Who we are

The Chicago/Midwest Chapter is chartered by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), which is based in New York City.

The chapter’s Officers, Board of Governors, and committee chairs are industry professionals from our region who volunteer their time. There are several different committees that are always in need of talented and energetic people.

ABOUT US

Our Chapter was founded in 1958 after an expansion call by then National President, Ed Sullivan. We are one of the largest and most senior local chapters in the country, with a proud history of innovation and excellence in the field of broadcast television and beyond. The chapter produces the Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® Awards. The Awards are presented annually for outstanding achievements in regional broadcasting.

The Committees Are:

Education

Responsible for judging high school entries and scholarship applicants. Work with Coordinator of TV Academy’s Student Coordinator to promote our programs to regional schools. Fundraise for the 501(c)3 NATAS Chicago Foundation.

Emmy® Judging

Responsible for revising Emmy® rules and categories; setting up panels to judge other Chapters’ Emmy® entries; processing; and certifying local entries.

Emmy® Production

Responsible for planning, overseeing and producing the Emmy® Awards event under the guidance of the Board of Governors.

FILM CLUB

Responsible for organizing free screenings or virtual of new films for TV Academy members.

MEMBERSHIP

Responsible for member services, recruitment, and development of member discounts and benefits.

MEDIA

Responsible for publicity for TV Academy Chicago/Midwest events. Responsible for updating and authoring of Chapter website content and chapter social media.

Silver Circle Ceremony

Responsible for producing the Silver Circle Awards which honors individuals who have 25 or more years in Chicago and Wisconsin television (or spent their formative years here) and have made significant contributions to broadcasting.

WORKSHOPS/SPECIAL EVENTS

Responsible for designing workshops that will be of interest to our current members while also attracting new members.

Interested in volunteering
for a committee?

Please email
rcowing@emmyonline.tv

WATCH RETROSPECTIVE OF CHAPTER HISTORY

BOARD PRESIDENT LETTER

November 11, 2024

Besides our Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards, I want to remind everyone that the chapter has other tentpole events throughout the year including our Chicago and Milwaukee Silver Circle events, workshops, and other outings that we encourage you to be a part of.

We are only as strong as our Emmy family and hope that you all take the time and consider joining the chapter and become an official member.

As a member, our chapter offers you a number of benefits that include:

• Emmy® Awards – The Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy® Awards are presented annually for outstanding achievements in broadcasting. As a member, you receive a discount on entry fees and statuettes, and a chance to recognize your personal excellence by entering your best work. The deadline for our 66th Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards will be Friday, June 14, 2024.   

• Silver Circle Awards Program – As you know, each year, the TV Academy recognizes outstanding individuals who have devoted 25 years or more to the television industry and have made significant contributions to the Chicago and Wisconsin regions.   

• Invitations to Online Seminars/Workshops – Learn about new techniques from your colleagues. In the past, workshops have included a Media Archiving workshop, a Newsroom Ethics panel, and a Google Tools workshop held in conjunction with the Society of Professional Journalists.  Have an idea for a workshop? Let us know.   

• Discount on Video Transfer Services – Need to get rid of those old boxes of videotapes? Mediaburn.org is offering members a discount on digitizing your content. Receive the first two hours of digitization services free (minimum order of five hours) and 10% off the entire service. Email info@mediaburn.org for more information.  

• Job Bank (jobbank.emmyonline.org) – is a free source for employers in the media industries to see and post job openings as a service to NATAS members. See an instruction booklet to get you started at tinyurl.com/jobbanktv.

And our Chapter helps to support:

• Scholarships – We give scholarships to encourage the best students coming into our industry. Each year, we award up to nine scholarships valued from $2,500 to $6,000, including one named in honor of  Silver Circle inductees.  We are one of the strongest chapters in the nation in regard to funds distributed (over $650,000 since the 1990s).  To donate, please go to chicagoemmyonline.org/emmydonate.  Donations are tax deductible.  

Please know that all our volunteer Board of Governors, Junior Board, and other committee members put endless hours into the chapter. For that, we thank them!

Sincerely,4

John Schippman
President
NATAS Chicago/Midwest Chapter
jschippman@emmyonline.tv

Executive Committee

John <br>Schippman<br><h5>President</h5>
John
Schippman
President
Afua<br>Owusu<br><h5>1st Vice President</h5>
Afua
Owusu
1st Vice President
Nicolas<br>DeGrazia<br><h5>2nd Vice President</h5>
Nicolas
DeGrazia
2nd Vice President
Justin<br>Kulovsek<br><h5>Treasurer</h5>
Justin
Kulovsek
Treasurer
David <br>Ephraim<br><h5>Secretary</h5>
David
Ephraim
Secretary
Jim<br>Disch<br>National Chapter Council Rep
Jim
Disch
National Chapter Council Rep
Roz <br>Varon<br>National Chapter Council Rep
Roz
Varon
National Chapter Council Rep
Justin <br>Kulovsek<br>Alternate<br> Chapter Council Rep
Justin
Kulovsek
Alternate
Chapter Council Rep
Larry<br>Stuelpnagel<br>Alternate Chapter Council Rep
Larry
Stuelpnagel
Alternate Chapter Council Rep

