Bringing Good
News
To Life
Meet The Staff
(Note: To reduce spam, we have removed full e-mail addresses and mail links from this page. All Office of Radio & Television e-mail addresses are in the format of last name, first initial @ ortv-hartford.org.)
Fr. John P. Gatzak
Executive Director
Television Mass Executive Producer
Crossroads Magazine™ Executive Producer and Co-host
General Manager, WJMJ-FM
Fr. John performed his seminary studies at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, Connecticut, where he received an A.A. degree; St. John Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts, where he received a B.A. in Philosophy; and he completed his priestly formation at the Pontifical North American College, Rome, Italy. While in Rome, Fr. John earned his S.T.B. degree and an M.A. in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. On June 29, 1975, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. John was ordained to the priesthood by the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Fr. John celebrated his 30th Jubilee of priestly ordination on June 29, 2005.
In 1980, Fr. John received an M.A. in Corporate and Political Communications from Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut.
From August 1975 to November 1975 he served as assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish, New Britain, Connecticut.
From 1975 to 1979 he served as associate pastor at Holy Infant Parish, Orange, Connecticut.
From 1979 to 1987 he served as Catholic chaplain to Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, and The University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut.
From 1984 to 1987 he served as assistant director of communications for the Archdiocese of Hartford. In November 1987, Fr. John was appointed as the executive director of the Office of Radio & Television.
In addition to his duties as executive director of the Office of Radio & Television, from December 1992 to June 1997, Fr. John was the executive editor of The Catholic Transcript, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Hartford; and from August 1996 to October 1997 he was the administrator of Blessed Sacrament Parish, East Hartford, Connecticut.
In April 2008, Archbishop Mansell tasked Father John with the oversight of
WJMJ-FM, and in August 2008, upon the retirement of WJMJ's then general manger,
Father John became general manager. In January 2009 the administration,
operations and staff of WJMJ-FM were merged into the Office of Radio & Televsion
E-Mail: ortv
Helen Anastasio
Donor Relations Coordinator
Helen joined the staff in October 1999. Helen's is usually the first voice you
hear when you call the Office. She oversees the receipt and scheduling of donor
prayer requests for the television Mass and coordinates our extensive group of volunteers.
E-Mail: AnastasioH
Jason
Calvi
Reporter/Writer
Jason is a reporter for
Crossroads Magazine™
and joins ORTV after working as a reporter at the PBS station serving Northwest
Indiana and broadcasting across Chicago. Among many stories, Jason covered the
Presidential campaigns of 2008. Before that, he worked four years for LCTV, his
campus television station. Jason studied Media and Politics at Loras College in
Iowa, where he also served leadership roles on the hockey team and in campus
ministry. In May, he will graduate with an M.A. in Theology from Aquinas
Institute in St. Louis.
E-Mail: CalviJ
Darlena
Cunha
Producer, Reporter and Writer
Darlena is the producer of
Crossroads Magazine™ and comes to
ORTV with a background in daily live news production. Producing such shows
as Right Now with RD Sahl in Boston for NECN, and Good Morning, San Diego, in
California for KUSI. She has written for Fox News Network in New York City, and
for News 12 and Channel 3 right here in Connecticut. As such, she brings more
than five years of live producing experience to Crossroads Magazine™.
She grew up in Connecticut and attended UConn with a double major in journalism
and biology. She is married and the mother of two beautiful twin girls.
E-Mail: CunhaD
Alisha Leavelle Feltes
Producer, Reporter and Writer
Alisha is a reporter for Crossroads Magazine™, producer of That’s The Spirit and
producer of WJMJ’s Rearview Perspective. Alisha moved from Pennsylvania to join
the ORTV team in May 2008. She graduated with a BA in English with a
concentration in Communications from Lebanon Valley College in 2005. After
college, she spent a year reporting and photographing sports and entertainment
for a weekly newspaper, and then two years as the producer of a daily half hour
newscast at a Pennsylvania television station. Alisha says she’s enjoying
Connecticut and is happy to have the opportunity to get out into the community
and meet people. She says she’s learning a lot and she’s glad she made the
switch from writing hard news stories to stories that are more educational and
fun.
