MODERATOR
MELODY GUERNSEY
Melody Guernsey is a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years of experience. She was a reporter and anchor for Wake Up Wisconsin at WKOW in Madison, WI. Prior to that, Melody was an associate producer at Big Ten Network in Chicago. Melody earned a Master of Science in Journalism degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. At Medill she studied and researched with the Local News Initiative; covered primary education as a beat reporter; and was an MMJ for CAN-TV where she focused on telling community stories. Prior to Northwestern, she received her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Melody grew up in Bolingbrook and loves going to live events, especially games and music concerts. She is always looking for new restaurants and family-friendly activities she can experience with her husband and children.
PANELIST BIOS
JT CESTKOWSKI
JT Cestkowski is a MMJ/Reporter with WKOW in Madison. Prior to his years in front of the camera, JT worked his way up in the communications field in social media management, including time as a social media and digital content manager for his current station. He now tells stories on a variety of platforms, focusing on the labor, economy and environment beats.
SABRINA FRANZA
Sabrina Franza is a Chicago/Midwest Emmy-award winning general assignment reporter with WBBM. She has a passion for digging deep, following up, and getting results using investigative and enterprise reporting. Sabrina loves transporting others to a time or place that they might not ever experience otherwise. To her, that means using storytelling to translate a difficult human experience, a person’s exciting new adventure, or someone’s complicated new idea, and making that interesting and digestible for others. Prior to working at WBBM, Sabrina was an investigative and political reporter with News 12 New York in New York City. When she's not in the field reporting, you'll find her curled up with a good book, trying a new recipe, or travelling somewhere new!
DANI MAXWELL
Dani is News Director at WKOW 27 News. Prior to becoming News Director, Dani was an anchor and Executive Producer of Wake Up Wisconsin and spent several years as the Assistant News Director. Dani has 25 years of journalism experience, mainly as an anchor and reporter in Wisconsin, Illinois and Colorado. She has won numerous professional awards, including a Chicago/Midwest Emmy, a regional Edward R. Murrow award and various awards from the Wisconsin and Illinois Broadcasters Associations.
JENA STOPCZYNSKI
Jena Stopczynski is a South Bend, Indiana native working as the Social Media Manager for ABC57 News. She earned her bachelor's in communications, information and media with a focus in photojournalism from Ball State University in 2011. Jena considers herself an all-around virtual artist that specializes in visual representation, promotion, and image. Jena has worked many avenues in media, some of which include working with award-winning photographers and cinematographers, sports-talk radio with 95.7 The Fan, shooting for the San Antonio Express-News and McNary Art Museum, and working as the Multimedia Coordinator for The History Museum in South Bend. She currently manages the social media pages for ABC57 while integrating her love for photography and creation. Jena works on exclusive stories for the station's website and socials. She writes, shoots and edits all of her own content while maintaining community relationships and assisting on-air talent with their social media presence. Jena also produces her own segments for each ABC57 Kickoff Show ahead of Notre Dame football games.
Martin Varghese
Martin is Vice President of Human Resources for Weigel Broadcasting Co. He has been a Human Resources professional for over 20 years and prides himself on working with managers and employees to find a to grow their careers while remaining authentic to themselves. Martin graduated from American University with a Bachelors in Economics and Political Science and received a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.