Communication: Network of Success

Lisa Tangredi and members of her crew from the Catholic Faith Network at the 65th Annual NY Emmy Awards. L-R Front Row: Jonathan Grand ‘06 (Producer), Lisa Tangredi ’08 (Director), Nathan Rucci ’07 (Editor/Technical Director). L-R Back Row: Nick Hintz ’16 (Production Specialist), TJ Katsoulas ‘05 (Lighting Director)

Leylak, a short film by Scott Ahahoni ’16, made its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. The film was also included in Variety’s predictions for the 2022 Oscars.

Bryan Diperstein ’09, an agent at ICM, was selected for The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen 2021: 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under.

Kristen V. Carter ’06 - showrunner, executive producer, and head writer - is currently serving as Executive Producer of the four part documentary series for OWN/Discovery+ about addressing stereotypes that Black men face in this country. Kristen graduated with a major in Television Production and Studies with a minor in Dance.

Mark Bracco ’92 is president of Silent House Productions, a full-service production company, creating premium unscripted and live event content across all media platforms.

Beth Carey ’94 is senior editorial producer for HLN Investigations.

Matt Pieper '05 is an Emmy Award-winning news anchor/reporter. As a CBS news correspondent in New York City, he anchors CBS News Radio for affiliates around the world and also reports for TV, as well as for CBSN, the digital streaming news service.

Samantha Manning '09 joined KIRO 7/Cox Media Group's Washington D.C. bureau in October 2019. She's responsible for covering important developments from Capitol Hill, federal agencies and the White House that impact local viewers.

Sophie Krall '13 (public relations) is assistant manager, field publicity and targeted marketing, for Paramount Pictures.

David Goldberg '89 is president and CVO of Digital Waterworx, which produces radio and television commercials, corporate videos, post-production, live events, and a host of other creative media services. Since its inception the company has worked with an international client base that exceeds 4,000. David can personally be heard as the voice on hundreds of radio and TV commercials including the U.S. Army, Activision, Coors, General Motors, and Eli Lilly, and is a prominent voice on one of the leading streaming music services.

Shannon Nia Alomar '15 is a kindergarten science teacher at Neighborhood Science Charter Schools. Previously, Shannon was a production assistant for CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.

Michael Notarile ’07 is a TV writer and producer on Fox’s crime drama The Cleaning Lady. His previous television credits include Fox’s The Resident and WWE’s SmackDown! vs. RAW. Notarile’s debut film script was featured on the 2019 Black List. He is represented by UTA, Kaplan Perrone and Gregg Gellman at Yorn Levine.

With more than 20 years of senior management expertise in event planning, Hillary, president of Hillary Needle Events, Inc., was named to the 2017 "Who's Who list of Women in Professional Services" by Long Island Business News, and was selected as a "Long Island Power Women in Business" by the Queens Courier and Schneps Communications. Hillary is also president of Hofstra University’s Alumni Organization.

Based in Los Angeles, Nicole Brajer '12 is graphics coordinator for Nightly Pop on E! News.

Andrew Rea `09 is a bestselling author and host of Binging with Babish, a YouTube series with more than 9 million subscribers, where he recreates TV and film recipes.

Gabriela Molina '16 is a news writer/associate producer at Fox 61 News in Hartford, Connecticut.

Amanda Kenney '09 is an Emmy Award-winning news anchor at WTAJ News in Central Pennsylvania.

Joe Pantorno '13 is sports editor at Metro New York. As a Journalism major at Hofstra, Joe was a member of The Hofstra Chronicle
for four years and had internships at the New York Post and Newsday.

Faridah Demola Seriki '13 (Kah-Lo) is nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award, Best Dance Recording for “Rinse & Repeat” (Riton Featuring Kah-Lo).

David Ringel '02 won an Emmy for his work on Super Bowl 50.

Lauren Wolfe graduated from Hofstra with a BA in Journalism in 2016, and is a news reporter at WEAR-TV on ABC Channel 3 in Pensacola, Florida.

Film Studies and Production alumnus Anthony Raffaele ‘01 is senior colorist at Harbor Picture Company.

Ashley Melfi graduated from Hofstra with a BA in Journalism in 2013, and is a general editor of ESPN's The Undefeated.

Kurt Sensenbrenner is a 2015 Hofstra MFA graduate, and his latest film, From Mass to Mountain, was named an official selection of the 2016 Harlem International Film Festival.

