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Eric Flagg left a successful career as an environmental scientist to pursue an interest that he thought could significantly impact the world — documentary filmmaking. Moonlighting as a college digital film instructor, Flagg makes films with a focus on environmental issues, American history and off-beat characters. Gimme Green (Mountainfilm 2007), a graduate school film project made with fellow student Isaac Brown, studies America’s obsession with its largest irrigated crop: lawns. Terra Blight (Mountainfilm 2012), also made with Brown, looks at the environmental component that accompanies our gargantuan appetite for computers.
Eric Flagg
Filmmaker
Mr. Frazier born in 1950 is a Jacksonville native, his participation in the Civil Rights Movement began as an adolescent marching with his mother in civil rights demonstrations in downtown
Jacksonville during segregation.
In 1979 Mr. Frazier became the first African American to anchor a major television newscast in
Jacksonville, Eyewitness News at Noon.
Mr. Frazier is an Emmy award winning journalist and the recipient of more that 200 awards for journalistic excellence and community service such as NAACP's “Rutledge Pearson Civil
Rights Award”, Jacksonville Image Award “Trailblazer Category” and Folio’s “Best Community Activist”.
In the past year he achieved international prominence when he was invited to Geneva,
Switzerland and addressed the United Nations: Committee To Eliminate Racial Discrimination.
Mr. Frazier spoke on social injustice and human rights here in Florida.
In 2017 Mr. Frazier founded The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville Inc, a non-profit, civil rights organization . With its Mission: “To stand up and speak out against any and all forms of all forms of social, racial and economic injustice.
Ben Frazier
Northside Coalition of Jacksonville
Check back soon to learn more about Michael Lang.
Michael Lang
Director of Communication, Hochshule Ansbach
Andrew W. Lehren is a senior editor on the NBC News investigations team. He has reported on the pandemic and economic relief efforts, and led work on five International Consortium of Investigative Journalists collaborations, including the Implant Files, China Files, and the FinCEN Files. His work on people injured by foul balls led Major League Baseball to extend protections at all its stadiums.
He previously spent almost 13 years as a reporter at The New York Times, working on a range of national, international, and investigative stories.
He was one of the newspaper’s lead reporters analyzing the WikiLeaks trove of diplomatic cables, Afghanistan and Iraq war logs, and Guantanamo detainee dossiers. Those stories were compiled into a bestselling book, Open Secrets.
He contributed to the Pulitzer Prize-winning series that examined substandard Chinese chemicals tainting U.S. pharmaceuticals.
He has also covered President Trump’s finances, the BP oil spill and other environmental disasters, Olympic sports, mining disasters, and abuses in railroad disability pensions. He contributed to the bestselling book Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard. Before joining The Times, he was an investigative producer at NBC News, covering 9/11 and terrorism.
Lehren’s investigative documentaries examined racially biased policing, defective automobiles, and how a major insurance company created an elaborate system to defraud its own customers.
He has won numerous awards, including a Polk, Peabody, two duPont-Columbia batons, two Gerald Loeb Awards, three Edward R. Murrow investigative Awards, Emmys, three Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards, two Overseas Press Club honors, and two Daniel Pearl Awards.
He is the director of investigative reporting for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where his students have twice won the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for best student investigation in the nation. He also teaches at the Columbia Journalism School.
While working for Investigative Reporters and Editors, he oversaw its computer-assisted reporting operation. He has written for Reuters, the Philadelphia Daily News, JazzTimes, and The National Law Journal.
He earned degrees from the University of Missouri and Lehigh University.
As a Pulitzer Center Rainforest Investigations Network Fellow, he has reported on how products by Tesla, Toyota, Adidas and others have contributed to the destruction of tropical rainforests.
Andrew Lehren
Rainforest Investigations Fellow, NBC News
Skyler graduated from Flagler College in 2020 with a bachelor's in Digital Media Production and Journalism. Relocating to Western Montana later that year, her experience has ranged from non-profit communications to media production with Montana PBS in the state's capitol. Stemming from a passion for empathetic storytelling and documentary production, she has dived in to civic-driven comms that have served rural communities in access to critical information.
