Daniel Kopec is a 6 time Emmy Award winning Writer, Producer, and Director. WIth more than 10 years in the industry his work has been seen on NBC, CNN, VH-1 and PBS.  He is currently the Executive Producer at KBTC Public Television. He writes and produces the documentary series Full Focus, the weekly local public affairs program Northwest Now, and special documentary projects. His work has received numerous national and regional awards.

Andrea Flatley is co-chair of the Awards Committee and is a previous Regional Chair. She is currently a freelance writer in Seattle working for KOMO-TV and the Vancouver Business Journal. Before moving to Seattle Andrea worked at KPTV in Portland and KXLY in Seattle. While producing at those stations she helped launch magazine style broadcasts, a mid-day newscast and field produced for a variety of special projects. Andrea received an Emmy Award in 2008 for her work on a Special Assignment Report, AWOL In Canada and a Community Service nomination for her work with the KXLY Extreme Team Girl Scouts Build. Andrea is a graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism. In her free time she writes for the wine, beer & spirit blog WestToast. She has served on the NATAS NW board since 2009.

John Sharify feels blessed to share inspiring stories about the Seattle community. He is currently a contributing correspondent for KING 5 News, and the General Manager of Seattle Community Colleges Television, SCCTV, and General Manager of Seattle's public access station, Seattle Community Media. John is honored to have served as President of the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences from 2006-2010.

In 2011, John was honored with 3 Emmys and a National Murrow award for his work at KING. He was also a finalist for NPPA's Photojournalism Award for Reporters.

John is a 40 time Emmy Award winner with 7 National Edward R. Murrow Awards including the 2008, 2007, and 2004 National Murrows for Writing, which honors the top broadcast news writer in the country.  John started his reporting career in New York City at WPIX TV nearly 30 years ago, and in 1989 headed west where he deliivered his signature stories for KOMO 4 News in Seattle for the next eighteen years.  He has received Lifetime Achievement awards from various organizations including the Academy of Religious Broadcasting, the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, and Seattle's Union Gospel Mission for his 'compassionate reporting of the homeless'. He is also the proud recipient of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence "Take Action" award for his work on raising awareness on the issue of domestic violence.

John just finished a documentary about the holocaust called "Boys of Terezin", which has already been shown in film festivals in Sydney and Melbourne Australia, and West Palm Beach and Miami, Florida.  In the spring of 2012,  the documentary will be screened inToronto, Canada, Providence, R.I., and New Jersey. John also does storytelling workshops nationally, and internationally for broadcast journalists, most recently in Norway and Denmark.

John is a proud graduate of Princeton University where he received his B.A. in Politics and Near Eastern Studies. He also has a Master of Fine Arts degree in film directing from Columbia University where he studied under acclaimed filmmaker Milos Forman.

Maria Lamarca Anderson joined KIRO 7 as community relations manager in May 2007. Her previous experience includes shopping center, social service, high-tech and arts marketing and corporate public relations, resulting in a diversity of experiences with a variety of media and awards for her campaigns. She is also a freelance writer and communications consultant. Throughout her career Maria has volunteered with an array of non-profit organizations, at present with Lifelong AIDS Alliance, the Mary M. Gates Guild of Children’s Hospital and Seattle Women’s Chorus. She joined the board of the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as marketing chair in 2004. She is a past president of the Seattle Advertising Federation and served on its board for seven years.