E-Mail: FeltesA
Joan Napp
Executive Assistant
Joan joined the staff in August 2006 and assists the business manager with business office and other
administrative functions. She was a fill-in Co-host of Crossroads Magazine from
May 2007 to November 2007.
E-Mail: NappJ
Scott Parmelee, CPA
Business Manager
Scott is a 1984 graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a B.S. in
Business Administration. He earned his CPA that same year. Scott
worked in public accounting for 5 years with "Big 8" accounting firm and 2 years
in internal auditing with a major insurance company.
Scott started as a volunteer with the Office in 1989 and became a staff member
in February 1992. Scott was also the business manager for The Catholic
Transcript from 1993 to 1997. Scott is an Extraordinary Minister of the
Eucharist for St. Anthony Parish in Prospect.
Scott is responsible for all the Office's business functions,
budgeting, accounts payable, HR, payroll, etc.; maintaining our computer systems and this web site;
and he coordinates all the pilgrimage
tours sponsored by the Office of Radio
& Television.
E-Mail: ParmeleeS
Tony Purcaro
Production Assistant
Tony rejoined the staff, part-time, in March 2006. Tony's duties are
primarily with the production of the daily television Mass but he also assists
with special productions of the Office.
Kim Sanders
Reporter and Writer
Kim joined the staff in May 2007. Kim performs duties as a reporter and writer for Crossroads Magazine™,
and other Office radio and television productions. In addition, she
assists with the Closed Captioning duties for the various television programs
produced by the Office of Radio & Television.
E-Mail: SandersK
Bruce Tumyol
Videographer and Video Editor
Bruce joined the staff, part-time, in
June 2007, and became a full-time staff member in January 2008 after graduating
from Central Connecticut State University in December 2007 with a B.A. in
Communications-Mass Media. Bruce performs duties as videographer and video editor for
Crossroads Magazine™ and various production duties for
the television Mass and other productions.
E-Mail: TumyolB
Stephanie Valickis
Reporter and Writer
Stephanie is a 1990 graduate of Emerson College with a B.S. in Journalism.
After graduating, she worked for a New London news station, where she wrote,
edited and ran studio camera. She first began working for the Office as a
freelance reporter in 1995 and was a part-time staff member from 1996 to 2002
when she left to dedicate her time to her family. She continued to
freelance for Crossroads Magazine™. She is a part-time Librarian at St.
Anthony School in Winsted and is also the Director of the school’s Drama Club.
She re-joined the staff, part-time, in November 2007. Stephanie performs
duties as a reporter and writer for Crossroads Magazine™, and other Office radio
and television productions. Upon her return she said “I’m excited to be back
writing and unearthing my creative skills.”
E-Mail: ValickisS
Debbie Wilson
Business Office Assistant
Debbie joined the staff part-time in December 2001, and in January
2004 she became a full-time staff member. Debbie's primary responsibility is
the scheduling of donor prayer requests for the television Mass. She also
assists the business manager with business office and administrative functions.
E-Mail: WilsonD
Sara Ziegler
Videographer and Video Editor
Sara joined the staff in December 2005. Sara performs duties as videographer and
video editor for Crossroads Magazine™, On this Rock - MVP™, various production
duties for the television Mass and other productions, and assists with the
Closed Captioning duties for the various television programs produced by the
Office of Radio & Television.
E-Mail: ZieglerS
Jerry Zimmerman
Television Mass Producer
Jerry, not "Gerry", joined the staff in February 1996. Jerry is responsible for
the scheduling of the priests, lectors and musicians for the television Mass. As
you know, this is a very important position, and Jerry keeps everything on
schedule. Jerry also assists in the production of various radio programs
produced by the Office.
E-Mail: ZimmermanJ