Skyler Manley
PBS, Flagler grad
Director of Trusting News, Joy Mayer leads an organization that learns how people decide what news to trust and turns that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. They train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. In a continual cycle of research, learning and sharing with the industry, they explore how to incorporate trust-building into journalism’s standards and practices. Joy Mayer founded Trusting News in 2016 after a 20-year career in newsrooms and teaching. She spent 12 years at the Missouri School of Journalism, where she created an audience engagement curriculum and a community outreach team in the newsroom of the Columbia Missourian and also taught web design and print design.
Joy Mayer
Director of Trusting News
Dr. Moody is a professor of Communications Media at Fitchburg State University. A former program director, radio station manager and social media consultant for several businesses, Dr. Moody’s research interests include how video game fans and consumers are involved in the production and dissemination of fan and journalistic content, and also examines how media audiences are involved in the production and dissemination of new media content through field studies. His research also includes online communities of users and players of video games, new media design, social media applications, ethnography, cultural studies, and media production.
Dr. Moody received worldwide attention for his innovative class offering in Fall 2012. “Specialized Reporting and Writing: Video Games and Communication” was Iowa's first course that focused on the journalistic aspects of gaming and the game industry. The course worked with leading video game publication IGN, which provided unprecedented production assistance and input to assist student learning and enhance collegiate journalism practices. It has received extensive coverage outside of the academy, including news stories published by Jim Romenesko, Kotaku, and the University of Iowa’s own esteemed student newspaper The Daily Iowan.
Kyle Moody
Professor, Fitchburg State
Lorraine Portman is an award-winning Playwright, Screenwriter, and Filmmaker. She taught Playwriting and Screenwriting at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida for ten years. She holds a B.A. in Theater from Smith College and M.F.A. in Film from Florida State University. Lorraine also attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
Portman currently works as a Development Consultant for Samaco Films, an LA based production company known for "Guns, Girls and Gambling" and "Game of Aces."
She has directed seven short films and a feature. “Saving Sophie”, the feature, was based on one of her produced plays and as a film played 26 film festivals and won 9 awards. Her recent film, “Falling South,” has been programmed in 51 film festivals to date and won a number of awards. She directs plays as well as films. Lorraine has written a stack of spec scripts, and many have been optioned. She has also worked with other people to take their project from idea to screenplay, developing the story and writing the screenplay.
Lorraine Portman
Playwright, Screenwriter, Filmmaker
Tom Szaroleta has been a print journalist for more than 35 years, working at newspapers in South Carolina, Idaho and Florida. He's been with the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville since 2001. He's covered just about everything but sports and mostly writes entertainment stories these days.
Tom Szaroleta
Journalist, Florida Times-Union
Josh Wallace is a Senior Content Editor for the PGA TOUR focusing on creating video content for social media, YouTube, PGATOUR.com, and the PGA TOUR app. Josh, a Flagler alum, has been with the TOUR for 6 years and leads a team of four editors. He will be making his 4th trip to the Masters this April to edit video for their website and app.
Josh Wallace
Senior Content Producer, PGA TOUR
Matthew Wysocki is an Associate Professor at Flagler College where he is the Coordinator of Media Studies and Film Studies. His research frequently focuses on “deviance” and media and on textual analysis of video games, professional wrestling, and Film Noir. He is especially interested in “control” with regard to video games and their narratives and the nature of sex and romance options in video games. He is the co-editor of Rated M for Mature: Sex and Sexuality in Video Games and editor of CTRL-ALT-PLAY: Essays on Control in Video Games.
Matthew Wysocki
Professor, Flagler College
Meet our Speakers
Reports of its Death have been Greatly Exaggerated
Alumni Panel
A Storied Life: The Films of Russell Brownley
Rosemary Tutt's Legacy
Sandi Gehring
Professor, Flagler College
Session Moderator: Sandi Gehring began her communication and media career as reporter in Omaha, with an undergrad journalism degree from the University of Nebraska. Gehring went on to excel as a commercial television writer, producer and manager. Her storied media career path has taken her to CNN, NBC, CNBC Asia, The New York Times, and USA Today.
