How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What are your responsibilities in your current role and what do you love most about your job?
I currently serve as Senior Director of Media Programming & Development for the Kansas City Chiefs, while also leading studio and development for Foolish Club Studios. My role spans creative strategy, content development, and identifying stories worth telling, bringing together the right creative partners, and helping guide projects from script to screen.
What I love most is the development process. There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking an idea that starts as a simple conversation and watching it become something that connects with audiences. No two days are the same, and I get to work with incredibly talented people who challenge me to think bigger and push creative boundaries.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
I’ve always been fascinated by the power of storytelling and its ability to connect people from completely different backgrounds and experiences.
I studied broadcast journalism because I was naturally curious about people and their stories. Over time, that curiosity evolved into a passion for producing and developing film and television. I realized I didn’t just want to tell stories—I wanted to help create the opportunities for great stories to be told.
My career has taken me through different corners of the industry, but that curiosity has always been the common thread.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Starting as a production assistant at ESPN taught me early on that storytelling is a team sport. No matter how great an idea is, it takes talented people across many disciplines to bring it to life. Those early experiences also taught me the importance of being resourceful, asking questions, and never thinking you’re above any task. Some of the most valuable lessons in this business come from being willing to roll up your sleeves and learn from the people around you.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
For me, excellence starts with people and purpose.
People – Who is the audience?
Purpose – What is the message of this story?
You can have beautiful cinematography, incredible production value, and all the resources in the world, but if the story doesn’t connect with the audience, something is missing. I look for originality, intentionality, and emotional impact. Does the work have a clear point of view? Is every creative choice serving the story? And perhaps most importantly, does it make you feel something? The best work stays with you long after you’ve finished watching it.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
One of the most exciting parts of my role right now is helping shape the future of Foolish Club Studios as we continue to develop our slate of film and television projects. Along with my leadership team – Mark Donovan and Lara Krug – we take a lot of pride in being the first entertainment studio launched by an NFL team. We’ve had the opportunity to bring projects like The Kingdom to audiences, and now we’re focused on building what’s next, including original scripted and unscripted storytelling. I’m particularly excited about finding stories that have a strong sense of place and identity but carry universal themes.
Tell us about a moment of recognition that had an effect on you – whether personal or official? What does recognition mean to you and why is it important in our industry?
One of the most meaningful moments in my career was seeing our work on World’s Largest Tailgate recognized with a Producers Guild of America Innovation Award nomination.
What made that recognition particularly special was that we set out to challenge what sports entertainment could look like, bringing together live production, storytelling, and fan engagement in a new way. To have that creative ambition recognized by our peers was incredibly rewarding. For me, recognition isn’t just about celebrating the finished product. It’s about acknowledging the people, collaboration, and willingness to take creative risks that make innovation possible. Our industry is constantly evolving, and I believe recognition plays an important role in encouraging creators to push boundaries, challenge conventions, and continue finding new ways to tell stories.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I find that some of my best ideas come when I step away from my desk. I love watching films, exploring different creative disciplines, and finding inspiration in places that have nothing to do with the project I’m working on. I’m also a big believer in conversation. Sometimes one unexpected question or a different perspective can completely change how you approach an idea.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing is the growing influence of social and digital creators in shaping the entertainment industry. They’re no longer just helping promote projects as marketing channels; they’re influencing what gets made and how stories are told. What’s particularly interesting is the relationship creators have with their audiences. They’re in constant conversation with their communities, understand what resonates, and have built a level of trust and engagement that’s incredibly valuable.
As producers and storytellers, I believe this is something we should embrace rather than compete with. There’s an incredible opportunity to collaborate, learn from their instincts, and combine the strengths of traditional storytelling with the innovation and audience understanding that creators bring to the table. At the end of the day, great storytelling is still great storytelling. What’s evolving is who gets to tell those stories and how we connect them with audiences.
What excites you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I’m excited to discover new voices and celebrate the incredible creativity happening across our industry. What I appreciate about the Telly Awards is that they recognize excellence across so many different formats and disciplines. Great storytelling isn’t limited to one platform, production budget, or type of creator.
