FREE STUDENT WORKSHOP
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
University of Miami School of Communication
College and High School students!
Here's your chance to learn about all facets of the business.
From technical instruction to the art of storytelling, the Suncoast Student Production Awards will provide students with the insider knowledge they need to advance their profession.
CCNN Live Advisor
Christopher Columbus
High School
Instructor
Broadcast Journalism
Gulliver Preparatory School
President/General Manager
NBCUniversal Local Telemundo
Orlando (WTMO),
Tampa (WRMD),
Fort Myers (WWDT)
Executive Producer
BECON-TV
Independent Director/Producer
Hammer and Nail Productions
Journailst
NBC News, Retired
Sports Anchor
WSVN, Retired
Multiplatform Sports Reporter/Anchor
WTVJ NBC6
Multimedia Producer
Sideshow Charlie Productions
Wolfson Chair
University of Miami
School of Communication
7 NEWS Anchor
Media Specialist
Peebles Communications
RSVP for Trends in Journalism Workshop
RSVP by September 12, 2025
Omar Delgado
CCNN Live Advisor, Christopher Columbus High School
AI Fundamentals in Editing
Omar Delgado, an alumnus of Florida International University (B.A. in History) and Nova Southeastern University (M.S. in Teaching and Learning with a specialization in Technology), has over two decades of experience as a professional cinematographer and educator. For 22 years, he has taught at Christopher Columbus High School, where he advises CCNN Live, a nationally recognized journalism program. Under his leadership, students have earned 109 regional and 18 national Student Production Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), along with six national championships at the Student Television Network (STN). As Director of Educational Technology and Learning Development, Omar leads the CTech team in advancing faculty professional growth. An Apple Learning Coach and certified in ChatGPT integration, he actively contributes to media education through FSPA board work and judging. His program has earned six Broadcast Pacemakers from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).
Zach Garrett
Instructor Broadcast Journalism, Gulliver Perparatory School
AI Fundamentals in Editing
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Zach Garrett is now in his ninth year teaching broadcast journalism and has run programs at Riverside Military Academy and Gulliver Preparatory School. At Riverside, Zach started the Eagle News Network program where students produced a bi-weekly news show and competed at both STN and GSPA. When Zach moved to Miami in 2022, he joined Gulliver Prep to lead the RaiderVision program. Traditionally only a daily live show, the RaiderVision program needed a reboot of energy, focus, and adherence to quality standards.
Since joining RaiderVision, Zach has launched six new shows and taken students to both STN and FSPA winning over 350 state and national awards, 11 Student Production Awards from the Suncoast Emmys®, and two national championships from STN. In 2023, he was named STN's Teacher of the Year. Zach enjoys mentoring teachers who wish to start or enhance their own journalism programs.
José Alberto Suárez
President and General Manager, NBCUniversal Local Telemundo stations in Orlando (WTMO),
Tampa (WRMD), and Fort Myers (WWDT)
Social Media: The Transformation of Journalism
José Alberto Suárez is President and General Manager of NBCUniversal Local’s Telemundo stations in Orlando (WTMO), Tampa (WRMD), and Fort Myers (WWDT), overseeing news, digital, sales, marketing, community affairs, and technology. A veteran media leader with 30 years of local television experience, Suárez has spent the years of local television experience, Suárez has spent the last 20 years with NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. He previously led stations in Las Vegas, Sacramento, Fresno, Utah, and San Antonio, where Telemundo 60 and Telemundo Las Vegas earned Emmy® awards for Overall Excellence under his leadership.
Suárez began his career on air before moving into leadership roles as news director in markets across the country. He also held creative services, programming, and digital leadership positions at NBC 6/WTVJ and Telemundo 51/WSCV in Miami, as well as Telemundo Station Group.
Throughout his career, he has earned multiple Emmy® awards for station promotion and newscast excellence, along with numerous AP honors for his work in local journalism.
Jim Guarasci
Executive Producer, BECON-TV
Cinematography 101
Jim Guarasci has 34 years of experience in film and television production and is Executive Producer at BECON-TV (WBEC-TV). He’s worked in multiple areas of production including as Executive Producer, Director of Photography, Director, Videographer and First AC. He oversees School Duel, Short Cuts and Broward Teen News for BECON-TV. Past productions include commercial work with Pet Supermarket, City Furniture, Flex Seal. And various television series which aired on The History Channel, The Travel Channel, MTV, and VH1, as well as; 400 programs, informational series, and Public Service Announcements for the U.S. Government. Jim is a former Board Member of the Student Television Network. Awards include Suncoast Chapter Emmy® Award, five regional Telly Awards, three Platinum Ava Awards and Communicator Award of Excellence.
Gaspar Gonzalez
Independent Director/Producer, Hammer and Nail Productions
Dive into Documentary Storytelling
Gaspar González is a documentary filmmaker and the founder of Hammer and Nail Productions. His credits include the national PBS release Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami; the ESPN 30 for 30 Short The Guerrilla Fighter; Havana House, winner of the Audience Award at the 2017 Miami Film Festival; Errol Flynn’s Ghost: Hollywood in Havana; A Long Way from Home: The Untold Story of Baseball's Desegregation; and the ESPN feature film The All-American Cuban Comet. His work has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Telly Awards, the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, and AFI Docs. A 2018 Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale University, he has taught at Yale and the University of Miami.