Among her professional accomplishments, Gehring is the winner of multiple Emmy Awards, launched CNBC Asia in Hong Kong and later worked as President/General Manager of multiple television stations. In a consulting role Mrs. Gehring has also provided strategic counsel and guidance to a variety of television stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C. and the Miami-based Telemundo network.
Gehring is the author of several books including Breaking Your Own News…How to turn any Media Coverage into Good Publicity (Publicity Press, 2011) and prior to grad school taught marketing and publicity in the Business Incubator program at the University of Central Florida.
An accomplished, experienced communication/media veteran with deep comprehension of learning styles applicable in multiple environments. Gehring began working as an Adjunct Professor in the Communications Department of Flagler College in the fall of 2017. She also graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with an M.A. in Communications in the fall of 2017.
Sandi Gehring’s goal as an adjunct professor is to create superior student engagement, knowledge, and learning that students will convert to successful collegiate and professional communication skills.
Justin Cousart
Host/Assistant Program Director, 95.1 WAPE "The Big Ape"
Justin Cousart is the Afternoon Drive Host and Assistant Program Director for Jacksonville’s #1 Hit Music station, 95.1 WAPE “The Big Ape”. Justin is about to hit his tenth year “on air” in Jacksonville with Cox Media Group this summer. On top of the title Justin’s duties include content creation, Interviews, hosting the “UpNextHour” on X106.5 (Jax), and 97X (Tampa), and hosting a night show on Power 100.1 in Athens Georgia. Justin graduated from Flagler College in 2013 where he hosted a college radio morning show each of his 4 years. Out of the studio you can catch Justin creating content for social media, and recording/prepping for his two podcasts (Noobie Brothers & Drive and Dish NBA).
Bob DeBlois
Integrated Sale Manager, Cox Media Group
Bob DeBlois is a New Business Development and TEAM Building Guru. He builds and organizes teams that solve business problems. Bob is a consensus-builder...he does not just lead within the company he serves but within the community where he lives. Bob specializes in developing on-line and non-spot revenue programs. He is an expert in recruiting, hiring and developing sales talent.
Bob got his start in sports radio in the Philadelphia, PA area. He has been with the Cox Media Group in Jacksonville since 2009 when he joined as General Sales Manager. In 2015 Bob was elevated to Director of Sales and since 2018 has been General Sales Manager
Bob is also active in the Jacksonville community serving as a Board Member of
JAXUSA Partnership for Regional Economic Development and as a Board of Trustee's Member of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Mary Friar
Traffic Director for Flagler Broadcasting, Flagler grad
As Traffic Director, Mary schedules the commercials, promos and public service announcements; working closely with the Sales team to make sure their clients get the best advertising possible. She is also responsible for inputting orders, client billing, and running the front desk. Being a smaller company, Mary also wears many hats, and pretty much does whatever needs to be done, including voicing spots, and helping with events/festivals. She has been with Flagler Broadcasting for almost 15 years now.
Mary graduated from Flagler College in 2003 with her BS in Communications. She was the Music Director for 88.5 and had her own radio show for 5 years. Mary also did many band interviews, getting IDs and drops for her show and the station.
Most of her free time is spent going to live shows!
Dan McCook
Station Manager, 88.5, WFCF, Flagler College Radio
Born on St. Simons Island, Georgia in 1960, Dan McCook began his broadcasting career working overnights at WMOG Radio in 1975. For almost two decades he worked at 6 broadcast radio stations as on-air talent, producing local news, in radio production, and sales. He has extensive audio production experience, has mixed countless live bands, and worked for a brief period at Saturday Night Live, assisting with setup and in-house P.A. Dan was hired by Flagler College in 1993 to build Flagler College Radio and as the station manager. In 2003 he was appointed project manager for the construction of a 200-foot broadcast tower which greatly increased the WFCF coverage area. He oversees daily station operations and has developed real world engagement programs that offer students experiential learning opportunities. In addition to his duties as station manager, he is a director in the Division of Marketing & Communication and has just completed his 29th year at Flagler College. He is also a Master Falconer.
