President’s Message November 2021

by Bob Duthaler

Faces for Board of Trustees: Thank You To The Past and Hello To The New

To quote a Billy Joel song (with some slight “JAGish” changes) “So many faces in and out of our lives, some will last, some will just be now and then…” so goes some of the people on our board.  Happily, these “faces” that are leaving our board currently have played an important role in the growth and development of the organization and more importantly they lasted!  I would like to take the opportunity to thank them for their time and efforts for their years of service.  Additionally, I would ask that you reach out to them personally and thank them for their service.  Although they may be stepping away from the board, I know that they will continue to be a part of JAG and help in any way possible.  Join me in thanking:  Dave Ambrosy (EBTV), Jeff Arban (RUTV) and Darryl Love (Scotch Plains).  I would also like to point out that current JAG VP, Dave Garb has committed to running for another term.

I am happy to report out to the membership that a couple of our members have stepped up and decided to throw their hat in to the ring to run as Board of Trustee Members for JAG.  If I was a butcher, I would tell you that the board has “Fresh Meat”!  But since I am not, I will just say that we are lucky to have new people stepping up, sharing their experiences, and helping to continue to make JAG a great organization.  I have included their brief bios below for your review.  The vote for Board of Trustees is at our next general membership meeting, Wednesday, December 1st.  Even though those running will be unopposed due to the number of seats open, it should be noted that they have stepped up and are willing to put in the work necessary.  Here is a list of the board candidates:

Bob Nicholson is the station manager and coordinator at WM77 in West Milford.  He also serves as co-chair on the Passaic County Film Commission and President of Access 23 TV in Port Jervis, NY.  His background is in music, publishing, and production for the past 50 years as both performer and engineer.  Video has been an active interest since the late 80’s when the home video explosion ignited the consumer market.  A person of many job functions over the years, Bob has acquired vast experience and knowledge of the music, video, retail trades and the legal aspects.  Always eager to expand his knowledge, Bob desires to learn something new every day.

Doug Seidel is an Emmy nominated producer and award-winning filmmaker. Doug has won best marketing twice at the Project Twenty1 film festival for his use of social media to promote his films.  Along with his position at Piscataway Community TV, Doug runs the social media accounts for Jersey Access Group and Eastern Video Expo.  Doug was also the technical producer for the Eastern Video Expo and JAG Awards by running the entire Zoom experience for the conference.

Rick Gearhart is currently the Station Manager for TV34, Montclair.  He graduated with a degree in Creative Arts & Technology from Bloomfield College in 2010.  He is 34 years old and started his television career when he was 21 – in 2009, working for WBMA-TV in Bloomfield, filming, and editing local events & meetings. It was here that he learned the importance of not only keeping residents informed of the events in town, but also the importance of preserving township history through video, by covering ceremonies, honor events, etc.  Community Television has been the bulk of his television career, having worked for several different towns as a camera operator and editor, including Scotch Plains and Princeton, before being hired as the Station Manager for Montclair TV34. He has been at this position since December 2016.

Please be reminded that three of the Trustee positions are for a three-year term and one is for a one-year term. The person with the lowest vote total will be given the one-year term.  When voting, you are allowed to vote for up to four board members, although you can vote for less.  Please be on the lookout for the absentee ballot for those who cannot make the meeting or the live meeting dates for those who will vote in person. Please take the time to vote and show your support for those who have taken their time to be a part of this board.