Jamie Morris '07 is co-host of The WALK Breakfast Club with Mark and Jamie on WALK 97.5.

Leah Williams '10 is a writer for Marvel Comics and BOOM! Studios. She was named the number one pick for breakout writer by Multiversity Comics in 2019.

Michael Haviland '08 is a senior producer for Sarah Colt Productions in New York City.

Shirleen Allicot graduated from Hofstra in 2004 with a BA in Journalism, and is currently the co-anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon, on ABC 7 NY.

Andre Hepkins is a news anchor/reporter for WBAL-TV11 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Gillie Houston graduated with a BA in Journalism, and is a freelance writer, editor, and social media consultant with over 100k followers on Instagram @gilliehouston.

Heather Cohen `98 is executive vice president of The Weiss Agency, a broadcast talent agency that represents and develops the careers of many of the industry's most successful local and syndicated personalities. She serves on the national board of directors of the Alliance for Women in Media, is a member of the Herbert School's Dean's Council, and has served as president of the school's Alumni Association.

Concurrence by Class of 2015 alumni Tom Cassese, Erik Freitas, Evan Crochet, Jenna Scardino, and Joseph Rocco Plescia was screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Campus MovieFest Short Film Corner.

Annik Spencer '14 serves is a media strategist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Pete Guaraldi '11 is a special projects coordinator for the Suffolk County Police Department.

Jessica Formoso '11 is a full-time bilingual general assignment reporter at Fox 5 News NY and was recently recognized for a NY Impact Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.

Max Knoblauch, a journalist, illustrator, and comedian based in NYC, is a daily writer for Morning Brew.

Sammi Chichester is the executive editor of Revolver, the bimonthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by NewBay Media. Sammi graduated from Hofstra with a BA in Journalism in 2014.

Mike Manzoni ‘11 is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and freelance reporter at NBC10 Boston/NECN.

Rachel Zabinski '08 is Executive Director, Connectivity Communications at Comcast.

Stevland Wilson ’00 is VP of Post Production at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, founder and CEO of Landmind Productions, and the immediate past chair of the Herbert School’s Dean’s Advisory Board.

Christine Lubrano ’96 is SVP for creative writing operations at WWE. Previously, Christine was SVP for original programming at IFC, where she was integral to the success of Portlandia and was the lead creative force behind Documentary Now!, a mockumentary television series.

Priya Wickramanayake '10 is on-air operations manager at NBCUniversal.

Ariana Finlayson '08 is vice president of digital at Marina Maher Communications in New York City.

Lance Ulanoff ’86 is a tech and social media expert, consultant, content strategist, and public speaker.

Kara Koch '07 is a producer for international social impact at Sesame Workshop in New York City.

"Hungry," a short film by David Carlone '15, is currently in the festival circuit. It won Best Short Film at the October Film Festival, was an Official Selection at the Big Apple Film Festival and will be screened at the New York Independent Film Festival.

Jillian E. Sorgini ’08 is senior manager of digital content at Hair.com, L’Oréal.

Jeff Billings '08 is a Los Angeles-based director of photography for films, television, commercials, and music videos. He is also a graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory.

Lauren Brookmeyer '09, '14 currently serves as director of government relations for Stony Brook University, and is based in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Preval earned his Hofstra degree in broadcast journalism and is a news reporter at WGRZ - Channel 2, Buffalo, New York.

Alycia Powers earned her MA in Journalism at Hofstra and is currently a reporter and associate producer for Inside Edition in New York City.

Pete McCarthy is host of Sports Zone and Mets On Deck at WOR Radio in New York City.

Katie Nolan is an Emmy Award-winning sports television and podcast host. She most recently created short-form content at NBC Sports throughout the 2022 Winter Olympics. Previously, Nolan hosted a weekly ESPN podcast, Sports? with Katie Nolan, Always Late with Katie Nolan on ESPN2, and Garbage Time with Katie Nolan on Fox Sports

Christopher Langlois '14 is a morning anchor for Eyewitness News on WBRE/WYOU in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Brittney Boehm '09 is the associate director of marketing and public relations at Rutgers University.

Fran Berkman '12, a graduate of Hofstra's MA in Journalism program, is the newsroom and engagement manager at Taboola.