Gary Spurgeon
Owner, Studio Podcast Suites
Gary is the owner of Jacksonville’s first professional podcast studios for rent called Studio Podcast Suites and he provides studio rental space AND recording, distribution, editing, voice over intro’s, podcast cover artwork, video and live streaming.
Gary is a long time veteran of radio, working as a corporate exec, vice pres. And then president in a variety of radio stations around the country. His radio career took him everywhere from Hershey, PA, and Erie IN. to Dallas, Houston, the Jersey Shore and Jacksonville.
Gary and his wife Julee have been married for 39 years and his hobbies include golf and magic.
Paige Chapman
Professor, Flagler College
Session moderator: Dr. Paige Chapman is an assistant professor in Communication at Flagler College since 2016, and she is the COM Department chair and the co-chair of Flagler's Institutional Review Board. She teaches classes in journalism and media studies. And her research interests include health communication and technology.
MC Bell
PGA Tours, Flagler grad
MC Bell is a Content Producer at PGA TOUR Entertainment. Going on her third year, MC specializes in creating branded content for TOUR content platforms as well as meet the content needs of our long-standing clients. Outside of her role, she also assists in leading a women’s leadership group called AWIL (Advancing Women in Leadership). Previously, she started her sports journalism career as a logger where she managed and organized all media captured for TOUR platforms. Outside of the PGA TOUR, MC is a podcast host of her own show called, The Athlete Angle which is a platform catered to former athletes who are transitioning into life after sports. MC graduated from Flagler with a BA in Journalism and Media Production, and minors is Spanish and Criminology. While at Flagler, MC was a member of the women’s soccer program and SAAC for 4 years.
Abby Bittner
Flagler grad
Abby Bittner studied Journalism and minored in Media Studies at Flagler. After graduating in May 2021, she became a cast member at Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom at Disney World through the Disney College Program. After wanting a job in her field, she found The Villages Daily Sun, a newspaper that caters to residents in and around The Villages, which is a retirement community. Since starting in February 2022, she has written under many beats, including human interest, travel, and outside areas. She has also worked with WVLG, the radio station in The Villages.
Chad Collins
Staff Writer at Dread Central, Flagler grad
Chad Collins is a writer and cultural critic based in Florida. Chad is a staff writer for Dread Central, and you can also find his work on SlashFilm, Gayly Dreadful, Council of Zoom, Rue Morgue, and others. He received his BA in Media Studies from Flagler College in 2017 and an MA in the University of Central Florida in 2019 where his emphasis was in interpersonal communication. Follow him on Twitter @ChadisCollins
Dezzy Jones
Multimedia Producer, Beige Cap Productions
Dezzy Jones is a creative producer based in Jacksonville Florida. Upon leaving college, she fulfilled roles as an in-house video editor, content specialist, and Multimedia Producer for various Florida-based companies. Dezzy is founder of Jacksonville based digital content marketing firm, Beige Cap Media, currently aiding 6 businesses across Florida and Georgia with their video, email Marketing, social media, and copywriting needs. Dezzy was a double communications major during her time at Flagler, earning degrees in Digital Media Production and Strategic Communication.
Lucas Scotch
COM/Marketing Coordinator for Continuing Ed, Flagler grad
As the Coordinator of Marketing and Communications for the Division of Continuing Education, Lucas serves as the link between it and the Division of Marketing and Communication. He creates the strategy and content for his division's marketing and communication efforts and ensures a successful college-wide brand experience for the programs outside the traditional four-year bachelor's degrees. Lucas uses his analytical background and creative thinking to provide insight and direction as the Division of Continuing Education continues to grow.
