HOW TO CREATE A 
STRONG EMMY® ENTRY

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024 11 am - 12:30 pm
VIRTUAL WEBINAR
Join past Emmy winners who serve as judges for other regional chapters and hear their recommendations for how to showcase your best work in an entry. Moderator: Mark Rivera, WLS-TV. Panelists include: Diana Borri, Emmy Awards Co-Chair; Rebekah Cowing, Executive Director, NATAS Chicago/Midwest.
RSVP HERE

MODERATOR

MARK RIVERA

Mark Rivera came back to work in his hometown when he joined the ABC 7 Eyewitness News team as weekend morning news anchor and reporter in December, 2017. Upon his arrival to the station, News Vice President Jennifer Graves described Mark as a "skilled anchor and a versatile reporter adept at covering everything from big breaking news stories, to politics and feature stories." Rivera grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
The first major live story Rivera covered for ABC 7 Eyewitness News was the funeral and procession of slain police commander, Paul Bauer in 2018. He anchored ABC 7's on-air coverage for more than three hours as Commander Bauer was honored by the city and its residents.

Rivera comes to ABC 7 from WTSP-TV in Tampa, Florida, where he served as the station's weekend morning news anchor and political reporter. While on the anchor desk there, he provided six hours of compelling non-stop coverage of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in nearby Orlando. As the station's political reporter, he covered Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaign rallies, questioned Vice President Mike Pence about Russian influence and co-moderated a heated congressional debate. In addition to the political beat, Rivera has reported on a wide range of stories from the hurricanes that devastated Florida to a family whose son is a 5-organ transplant survivor.
Prior to WTSP, Rivera worked at WAND-TV in Decatur, Illinois where he anchored a two-hour daily newscast, reported breaking news and wrote, edited and reported a weekly feature piece focused on the local community. While at WAND, Rivera won a regional Associated Press Award.

Rivera is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

He, his wife Alissa, and their dog Xena live in the city. They enjoy running and exploring all of the diners, coffee shops, and taco spots Chicago has to offer.

PANELIST BIOS

JAIME CEASER

Jamie Ceaser’s career began at legendary WTTW, one of the nation’s leading public television stations, where she created award-winning documentaries, innovative arts programming, timely public affairs talk shows, and rousing concerts.

Early on, she produced Image Union, among the earliest programs to feature the works of independent producers and pre-dated YouTube and vimeo by 25 years. The program featured one of her favorite hosts of all time, Bob, a cardboard cutout character. Unlike some talent, Bob never talked back. Her work as an independent producer includes segment producing for CBS Evening News and The Newshour on PBS. Jamie’s work has been seen on PBS, AMC, TLC, A&E, The Travel Channel, and VH-1 on programs including: Sneak Previews, CenterStage, The Frugal Gourmet, Movie Club with John Ridley, Home Made Simple, and Remembering Chicago: The Boomer Years. Her favorite interviews include the many teachers she met while producing the Golden Apple Awards, and some of the well-known actors she met during the taping of the PBS show When We Were Young, such as Haley Mills, Margaret O’Brien and Mickey Rooney. But her favorite interview subject will always be the late Bill Veeck, the former owner of the Chicago White Sox and a true Renaissance man. Jamie remains dear friends with his wife, Mary Frances.

Since 2001, she has headed Ceaser Salad Productions, producing everything from documentaries, interactive marketing videos for Fortune 500 companies, small business videos, and a pilot or two. She also produces family legacy videos. And she’s been pushing Dogumentaries and Catalogues (pet stories), but they haven’t yet “cat”apulted her to financial success and the most YouTube hits of all time. During a three-decade career that has seen the face of TV literally change, Jamie’s talent has been recognized with nine Emmy® Awards, two Public Broadcasting Awards, the NATPE Award, a Lisagor Award, the Gracie Award, and the Women in Film: Focus on Achievement Award. But she says her most meaningful recognition by far is the Silver Circle Award, awarded by the NATAS Chicago/Midwest Chapter.

CORNELIUS MACK

Cornelius Mack is the Creative/Marketing Director for CBS Chicago WBBM.

He has been a producer and writer in the Chicago market for 18 years. Prior to that, he has served in Creative Services and Marketing in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Austin, Texas and Norfolk, Virginia..

He's passionate about writing and telling stories. He is a self-professed (or self-diagnosed) film buff and couch potato.