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Diana <br>Borri
Diana
Borri
Denise<br>Callaway<br>
Denise
Callaway
Jamie <br>Caesar<br>
Jamie
Caesar
Nicolas <br>DeGrazia
Nicolas
DeGrazia
Guy <br>DiBenedetto<br>(hiatus year)</br>
Guy
DiBenedetto
(hiatus year)
Jim <br>Disch<br>
Jim
Disch
Lauren<br>Drell<br>
Lauren
Drell
David <br>Ephraim <br>
David
Ephraim
Jessie <br>Garcia<br>(hiatus year)
Jessie
Garcia
(hiatus year)
Pam<br>Grimes<br>(hiatus year)
Pam
Grimes
(hiatus year)
Yolanda <br>Joe<br>
Yolanda
Joe
Edie <br>Kasten
Edie
Kasten
Ryan <br>Koscielniak
Ryan
Koscielniak
Justin <br>Kulovsek<br>
Justin
Kulovsek
Ronan <br>Morrissey
Ronan
Morrissey
Maleek<br>Ndile
Maleek
Ndile
John <br>Owens<br>(hiatus year)
John
Owens
(hiatus year)
Afua<br>Owusu
Afua
Owusu
Kristin <br>Pichaske
Kristin
Pichaske
PJ <br>Randhawa
PJ
Randhawa
Mark <br>Rivera
Mark
Rivera
John <br>Schippman
John
Schippman
Tricia<br>Sloma
Tricia
Sloma
Larry<br>Stuelpnagel
Larry
Stuelpnagel
Cheryl <br>Stutzke<br>
Cheryl
Stutzke
Roz <br>Varon
Roz
Varon
Frank<br>Whittaker
Frank
Whittaker
Mark <br>Zoromski
Mark
Zoromski

Emeritus Board Members

Carole <br>Cartwright
Carole
Cartwright
Lenore <br>Dupuis
Lenore
Dupuis
Don <br>Ephraim
Don
Ephraim
Thea <br>Flaum
Thea
Flaum
Steven <br>Novak
Steven
Novak
Luke <br>Palermo
Luke
Palermo
Fred <br>Weintraub
Fred
Weintraub
Jack <br>Wilson
Jack
Wilson

Junior BOARD MEMBERS

Juliette Benjamin
Caroline Bennett
Stuart Blue
Mikey Boyd
Sam Brief
Darcy Buchaniec
Caroline Chen
Maram Elnagheeb
Jeannie Hansen
Miya Jefferson
Arden Kurhayez
Larry Larson
Haley Lloyd
Fredlyn Pierre Louis
Taylor Peterson
Payton Ramsey
Kinsley Reliford
Noah Sallen
Abbas Tayebali
Asia Thomas
Allison Vidales
Aidan Vogel
Jennie Weaver

OUR STATIONS

GREEN BAY-APPLETON

WACY (MyNetworkTV)
WBAY (ABC 2)
WFRV (CBS 5)
WGBA (NBC 26)
WCWF (CW 14)
WLUK (FOX 11)

MADISON

WISC-TV (CBS 3)
Wisconsin Public TV
WKOW (ABC 27)
WMSN (FOX 47)
WMTV (NBC 15)

MILWAUKEE

WCGV
WDJT (CBS 58)
WISN (ABC 12)
WITI (FOX 6)
WMLW
WMVS (PBS Milwaukee)
WTMJ (TMJ 4 NBC)
WVCY

WAUSAU-RHINELANDER

WFXS (FOX 55)
WAOW (ABC 9)
WJFW (NBC 12)
WSAW (CBS 7)

Chicago

TLN
WBBM (CBS 2)
WCPX (ION)
WCIU
WFLD (FOX 32)
WGBO (Univision)
WGN
WJYS
WLS (ABC 7)
WMAQ (NBC 5)
WSNS (Telemundo)
WTTW

Peoria-Bloomington

WAOE  (MyNetworkTV)
WEEK/WHOI (NBC/ABC/CW+)
WMBD/WYZZ (CBS/Fox)
WTVP (Public Media for Central Illinois)

Rockford

WIFR (CBS 23)
WQRF (FOX 39)
WREX (NBC 13)
WTVO (ABC 17)

South Bend-Elkhart

WBND (ABC 57)
WNDU (NBC 15)
WNIT (Michiana PBS)
WSBT (CBS 22)
WYIN (Lakeshore Public Television)

The mission of NATAS Chicago Foundation is to provide scholarships to deserving high school and college students who are studying or intend to study journalism, broadcast television, television production and communications. The foundation is the charitable arm of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) - Chicago/Midwest Chapter, Inc. and is a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Chicago/Midwest Chapter’s scholarship program has distributed more than $680,000 in scholarships to students since the mid-1990s. We are one of the strongest NATAS chapters in the nation in regard to scholarship funds distributed.

Past Chicago/Midwest scholarship recipients include NBC’s Peter Alexander, WGN’s Michael Lowe, ABC7 Chicago’s Jessica D’Onoforio and Jesse Kirsch, WNDU’s Joshua Short, WDJT’s Drew Burgoyne, and NBC6 Miami’s Laura Rodriguez.

DONATE VIA PAYPAL:

You can use the PayPal Donate button:

Or scan the following code with the PayPal mobile app:

DONATE BY MAIL:

To make a scholarship fund donation by check, send to:

NATAS Chicago/Midwest Chapter
c/o Columbia College, Communication Dept
33 East Ida B. Wells Dr., Ste. 535
Chicago, IL 60605

Checks should be made out to:

NATAS Chicago Foundation

Upon receipt, an acknowledgment letter of the donation will be mailed to the donor.

The Foundation accepts donations from individuals and/or corporations on an ongoing basis.

The Chicago/Midwest Chapter is chartered by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), which is based in New York City.

The chapter’s Officers, Board of Governors, and committee chairs are industry professionals from our region who volunteer their time. There are several different committees that are always in need of talented and energetic people.