ABOUT
With almost 700 members, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Pacific Southwest Chapter, serves television professionals in San Diego, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
HISTORY
The San Diego Chapter was chartered by the National Television Academy in 1972 under the leadership of its founding president, Ralph Hodges. The Chapter began awarding Emmys for outstanding achievement in San Diego area television in 1974.
In 1990 the chapter began awarding Emmys in the Southwest region as the San Diego/Southwestern Area Emmy Awards. In 2001 the name was changed to Pacific Southwest.
If you are looking for the Los Angeles Area or the Primetime Emmy® Awards, click here.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
NATAS Pacific Southwest Chapter Officers and Board of Governors
Executive Board 2026-2027
A live broadcast television professional, Schatar’s TV, media and movie credits include MTV Networks, Vh1’s “Flavor Of Love”, the Wendy Williams radio show, “The Doctors” nationally syndicated daytime program, ABC’s “Boston Legal”, a six month national to ur with the John F. Kennedy Center, a Debbie Allen production, executive producing and hosting “Poultry Princess” the series on Amazon Prime, being the Chief Media Officer for 6 streaming channels on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, BET’s “Take The Cake”, and the movie “High Roller” featuring Michael Imperioli of “The Sopranos” among many others.
Schatar is a graduate of the Ivy League campus of the University of Pennsylvania, a HOBY Alum and an American Legion Distinguished Scholar. Schatar’s newest line, Big Fairy Tales at Arts Collection AI, produces reimaginings of classic stories, multi-media and merchandise created with the technology of AI art-Artificial Intelligence art.
Marianne exemplifies a diverse background in the entertainment industry. While studying theatre and commercial acting in her early years, Marianne apprenticed with her father on a variety of shows and productions as a pyrotechnician assistant. After training with her father in pyrotechnics she was forever bonded with the craft.
His practice includes defending businesses of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies, in catastrophic bodily injury and wrongful death actions. He also represents product manufacturers, contractors, and developers in multi-party litigation, and he advises businesses in disputes involving breach of contract and business interference. In addition, he defends professionals—including realtors, appraisers, accountants, healthcare providers, and veterinary service providers—in professional liability claims, as well as directors and officers facing allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and negligence.
Michael’s trial practice increasingly emphasizes deployment in high stakes litigation in any jurisdiction close to trial for purposes of supporting or taking lead for local counsel, where clients rely on his combination of trial experience and dispute resolution training to obtain maximum transparency on risk and control outcomes.
In addition to his litigation practice, Michael is a Lecturer at the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management, teaching courses on business law, litigation, and dispute resolution.
After graduation, I began my career at a local production house before transitioning to KPBS Field Production Services. After working on many documentaries at KPBS, I was recruited to helped launch Full Focus, a field produced news/documentary style show. After 9 years at KPBS I went to KGTV for 9 more years as Creative Services Chief Videographer/Editor/Producer. During that time, my wife and I had twin boys and to be at home more with them, I started my own video production company… until COVID hit us all. With my sons graduating from my alma mater and moving away to college, I was recruited to help create a daily magazine show for Fox5 San Diego, The LOCAList SD. I served as Promotions Manager in Creative Services for 3 years, producing the show and other image promotion for the station. This position provided me with an opportunity to tell stories that highlight the people and places across my hometown of San Diego. I’m proud to have helped lead a team that produced over 300 episodes. Today, I am self-employed once again, producing content for various clients and proud to volunteer at NATAS-PSW on the Board of Governors.
Wearing a multitude of hats has provided me with exciting experiences in virtually all aspects of video production, but I really love how video is constantly changing. My love for innovation and technology, and the ever-changing landscape of video industries, drives my thirst to learn new tools and techniques that help tell stories more effectively.
I volunteered as a soccer coach and referee for over a decade and served on two local non-profit community boards. I have received 9 local Emmy awards and 3 Golden Mike awards for my editing, videography and producing roles. I enjoy being on the golf course or soccer field, skiing, mountain biking, and traveling with the family. I‘m a huge Padre and SDSU Aztec sports fan. LGSD! I look forward to serving on this board to help it achieve its goals of honoring and bringing awareness to the causes in our industry.
Board of Governors 2026-2027
Board of Governors 2025-2026
His clients have included Chevrolet, Wells Fargo, NCR, Protection One, Sunkist and many more. His team, Amalgamated Grommets, has won awards at many film festivals, including winning eight ‘Best Film’ awards from the 48 Hour Film project, including twice in the hyper-competitive Los Angeles contest. In those wins, Mike has won Best Direction five times. He has also won nine regional EMMY awards, a Platinum MarCom award, Silver Telly awards, and had three films screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He is in the middle of production of his first feature film, ‘Kipling and the Checklist’.
