mr. Petty resides in Roxbury, MA.
Job Titles:
- Studio Technician & News Production Director
Katie is the Studio Technician for both of BNN's television studios. She initially came to BNN as a radio intern in 2019, and while being, there found a love for television production. After completing her B.S. in Media and Communications and working for Salem State University's college radio for four years, she knew she needed to stay in non-commercial media. Katie has a passion for uplifting the community and strongly advocates media literacy. She also loves all animals and is a huge music nerd.
Job Titles:
- Administration / Finance & Compliance Manager
Michael Foley is a seasoned professional with over twenty years experience in financial operations. He has taken the responsibility and ownership for the fiscal resources of organizations as diverse in size from $20 million to $14 billion.
Michael began his career at the Massachusetts Department of Welfare working with Cuban refugees. He then moved into the finance world gaining experience in a number of financial capacities in the public sector on the local, county and state levels. He served as Director of Project Finance for the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project and as the Director of Finance at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.
Michael has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Masters in Public Administration degree from Suffolk University.
During his spare time, Michael enjoys playing tennis, windsurfing and reading on the beach in Ogunquit Maine.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Membership Manager
- Membership & Marketing Manager
Monique Douglas came to BNN in 2004 from the Boston independent film community. At BNN, she has worked as a Media Lab Assistant, an Equipment Coordinator, and the Multimedia and Youth Coordinator. As one of the youth coordinators, she teaches high school students media production and their work has won the PEG Access "Hometown Video Awards" and an "EMMY" nomination. Ms. Douglas is also the instructor of the Field Production and editing classes. Monique hails from Jamaica and lives in Dorchester, MA.
Job Titles:
- Associate Producer - News
- Associate Producer for Boston Neighborhood Network News
- News Producer & Assistant News Director
Natalie Candler is the Associate Producer for Boston Neighborhood Network News. She is a 2020 graduate of Curry College, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and television production. Originally from Connecticut, she has spent the last 6 years in Boston, residing all over the city throughout this time. Natalie has always had a passion for writing, producing, and content creation. She lives with her partner in East Boston and shares a tabby cat named Tuna
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Peter was appointed to the Board in 2021. He is a video professional with 25+ years of experience and technical expertise in video and photography production. He is skilled at pre-production, including scripting, storyboarding, and creating budgets to meet client needs. Peter is experienced in all elements of production, including shooting, audio, lighting, and set design. His post-production expertise includes editing, compositing, graphic animation, color grading, encoding and broadcasting. Peter is a community leader with project management experience coordinating logistics for large-scale events. He speaks five languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch and Papiamento. Peter is a Jamaica Plain resident and speaks five languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch and Papiamento.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Vice President
- Vice President of the Board of Directors
Reggie Lofton holds an Associate Degree in Video Services from Berklee College of Music. Mr. Lofton has devoted the last 35 years to making a positive impact on the Berklee College community moving up in the ranks at Berklee, where he is currently serving as the Director of Video Services. Mr. Lofton currently resides in Framingham, MA with his family. Mr. Lofton joined the board in 2017.
Rich Rosenthal joined BNN-TV back in the early 90's because he enjoyed visually interpreting events and wanted to explore the television medium. During his time at BNN, Rosenthal learned about camera, editing and composition and has been out in the field ever since - enjoying the craft.
Job Titles:
- Mobile Production Unit & Distribution Manager
Shavarsh Morrissey is an alum of Art institute of Boston and Connecticut school of broadcasting and has over 15 years of experience as a director, producer, videographer, and editor. A longtime access member, PEG has contributed to and supported his creative talents. Through this community, he has learned the production skills necessary to create compelling television and to be employed in this medium. It's these skills he now utilizes to help members produce their content.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the BNN Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Susan O'Connor, the former Executive Director of the Timothy Smith Network (TSN), has over 25 years of banking experience, working for BankBoston and City-Corp in New York. Over the past 12 years, Ms. O'Connor and TSN have generously supported BNN with computers and hardware for BNN's media lab. She owns a consulting company, O'Connor & Crew. Ms. O'Connor resides in North Easton, MA.
Thato Mwosa, an award-winning filmmaker and multifaceted artist, currently teaches television production at Brookline High School. She owns Tuli Art. Ms. Mwosa joined the Board in 2012 and now resides with her family in Milton, MA.