ALISON GIBSON

Alison Gibson’s 26-year experience in television production includes 18 years of drama and documentary programming in the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico and the United States. She also has a strong record of corporate video production in the San Francisco Bay Area with clients including Palm, Inc., PG&E, Shaklee Corporation and Bank of America.

Ms. Gibson’s most recognized work is in the field of drama and documentary programming. She is the recipient of an International Emmy® for Stories of Guy de Maupassant (TROS TV, The Netherlands), an International Emmy® nomination for The Sacred Fire (TROS TV), and a local Emmy® nomination for Seizing Power: The Steel Seizure Case Revisited (PBS).

Her other award-winning productions are geared to education and include a series of programs, English Language: A Bridge to the American Dream, a Bronze Apple winner at the 1995 National Educational Media Network conference. The series Teaching with Video: Strategies That Work for the KQED Center for Education and Lifelong Learning gained recognition from the Pacific Mountain Network Best in the West awards in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Her work on Eric and The Little Insect Book, an eight-part series for children, garnered a Prix Jeunesse (Munich, 1980).

Her work in cultural and documentary production has received numerous awards including: the 1991 Cine Golden Eagle Award for Artwear: The Body Adorned; the 1991 PBS Iris Award, Best Program for Opera in the Park; the 1990 Emmy® Award for Nijinska: A legend in Dance and the 1987 George Foster Peabody Award for Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution with Linda Rondstadt.

Ms. Gibson is currently Chair of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter’s Education Committee.

LINDA GIANNECCHINI

Linda Giannecchini works independently for cooking shows, public affairs programs, sporting events, concerts, telethons, conventions, award shows, reunions, and corporate productions in the capacity of Producer, Director, Line Producer, Assistant Director, Production Coordinator, Electronic Graphics, Closed Captioner, or Event Planner.  She is also Project Manager, Operations and Engineering Department at KQED-TV (PBS), and Business Manager for Franklin Mieuli & Associates, a consulting company specializing in sports remotes.
 
Ms. Giannecchini’s most recent national credits were Director of the PBS series “Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine,” (winner of a James Beard Award).  As an Assistant Director, her national credits include “Weir Cooking in the City,” “Springboard: Exploring the Digital Age,” “Jacques Pepin Celebrates,” “Yan Can Cook” (4 seasons); “Computer Chronicles” (6 seasons); “Today’s Gourmet” (2 seasons);  “Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven” (2 seasons); “The De Medici Kitchen;” and “John Bradshaw on Homecoming.”  She was Senior Producer for “More Than Entertainment,” and Associate Producer for “The Computer Outlet,” “Cyber City Diner,” and “Morning Stretch with Joanie Greggains” for cable and syndication.  Linda has also close captioned a number of national award-winning documentaries for PBS. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Linda has been Executive Producer of “Peninsula Weekly” (4 seasons); as well as Producer of Emmy® award ceremonies (5 years) and college reunions. She has been Assistant Director for “Check Please! Bay Area,” “The Jose Kornbluth Show,” “The Durst Amendment (3 seasons),” “Digital West,” “Independent View,” “Bay Window,” “Musical Encounters,” “Short Stories & Tall Tales,” “Q,” “Face to Face,” and “This Week in Northern California” (15 seasons).  Linda has taught television production courses at San Francisco State University and College of San Mateo; was Continuity Director at Western TV Cable, as well as partners in Bear*Lion Productions, Hopscotch Video and InVision Productions during her 37 years in broadcasting.

Ms. Giannecchini is a Life Member of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, having just completed terms as the Chairman’s Representative to the Executive Committee (2 years) and as a member of the National Awards Committee (12 years). She was previously National Vice Chairman (two years), National Vice President (two years), National Secretary (four years), and chaired the President Search Committee. Linda also served four years as President of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter, and six years as National Trustee and local Awards Chair. She co-originated both the Chapter’s scholarship program and speaker’s bureau, serving as chair for both committees until 1991.  She is currently co-chair of the Chapter’s Archives/Museum Committee. Linda is the recipient of two regional Emmy® awards; numerous nominations, the Governors’ Medallion for distinguished service, and is a member of the Academy’s Silver Circle. She also holds memberships in the Radio-TV News Directors Association, Broadcast Legends, and is a life member of the Association of Moving Image Archivists.

Linda completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at San Francisco State University.

CYNTHIA E. ZEIDEN

Cynthia E. Zeiden, President, Zeiden Media, was born and raised in Chicago. After studying Drama and Speech for many years, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from Northern Illinois University (she served as Vice President of NIU’s Alpha Epsilon Rho) and then a Master’s degree in Broadcast Management from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Cynthia then served as Director of Broadcast Operations for WYCC-TV, a PBS station in Chicago, moved to San Francisco to be the Program Manager for KCSM-TV, a PBS station in the San Francisco DMA.

Soon after, Cynthia started her own company, Zeiden Media. Zeiden Media works with independent producers all over the world to develop TV programming for public television. She handles distribution, promotion and station relations. She is also a producer, working on her current film, “Safe Haven in China: The Untold History of the Jews.”

Cynthia got introduced to NTA while she was President of the San Francisco chapter of the International Television Association (ITVA) when the two organizations partnered on a traveling lighting seminar. Shortly thereafter, she got elected to the NTA Board of Governors in 1997, served as Chapter President from 1998-2002, got elected to be the Alternate Trustee in 2002, then recently got elected to be the Chapter Trustee in June, 2003. She also serves as the Past President and Activities/Programs Chairperson for her chapter.

Currently, Cynthia is also a member of the Film Arts Foundation, the Bay Area Video Coalition and the Sino Judaic Institute.