Leon Clark has the proven ability in developing and leading performance – based teams in the media and advertising industry. He has a strong knowledge and execution base in management and ongoing performance management against stated goals.
Leon Clark is strategic, creative, focused, committed, passionate, persistent, and tenacious. He is someone who brings the ability to analyze different markets, understand trends and anticipate what may happen. These traits have served him well in the various markets he has worked including, Los Angeles , New York, Atlanta , Boston and now San Diego.
Mr. Clark currently serves on the boards of the Scripps Howard Foundation, NATAS – PSW Board of Governors, San Diego YMCA and LEAD San Diego. He has previously sat on several other boards including the Urban League, the Boys and Girls Club, the board of Governors for Theatre LA and the Junior Board of the City of Hope.
He has worked or consulted for all of the broadcast networks, and came to San Diego in 2005 as Creative Services Director at KUSI Television. Currently as the head of Malibu Marketing, Doug writes and produces national promotional elements for syndicated TV series including “Heartland,” “Murdoch Mysteries,” and “Bloodline Detectives.”
Kent is a professor of Film and Digital Design at College of the Desert, where he teaches film production, post-production, storyboarding, generative AI, and digital storytelling. He serves on the NATAS Pacific Southwest Chapter Board of Governors, as Co-Chair of the Education Committee, and as Chair of the Gold and Silver Circle Selection Committee. Through these roles, he works to expand student engagement, mentorship, scholarship opportunities, and recognition of distinguished media professionals throughout the region. In 2025, Kent was inducted into the NATAS Pacific Southwest Silver Circle in recognition of his significant contributions to the television industry.
Kent holds an MFA in Film & Television Production, which included a study-abroad program at Pinewood Studios in England. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Technology. His academic and professional work reflects his commitment to advancing visual storytelling and mentoring the next generation of media professionals.
In 2024, Ashton transitioned into public service as a Public Information Officer for the State of California. Over the past two years, she has served with both the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and, currently, Caltrans. In these roles, she manages media relations, conducts on-camera interviews, drafts press releases, and produces digital content for high-profile regional and statewide events. These assignments have led her in various directions, from media communications surrounding the Menendez brothers’ resentencing proceedings, to the long-term emergency closures of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coastline.
Ashton joined the NATAS-PSW Board in 2021 as the nominations chair. She has lead the board election each year, helping to create a diverse group of representatives from all corners of our territory. A two-time Emmy award winner herself, Ashton lives on the Central Coast with her husband, and recently became a certified fitness instructor.
Luciano began his career in Brazil, where he worked across television, education, and audiovisual production. Throughout his career, he has edited newscasts, special reports, feature stories, corporate productions, YouTube content, podcasts, and social media projects, developing a broad understanding of storytelling across traditional and digital platforms.
His professional experience includes advanced proficiency with industry-standard editing tools such as Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, EDIUS, and DaVinci Resolve. His work focuses on transforming complex stories into clear, engaging, and visually compelling content while meeting the demanding deadlines of broadcast news.
In addition to his work as a video editor, Luciano has extensive experience in audiovisual education. In Brazil, he taught video production and post-production and trained hundreds of students in editing, storytelling, and professional media workflows.
In 2025, his work in broadcast journalism was recognized with two Emmy Awards in the categories of Team Coverage and Weekend Newscast, honoring both his editorial contributions and collaborative work in television news.
As a Chapter Governor of NATAS Pacific Southwest, Luciano contributes to the organization’s mission of recognizing excellence in television and supporting media professionals throughout the region. His involvement with NATAS also reflects his commitment to the continued development of the television and media industry.
Throughout his career, Luciano has remained focused on the intersection of journalism, technology, storytelling, and audience engagement, bringing together decades of television experience with an evolving understanding of digital media.
He has 24 years of experience in major market broadcast journalism, including reporting, producing, and storytelling in San Diego, Houston, San Francisco, and WNBC-TV in New York City.
When not reporting, he serves as a substitute teacher in special education across multiple school districts in San Diego County.
Throughout his career, Kade’s newsrooms and teams have received multiple awards for excellence in journalism. While he continues to value his work as a journalist, his greatest passion lies in leading and developing newsroom talent. Kade takes pride in mentoring aspiring reporters and producers, fostering a newsroom culture centered around viewer advocacy journalism. His mission is to inspire both his team and the communities they serve.
Kade is proud to work for News Press and Gazette, a company that values its employees and leads its markets through digital first strategies.
When not in the newsroom, Kade can often be found on horseback or traveling to equine competitions with his partner.
With more than two decades of experience spanning journalism, filmmaking, and creative leadership, Ray has built a career at the intersection of authentic storytelling and innovation. His journey began behind a studio camera in El Paso, Texas, before evolving into roles as a photojournalist, chief photographer, promotions manager, and creative leader in Nashville, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. Those experiences continue to help shape Storyville RD’s story first approach to every project.