Lucas is also the founder and operator of Bodhi Communications, where his goal is to help business owners and non-profits traverse the ever-changing digital landscape. Although working with different-sized businesses, he loves working with small-business owners to help them grow their companies or organizations. Lucas specializes in building or updating websites, managing social media, and creating ad campaigns to generate more business and awareness.
Russell Brownley
In Memoriam
Russell Brownley’s love for filmmaking was the product of a fascination with character, story and global travel. It is through his own true experiences that Russell honed his craft and learned to make film subjects comfortable enough with his camera so that their experience became ours. This visually stunning and unique outlook on the world led Russell to balance a career between professional commercial clients (including Nike, Google, Timberland, Reef, World Vision, Patron, Redbull, etc) and his own passionate documentary projects.
Through the lens of his camera Russell gave us an intimate glimpse into the lives of fascinating individuals: a Hawaiian clothing designer with a special respect for family, tradition, and the land; a barber in San Diego who shapes surfboards as well as hairlines; and a doctor doing his part to reverse the ever-growing mortality rate by revamping a hospital in rural India. And so many more stories. A number of his films received critical acclaim including Dare Not Walk Alone, Gum For My Boat, and Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story.
We are proud to honor the life and work of a Communication Department Alumnus.
Alex Brownley
Director of Operations, Picture Shop Post
Alex Brownley Graduated from Flagler College 2006. After graduation he started his career at a Post House in New York specializing in Commercial Telecine transfers and Color Correction. As the company migrated towards Episodic and Feature Postproduction, Alex moved to Atlanta to take advantage of the booming film and TV industry in the area. Since 2011 Alex has been focusing on Dailies Processing and Color Correction and is currently the Director of Operations at Picture Shop Post.
Dustin Miller
Cinematographer
Dustin Miller is a husband, dad, and cinematographer living in St. Augustine, FL but who works in Los Angeles. His professional work focuses on commercials, music videos and narrative projects-- while always looking for what feels most human. Dustin still loves film, fly fishing and running slow.
Rosemary Tutt
In Memoriam
Rosemary Tutt, APR, CPRC was an assistant professor of Public Relations in the Communication Department for nine years at Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida from 2004-2013. Prior to teaching at Flagler College Rosemary was Chair of the Public Relations Department at Ursuline College in Ohio.
While at Flagler College Rosemary Tutt served as the PRSSA faculty advisor and created the Dow Advantage student-run public relations group. She had an immeasurable impact on the field of public relations through her work as a public relations professor and mentor at Flagler College where she provided numerous opportunities for students to network with PR professionals. Rosemary was also instrumental in the creation and implementation of COM Week.
Rosemary was honored with the 2022 Doris Fleischman Award at Florida Public Relations Association's 83rd Annual Conference, where the Jacksonville Chapter accepted the award on her behalf. The Doris Fleischman award honors a selfless, dedicated volunteer who steadfastly and quietly contributes to the public relations profession through FPRA. The Doris Fleischman honoree is indispensable, managing projects both large and small, committed to give more than they take. Ultimately, they genuinely want to contribute to and improve the overall profession, whether they receive credit or not…which is a perfect description of Rosemary Tutt’s dedication to the public relations profession.
Liz Slobodian
Florida Public Relations Association
She spent the last nine years in various PR and communications roles at Firehouse Subs, including her most recent role as Vice President of Public Affairs where she oversaw external communications to include all consumer/brand PR and community relations, crisis comms, government affairs, and external executive comms for one of America's No. 1 restaurant franchises.
The Truth About Communication Faculty
Tracy Halcomb
Professor, Flagler College
Tracy Halcomb, Ph.D. has over 25 years of experience teaching at the college-level in communication law, audio, and video production. She is currently Professor of Communication and Coordinator of the Cinematic Arts program at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. Halcomb completed her M.A. in Mass Media and her PH.D. in Mass Media Law and Policy at Bowling Green State University. She has executive produced numerous student productions broadcast on network and PBS affiliate television stations in the Jacksonville, Florida market. Halcomb served as producer and sound recordist for the award-winning documentary Cracking Aces: A Woman’s Place at the Table (2018) about female poker players who pull the veil back on the world of professional poker and the hurdles of exploitation and harassment which they must overcome. She is currently producing a new documentary with Acadia Pictures Inc. about MLB scouts.