Alessandra Foresto '08 is the founding editor of POPSUGAR Latina, a vertical of POPSUGAR, the largest independent publisher of women's lifestyle content. Her writing for O, the Oprah Magazine's "Hair Extravaganza" won a 2014 National Magazine Award for Leisure Interests.

Kieran Valla '06 is a co-creator of Little Demon, an animated horror comedy series featuring Danny DeVito, Aubrey Plaza, and Lucy DeVito, which was picked up by FXX in 2021. He is also known for Delinquent (2016), Disturbia (2007) and Lift (2013). After graduating from Hofstra, Kieran went on to become a distinguished Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute.

Sidney Madden ‘14 is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. In September 2020, Sidney became the co-host of Louder than a Riot, NPR Music’s first narrative investigative podcast.

Michael Rieger '09 is associate director and video on demand technician at CBS Corporation in New York City.

Rachel Brueno '12 earned her degree in public relations and is associate director, social and influencer strategy at 360i, an integrated creative and media agency.

As executive vice president, media at Republic Records, Joseph Carozza orchestrates and executes PR campaigns for some of music's top artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Enrique Iglesias, Nicki Minaj, and more, as well as leading the media department.

Delia Paunescu '09, is is an entertainment journalist and social media expert who has worked for VOX, NowThis, Newsday, and the New York Post.

Bobby Bonett '09 is senior director of digital content and audience at Sirius XM in New York City.

Brit DeLillo ’10 is a 1st assistant editor at Marvel Studios. She has also worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, MGM, DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox, Tone-Deaf, and Brave New Films.

Abdul Sada ‘13 earned his MA in Journalism at Hofstra and is currently vice president for corporate and public affairs at Edelman in New York City.

Shannan Ferry '14 is an Emmy-nominated anchor and reporter for NY1 News.

James Cohen, PhD, '04, '10 is an assistant professor in the Media Studies program at CUNY Queens College in the undergraduate and graduate programs. He is the co-host and founder of Digital Void and has been writing about digital culture, memes, and visual media trends for Forbes.com as a freelance contributor since 2020.

Ryan Broderick ’11 is a writer, producer, and community manager who has reported from over 22 countries.

Jo Sharon '98 is co-CEO of Magical Elves, the production company behind Top Chef, Nailed It!, and Project Runway.

In 2008, Priti Malik ‘07 moved to Dubai to work as a news presenter for Virgin Radio. She's currently the co-host on The Kris Fade Show.

Cameron Kadison '03 is a founding partner of Beverly Hills-based Mortar Media, a management and production company specializing in non-scripted TV, branded content, on-camera talent and nontraditional business development. Cameron is the executive producer of Hollywood Medium for E!, Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip for FYI, Curve Appeal for Centric, and Transcendent for Fuse.

Sarabeth Ackerman ‘12 is an Emmy Award-winning morning news anchor at NBC5 Burlington, Vermont. Prior to joining NBC5 in February 2021, Sarabeth worked as a news reporter and fill-in traffic anchor at WFTZ in Orlando, FL; as a news reporter and multimedia journalist at CNY Central in Syracuse, NY; and as a news director/news reporter in Minot, ND. Photo credit: NBC5.

Marcus Vanderberg '08 is Senior NBA Editor at ESPN in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to joining ESPN, Marcus worked at Yahoo! Sports, Hearst Digital, FishbowlLA, TheGrio.com, and BET Networks.

Veronica de Souza '11 is Director for Digital News & Audience at WNYC New York Public Radio.

Marc Ernay '88 is sports director/morning anchor at 1010 WINS and sports director at 24/7 News Source NYC.

Emmy-nominated Shannon Hegy '07 is the main co-anchor at WPRI-TV CBS12/WNAC-TV Fox 64 in Providence, Rhode Island.

Hofstra has more than 128,000 alumni, who are spread throughout all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Jared Greenberg '05 is an NBA TV on-air host/reporter for Turner Sports in Atlanta.

Jackie De Tore '12 is a news anchor/reporter for WPMT-Fox43 in Pennsylvania.

Steve Rubel is chief media ecologist for Edelman, a leading global communications marketing firm with more than 5,500 employees in 65 cities worldwide. He is considered one of the leading experts on the evolving media landscape and the blurring lines between traditional and emerging channels.

Celia Werner '16 is lead videographer and head of New York video operations at Metramedia Broadcasting and the owner of Celia Warner Productions, a freelance producing, social media marketing, photography, videography, and editing company.