Ray’s work has been recognized with 36 Emmy Awards, 12 Associated Press Broadcasters Awards, 3 Edward R. Murrow Awards, 3 Promax Awards, 4 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards, and recognition as a Silver Gavel Award finalist.
Throughout his career, Ray has been deeply committed to advancing the craft of visual storytelling. He has mentored journalists, filmmakers, and students through organizations including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Pacific Southwest Chapter and the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C., helping the next generation of storytellers develop not only their technical skills, but also the empathy and purpose that give stories lasting impact.
Ray is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America). He is honored to serve on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Pacific Southwest Chapter, where he is committed to supporting excellence in journalism, production, and the evolving art of visual storytelling.
Whether leading a creative team, directing a production, or mentoring emerging storytellers, Ray remains driven by one simple mission: to tell stories that matter, create work that endures, and leave people feeling something long after the screen goes dark.
Under Placencia’s leadership, KERO has implemented innovative content strategies focusing on community engagement.
Placencia brings over 15 years of television news management and production experience to her role. Prior to joining Scripps, she served as News Director at KTSM NBC Newschannel 9 in El Paso, Texas, and Assistant News Director at Entravision’s Noticias 26 Univision in El Paso. She produced award-winning coverage, including international coverage of Pope Francis’ historic trip to Juarez, Mexico in 2016.
Placencia is a 2016 Fellow of The Carole Kneeland Project and has received multiple Emmy nominations for her investigative work. She is recognized for her ability to develop emerging journalists while maintaining the highest standards of broadcast journalism and community service.
A Las Vegas native, Jason is also Founder and CEO of Vision Vegas, an entertainment technology company, and previously helped launch Nevada’s first virtual production studio in partnership with Vu Technologies. Throughout his career, he has focused on bridging creative production, technology, and audience experience while expanding opportunities for Southern Nevada’s media and entertainment community. He is actively involved with the Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Las Vegas Hospitality Association, serves as an advisory board member for the UNLV School of Cinematic Arts and Doral Academy. Jason is committed to connecting local entrepreneurs, students, and creators with meaningful opportunities in film, television, live events, and emerging media.
His clients have included Chevrolet, Wells Fargo, NCR, Protection One, Sunkist and many more. His team, Amalgamated Grommets, has won awards at many film festivals, including winning eight ‘Best Film’ awards from the 48 Hour Film project, including twice in the hyper-competitive Los Angeles contest. In those wins, Mike has won Best Direction five times. He has also won nine regional EMMY awards, a Platinum MarCom award, Silver Telly awards, and had three films screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He is in the middle of production of his first feature film, ‘Kipling and the Checklist’.
Leon Clark has the proven ability in developing and leading performance – based teams in the media and advertising industry. He has a strong knowledge and execution base in management and ongoing performance management against stated goals.
Leon Clark is strategic, creative, focused, committed, passionate, persistent, and tenacious. He is someone who brings the ability to analyze different markets, understand trends and anticipate what may happen. These traits have served him well in the various markets he has worked including, Los Angeles , New York, Atlanta , Boston and now San Diego.
Mr. Clark currently serves on the boards of the Scripps Howard Foundation, NATAS – PSW Board of Governors, San Diego YMCA and LEAD San Diego. He has previously sat on several other boards including the Urban League, the Boys and Girls Club, the board of Governors for Theatre LA and the Junior Board of the City of Hope.
He has worked or consulted for all of the broadcast networks, and came to San Diego in 2005 as Creative Services Director at KUSI Television. Currently as the head of Malibu Marketing, Doug writes and produces national promotional elements for syndicated TV series including “Heartland,” “Murdoch Mysteries,” and “Bloodline Detectives.”
Kent is a professor of Film and Digital Design at College of the Desert, where he teaches film production, post-production, storyboarding, generative AI, and digital storytelling. He serves on the NATAS Pacific Southwest Chapter Board of Governors, as Co-Chair of the Education Committee, and as Chair of the Gold and Silver Circle Selection Committee. Through these roles, he works to expand student engagement, mentorship, scholarship opportunities, and recognition of distinguished media professionals throughout the region. In 2025, Kent was inducted into the NATAS Pacific Southwest Silver Circle in recognition of his significant contributions to the television industry.
Kent holds an MFA in Film & Television Production, which included a study-abroad program at Pinewood Studios in England. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Technology. His academic and professional work reflects his commitment to advancing visual storytelling and mentoring the next generation of media professionals.
In 2024, Ashton transitioned into public service as a Public Information Officer for the State of California. Over the past two years, she has served with both the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and, currently, Caltrans. In these roles, she manages media relations, conducts on-camera interviews, drafts press releases, and produces digital content for high-profile regional and statewide events. These assignments have led her in various directions, from media communications surrounding the Menendez brothers’ resentencing proceedings, to the long-term emergency closures of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coastline.