Jim Gilmore
Visiting Filmmaker, Flagler College
Jim Gilmore is a documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on American culture, social justice and history. He is the director of over 20 films on a variety of topics, from Zimbabwe: A Racial Revolution (1988) about the transition from white-ruled Rhodesia to black-ruled Zimbabwe, to Cracking Aces (2018), which profiles the groundbreaking women who fought to shatter the glass ceiling of professional poker. Currently he is in production on a new documentary about professional MLB scouts. Gilmore holds a MA in Broadcasting and Film from the University of Iowa and is the executive producer of Acadia Pictures, an independent production company he founded in 1995. In addition to his work in documentary media he teaches cinematic arts Flagler College and serves as the associate director of the Acadia Institute of Oceanography in Seal Harbor, Maine.
Minji Kim
Professor, Flagler College
Dr. Kim started her career at Flagler College in 2022 as an assistant professor of Strategic Communication. She received her doctoral degree in Mass Communication from the University of Florida (summer 22), with an emphasis on Media Psychology in health contexts. Her research focus is on the effects of immersive and interactive media on behavioral changes on health decisions. This coming May, Dr. Kim will present her dissertation research, "The Appraisal Tendencies of Core and Moral Disgust and The Effects on Food Choices”, at the International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference in Toronto, Canada.
Kristine Warrenburg Rome
Professor, Flagler College
Kristine Warrenburg Rome, Ph.D., is a critical cultural rhetorical critic with concern for communication ethics, who serves as an Associate Professor of Communication for Flagler College beginning 2009-2010. Her research is concerned with opportunities for ethical transformation found in the power and politics of difference. Such opportunity for transformation resonates in the situational context of a communication interaction found in historical campaigns or contemporary popular culture. Courses taught include Media Ethics, Listening First: Music, Culture & Community, Stereotypes in Media, Social Movement Rhetoric, and Walt Disney: Conglomerate & Cultural Criticism.
War of the (Information) Worlds
Tracey Eaton
Professor, Journalist, "Man in Havana"
Session Moderator: Tracey Eaton is an associate professor at Flagler College. He was a foreign correspondent for the Dallas Morning News before joining the college. He has worked throughout Latin America and is a former Fulbright scholar in Ecuador. His freelance journalism clients have included NBC News, USA Today, Newsweek and the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. He has also written for Insider, a digital media brand with an audience of more than 221 million.
Jin Hammick
Professor, Flagler College
Dr. Jin Hammick is an associate professor at Flagler College. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Her dissertation explored building brand-consumer relationships on Facebook fan pages, the effect of socialness in brand communication and the control on consumer feedback. She earned a master's degree in Global Marketing Communication and Advertising from Emerson University, a bachelor's degree in Communications from Chungnam National University in South Korea.
Brenda Kauffman
Professor, Flagler College
Dr. Brenda Kauffman is an associate professor of social sciences at Flagler College. Her research interests include global environmental governance and ecological economics in international political economy. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Auburn University. She will discuss China.
Minji "MJ" Kim
Professor, Flagler College
Dr. Minji “MJ” Kim is an assistant professor of communication. She received her Ph.D. degree in Mass Communication from the University of Florida. She teaches media literacy and public relations classes. She is also an executive board member of Mihan-YuHoei, the largest online community for US-based Korean International Students with more than 50,000 users.
José Jasán Nieves Cárdenas
Journalist
José Jasán Nieves Cárdenas was born in the province of Cienfuegos in Cuba in 1987. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Central University of Marta Abreu de Las Villas in 2011. He has worked in radio, television, print and online. He is the editor-in-chief of elTOQUE, an independent multimedia platform dedicated to telling diverse, complex and sometimes hidden stories about Cuba. He is also general coordinator for Colectivo +Voces (Collective +Voices), which includes journalists, bloggers, photographers, designers, videographers and cartoonists.
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