Janeita Bellamy ’08 is an award-winning Production Manager with over ten years of professional experience successfully managing high-profile linear and digital campaigns. While at BET, she led promotional efforts for "Reclaim Your Vote" featuring Tip “T.I.” Harris, BET Awards ‘20, Lena Waithe’s series Boomerang, and the launch of BET+. Janeita joined Netflix in October 2021 as a Production Executive with the Editorial & Publishing department.

Daniel Linden '05 is director of publishing strategy (audience development) for ABC News.

Based in Los Angeles, Olivia Stanchina '07 is an Emmy-winning producer, writer, and editor. She is a digital producer and host of original video content for The Insider and Entertainment Tonight.

Jonathan Weitz earned his degree in audio/radio and currently serves as Senior Manager Internal Communications for Apple.

Emmy Award-winning reporter Luz Peña '12 is a general assignment reporter for ABC News in San Francisco.

WRHU-88.7 FM Radio Hofstra University won its third prestigious Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters as the 2019 College Radio Station of the Year.

Colby Itkowitz ’05 is a reporter for The Washington Post, covering Congress, campaigns, health policy, and Pennsylvania politics.

Jordan Thompson '09 earned her degree in broadcast journalism at Hofstra before going onto law school. She currently serves as senior counsel and assistant vice president at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York City.

Jennifer Joas '10 is a reporter for NBC Connecticut. She can be seen weekday mornings from 4:30 to 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on NBC Connecticut Today.

In January 2015, the Herbert School launched its Hofstra in LA program – a week-long career immersion experience designed to connect students to internship and career opportunities on the West Coast, through a series of meetings and activities with alumni and media industry leaders.

Since graduating from Hofstra, Christi Kunzig '01, 14 JD has become an attorney, a radio personality on 94.3 the Shark, and frequently appears on Fox News and Fox Business Channel.

Rondell Wescott ’03 is executive producer of Translation LLC. He has produced everything under the sun from radio and print ads to digital/social content, interactive games, music videos, and global television ad campaigns for various brands including Dr. Scholl’s, Chobani, NBC Universal, ExxonMobil, Discover and Gillette.

Chris Vaccaro '07 is vice president of digital news at Altice USA and director of the graduate journalism program at Hofstra University. Chris was named to Long Island Business News' list of "40 Under 40" honorees in 2016.

Maryann Watson ’00 is VP for client success at Maven Clinic. In 2015, Maryann was named to PRWeek's “40 Under 40” list.

Mike Leslie '10 is a sports reporter at WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas.

Jacqueline Hlavenka ‘09 is associate vice president at Rubenstein Associates in New York City.

Hofstra is the second best school in the nation for media professionals, according to a new LinkedIn ranking system that measures alumni career outcomes.

Film Republic has acquired Adrian Saba's (Class of 2010) second feature El Soñador (The Dreamer), which premiered at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival.

Several national news programs have been broadcast from Hofstra, including CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. Hofstra alumnus Eli Lazar '91, is director of AC360.

The Autumn Balloon by Kenny Porpora '08 of Mesa, Arizona, was released by Hachette Book Group in February 2015. Reviews and excerpts of Porpora's first book have been published by such notable outlets as USA Today, Kirkus, and the New York Daily News.

Liana Satenstein '12 is senior fashion writer for Vogue.com. She covers general fashion news, as well as the development of fashion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

John Santucci '11 is an Emmy Award-winning producer with ABC News having served in multiple roles with Good Morning America and This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Currently, Santucci is the senior editorial producer at ABC News.

Victoria Rossi '05 serves as current events producer for ABC's The View in New York City.

Michael Sorrentino ’05 is a veteran broadcast producer, having worked for more than a decade in national TV. He is currently president of Sorrentino Media, LLC, a full-service video production, consulting, and training firm in NYC. Michael also serves as president of the Herbert School’s Alumni Association.

Melaine Morgan '14 earned her BA in Radio Production and Studies and is a freelance voice-over actress, producer, and board operator.

Matthew Lee ’11 graduated with a degree in film studies and production and is supervising producer of Deadliest Catch.

Yanique Woodall '99 is senior director for corporate communications and external affairs for The Home Depot. In this role, she leads brand communications, which plays a key role in The Home Depot’s messaging strategy to support social impact programs, marketing, merchandising, product innovation, and technology goals.