Ashton joined the NATAS-PSW Board in 2021 as the nominations chair. She has lead the board election each year, helping to create a diverse group of representatives from all corners of our territory. A two-time Emmy award winner herself, Ashton lives on the Central Coast with her husband, and recently became a certified fitness instructor.
Luciano began his career in Brazil, where he worked across television, education, and audiovisual production. Throughout his career, he has edited newscasts, special reports, feature stories, corporate productions, YouTube content, podcasts, and social media projects, developing a broad understanding of storytelling across traditional and digital platforms.
His professional experience includes advanced proficiency with industry-standard editing tools such as Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, EDIUS, and DaVinci Resolve. His work focuses on transforming complex stories into clear, engaging, and visually compelling content while meeting the demanding deadlines of broadcast news.
In addition to his work as a video editor, Luciano has extensive experience in audiovisual education. In Brazil, he taught video production and post-production and trained hundreds of students in editing, storytelling, and professional media workflows.
In 2025, his work in broadcast journalism was recognized with two Emmy Awards in the categories of Team Coverage and Weekend Newscast, honoring both his editorial contributions and collaborative work in television news.
As a Chapter Governor of NATAS Pacific Southwest, Luciano contributes to the organization’s mission of recognizing excellence in television and supporting media professionals throughout the region. His involvement with NATAS also reflects his commitment to the continued development of the television and media industry.
Throughout his career, Luciano has remained focused on the intersection of journalism, technology, storytelling, and audience engagement, bringing together decades of television experience with an evolving understanding of digital media.
He has 24 years of experience in major market broadcast journalism, including reporting, producing, and storytelling in San Diego, Houston, San Francisco, and WNBC-TV in New York City.
When not reporting, he serves as a substitute teacher in special education across multiple school districts in San Diego County.
Throughout his career, Kade’s newsrooms and teams have received multiple awards for excellence in journalism. While he continues to value his work as a journalist, his greatest passion lies in leading and developing newsroom talent. Kade takes pride in mentoring aspiring reporters and producers, fostering a newsroom culture centered around viewer advocacy journalism. His mission is to inspire both his team and the communities they serve.
Kade is proud to work for News Press and Gazette, a company that values its employees and leads its markets through digital first strategies.
When not in the newsroom, Kade can often be found on horseback or traveling to equine competitions with his partner.
With more than two decades of experience spanning journalism, filmmaking, and creative leadership, Ray has built a career at the intersection of authentic storytelling and innovation. His journey began behind a studio camera in El Paso, Texas, before evolving into roles as a photojournalist, chief photographer, promotions manager, and creative leader in Nashville, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. Those experiences continue to help shape Storyville RD’s story first approach to every project.
Ray’s work has been recognized with 36 Emmy Awards, 12 Associated Press Broadcasters Awards, 3 Edward R. Murrow Awards, 3 Promax Awards, 4 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards, and recognition as a Silver Gavel Award finalist.
Throughout his career, Ray has been deeply committed to advancing the craft of visual storytelling. He has mentored journalists, filmmakers, and students through organizations including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Pacific Southwest Chapter and the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C., helping the next generation of storytellers develop not only their technical skills, but also the empathy and purpose that give stories lasting impact.
Ray is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America). He is honored to serve on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Pacific Southwest Chapter, where he is committed to supporting excellence in journalism, production, and the evolving art of visual storytelling.
Whether leading a creative team, directing a production, or mentoring emerging storytellers, Ray remains driven by one simple mission: to tell stories that matter, create work that endures, and leave people feeling something long after the screen goes dark.
Under Placencia’s leadership, KERO has implemented innovative content strategies focusing on community engagement.
Placencia brings over 15 years of television news management and production experience to her role. Prior to joining Scripps, she served as News Director at KTSM NBC Newschannel 9 in El Paso, Texas, and Assistant News Director at Entravision’s Noticias 26 Univision in El Paso. She produced award-winning coverage, including international coverage of Pope Francis’ historic trip to Juarez, Mexico in 2016.
Placencia is a 2016 Fellow of The Carole Kneeland Project and has received multiple Emmy nominations for her investigative work. She is recognized for her ability to develop emerging journalists while maintaining the highest standards of broadcast journalism and community service.
A Las Vegas native, Jason is also Founder and CEO of Vision Vegas, an entertainment technology company, and previously helped launch Nevada’s first virtual production studio in partnership with Vu Technologies. Throughout his career, he has focused on bridging creative production, technology, and audience experience while expanding opportunities for Southern Nevada’s media and entertainment community. He is actively involved with the Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Las Vegas Hospitality Association, serves as an advisory board member for the UNLV School of Cinematic Arts and Doral Academy. Jason is committed to connecting local entrepreneurs, students, and creators with meaningful opportunities in film, television, live events, and emerging media.