The MetroFocus Team
Daniel T. Allen – Production Coordinator
Prior to joining MetroFocus, Daniel T. Allen was the director of community engagement for Friends of Thirteen, Inc., the board of volunteers who fundraise and advocate on behalf of WNET. Daniel also worked as associate producer for “God in New York,” “Baseball: A New York Love Story,” “National Parks: New Yorkers’ Memories” and several online projects for WNET’s interactive group. Daniel studied Media Studies and Mandarin Chinese as part of the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Hunter. He grew up in Northern Westchester and lives in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
Sally Garner – Executive Producer, Special Projects
An Emmy-award winning veteran television producer, Sally Garner serves as Executive Producer, Special Projects for WLIW and NJTV. Her experience spans over three decades of news producing, writing and reporting for major news outlets including CBS and CNN and public television in New York and Los Angeles. She was a producer and writer for WNET New York’s nationally-distributed news program “Worldfocus.” She also recently produced and wrote WNET’s “Treasures of New York: Lincoln Center,” an hour-long documentary on the history and renovation of New York’s cultural arts center, hosted by Patti LuPone. Garner received her B.A. from UCLA. She currently resides in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
John Farley – Multimedia Web Editor
John Farley comes to New York City with fresh eyes, having moved to New York – Bushwick, Brooklyn, to be exact – just a month before joining MetroFocus. Originally from Baltimore, John is a graduate of Oberlin College, where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s alternative newspaper. Prior to joining MetroFocus, John lived in Pittsburgh, where he co-founded a performance venue and worked for the local multimedia news website Pop City as an editor and reporter.
Christina Knight – Managing Editor
Prior to joining MetroFocus, Christina Knight was senior online editor of NYC-ARTS, WNET’s multi-platform New York-area arts and culture resource, which she continues to oversee. Christina’s previous work has been concentrated in arts management, travel writing and publishing, including many years as an editor and writer for Fodor’s Travel Guides. She grew up in Orange County, NY, and lives in Brooklyn.
Georgia Kral – Multimedia Web Editor
Georgia Kral was most recently with AOL’s Patch.com as the editor of a hyperlocal news site covering Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Prior to that, Georgia wrote about music and culture for The Village Voice and WNYC’s website and was the founder of a music blog. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The New York Daily News and Brooklyn Vegan. She is a graduate of Hampshire College and holds a Master’s Degree from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Originally from Connecticut, Georgia has been a Brooklynite since 2006 and is currently a resident of Cobble Hill.
Charnée Perez – Social Media Editor and Publicist
Charnée Perez came to the MetroFocus team from the New York City Council, where she was the communications director for the Queens Councilmember who chaired the committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries. Prior to that, she worked in production for ABC News and NY1 News. Charnée earned both her Master’s Degree in Public Policy and her Bachelors Degree at Stony Brook University. Charnée grew up in and lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Rafael Pi Roman – Producer and Host
A native of Cuba, Rafael Pi Roman has anchored, hosted and produced public affairs and political news programs at Thirteen and WNET since 1992. Pi Roman served as executive producer, writer and host of the three-part special, “The City,” which covered the 1997 New York City mayoral race and won an Emmy in 1999. In 2001 Pi Roman became the host and senior editor of Thirteen’s primetime Emmy award-winning program, “New York Voices.” Pi Roman has been a contributing producer/correspondent for NYC-ARTS since 2009 and in 2010 he became co-host and co-executive producer of Thirteen’s weekly current affairs program, “New Jersey Capitol Report.” His television work has been honored by the Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences as well as by the Latino Coalition for a Fair Media. In 2005 Mr. Pi Roman was named one of the 25 most distinguished Hispanic men in New York City by the city’s premier Hispanic newspaper El Diario/La Prensa.
For the WNET Interactive Engagement Group:
General Manager
Daniel B. Greenberg
Director of Digital Strategy
David Hirmes
Direct, Local Digital Initiatives
Joe Harrell
Director of Technology
Brian Patrick Lee
Creative Director
Nick Miller
Designer
Ricardo Galvez
Production Manager
Christiane Wartell
Pagebuilding
Brian Santalone
Developer
Eric Knappe
Contributors
Michelle Michalos
Bijan Rezvani
MetroFocus Interns – Past and Present
Sarah Berson, New York University Graduate School of Journalism
Kira Cohen, Oberlin College
Mahalet Dejene, New York University
Matt Draper, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
Melissa Galvez, Harvard Kennedy School
Daniella Greenbaum, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School
Bridget Leahy, New York University Graduate School of Journalism
Doris Martinez, New York University Graduate School of Journalism
Samantha Riddell, Macaulay Honors College at CUNY
Julio Sharp-Wasserman, Pomona College
Philip Stephenson, Columbia University
Zoë Proom, Cornell University
Ceylan Yeginsu, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