Kerry Sanders
Journalist, NBC News, Retired
Trust Building in Journalism – Field Reporting
Kerry Sanders is a veteran journalist with over 40 years of reporting experience, including 32 years as NBC’s Miami-based correspondent. A University of South Florida graduate, he began his career in local news before joining NBC News full-time. Known for covering major events—from hurricanes and plane crashes to school shootings and war zones— Sanders became a trusted face on NBC Nightly News, Today, and MSNBC. His viral live dolphin rescues after Hurricane Irma and immersive hurricane reporting earned widespread recognition. He’s covered over 100 named storms and received multiple prestigious awards, including the Peabody, Columbia DuPont, and Edward R. Murrow Awards. His work also includes embedding with U.S. Marines in Iraq, reporting from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and chronicling the Chilean copper mine rescue. Sanders retired in 2023 but continues to pursue storytelling, with a focus on environmental and animal issues. He is respected for his courage, compassion, and dedication to impactful journalism.
Steve Shapiro
Sports Anchor, WSVN, Retired
Sports Journalism is a SLAM DUNK!
Steve Shapiro was a mainstay on South Florida television for over 30 years, serving as WSVN’s lead sports anchor from 2003 until his retirement in 2020, making him the longest-serving sportscaster in the region’s TV news history. He joined WSVN in 1997 and anchored sportscasts on 7 NEWS, and hosted Sports Xtra.
Steve began his broadcasting career in 1980 in Roanoke, Virginia, and worked in cities including Boston, Richmond, Cincinnati, Albany, and Hartford. He also worked with ESPN, FOX Sports, and hosted international boxing pay-per-view events. Throughout his career, Steve has covered nearly every major sporting event, including Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NCAA tournaments, Triple Crown horse races, championship boxing, major golf and tennis events, NASCAR, and the Olympics.
Originally from Boston, Steve holds a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University and a bachelor’s in economics from Tufts University, where he played football and baseball.
Giselle Espinales
Multiplatform Sports Reporter/Anchor, WTVJ NBC6
Sports Journalism is a SLAM DUNK!
Giselle Espinales is a sports anchor and reporter who joined NBC6 in August 2021. She also serves as co-host and producer of Sports Final. Since joining the station, she has covered some of South Florida's biggest sporting moments, from the Miami Heat's run to the NBA Finals to the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup championship and everything in between.
Born and raised in Miami, Espinales is proud to cover the teams and athletes she grew up cheering for. A graduate of Miami Springs Senior High, she earned her associate degree from Miami Dade College before completing her bachelor's in broadcast journalism at the University of Miami. Her love of sports reporting began early sparked by the Marlins' 2003 World Series win and the Miami Heat's drafting of Dwyane Wade.
Espinales is passionate about connecting with her community on and off the air. She often speaks at local schools and takes part in charitable efforts throughout South Florida.
Mia Laurenzo
Multimedia Producer, Sideshow Charlie Productions
Podcasting: Ready, Set, Launch – or Level Up!
Mia Laurenzo is a 37-year veteran of public television in Miami and began her career learning every aspect of video production. Her television experiences include producing for a series, special events and documentaries. As a documentary producer, her films have been distributed to PBS stations nationwide and have earned her six Suncoast Regional Emmy® Awards.
Currently she is owner of SideShow Charlie Productions, LLC, a multimedia production company which produces The SoFlo Weird Show podcast. Her freelance work with clients includes content writing, editing, video and audio production, marketing, and media management for all platforms. She has been a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast Chapter's board since 2020. She is currently the 2nd Vice President of the Chapter and Chair of the Student Production Awards Committee.
Prof. Antonio Mora
Wolfson Chair, University of Miami School of Communication
On-Camera Performance
Antonio Mora is a longtime national and local television anchor and reporter best known for his years at ABC News, including his tenure as the news anchor and senior correspondent for Good Morning America. He has received more than a dozen national and local Emmys®, in addition to other major awards. He is currently the Wolfson Chair at the University of Miami's Wolfson School of Communication, where he teaches television performance classes and writing. He also serves as the faculty adviser for The Miami Hurricane, UM's flagship student newspaper, and for television shows on UMTV. He graduated from Harvard Law School and the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela.
Craig Stevens
WSVN 7NEWS Anchor
On-Camera Performance
Craig Stevens is a veteran journalist with over 30 years in television news, primarily as co-anchor at WSVN. An Emmy® Award winner and NATAS Silver Circle honoree, Stevens has covered major stories including Hurricane Andrew, the Oklahoma City bombing, the disputed 2000 presidential election, and the Elian Gonzalez saga. He’s reported internationally on events such as Pope John Paul II’s visits to Cuba and the U.S., and the 2015 U.S. Embassy flag-raising in Havana.
Stevens began his career in the NBC News mailroom in 1987 while still in college, eventually working on shows like NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press. After working two years as a reporter and substitute anchor in Fort Myers and Boston, he joined WSVN in 1992, becoming main anchor in 2001.
He has taught journalism at the University of Miami and Barry University. A Cape Cod native, Stevens graduated from American University in 1990 with a degree in Communication/Print Journalism and a minor in History.
Sandra Peebles
Media Specialist, Peebles Communications
On-Camera Performance
Sandra Peebles is a bilingual journalist, entrepreneur, and media mentor with decades of experience in English- and Spanish-language broadcasting. She is the founder of Peebles Communications, a boutique firm that provides media and communication skills training, and currently hosts a talk show on América Radio 1260 AM. Known for her authentic style, Sandra built a trusted presence in South Florida as a reporter and anchor for Univision 23 and NBC 6. She is a 14-time Emmy® Award winner and a passionate community advocate supporting Amigos for Kids and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.