The 21st edition of SUNY Oswego’s Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit will host an all-star alumni panel discussing “The Evolution of an Idea: How to Nurture Creativity in the Digital Age” and other events on Thursday, Oct. 23.

The annual highlight for the College of Communication, Media and the Arts also kicks off three days of celebrations (Oct. 23 to 25) for the reopening of Hewitt Hall as the home of several communication-related programs after an $80 million state-funded renovation.

Appearing at 3 p.m. in the Hewitt Hall ballroom, panelists will include 2005 graduate Gabriel Almanzar, vice president of creative and editing operations for CBS News; 1984 graduate Barry Gliner, director of post-production for Warner Bros. Discovery; and 2016 graduate Kim Abbondondolo, producer for MSG Networks; with 2006 graduate Michelle Garcia, editorial director for NBC BLK, serving as moderator. 

The panel discussion will explore how to balance the impact of technology with the power of human imagination, offering techniques to spark innovation, enhance problem-solving and refine creative processes. These alumni also will visit classes and gatherings throughout the day to share their advice, wisdom and experiences with current Lakers.

In addition, a Career Connectors networking event invites students in all majors to meet recent alumni for conversations and connections from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Hewitt Hall Collaborative Core.

Working with communication studies faculty member Francisco Suarez, a talented student team is led by co-event directors Aimee Cisneros and Sophia Sakalis and video production lead Jonah Hawthorne, who are all broadcasting and mass communication majors.

Given the focus on creativity and the event unfolding as part of activities to celebrate the reopening of Hewitt Hall, Sakalis said organizers have been open to new and innovative ideas in delivering the event.

“My favorite part about leading the team is being able to gain hands-on experience and also put forth ideas that we never imagined could be put forth for a media summit,” Sakalis said. 

Cisneros noted the amount of attention involved in ensuring that a very complicated day of class visits, Career Connectors networking and the panel presentation hit their marks, “working hand in hand with Sophia to ensure that it goes off without a hitch.”

Creative showcase

Hawthorne and fellow student filmmaker Drake Crook have put their creative skills to the test to help draw people to this event.

“We've done a lot of really fun, creative segments to help promote this event,” Hawthorne said. In addition to some lighter ideas, like using a Pokemon-influenced video revealing the panelists, “the more daunting project was making a three-minute intro video that's going to be played at the event to really highlight how important this is.”

Even with the rise in artificial intelligence and other technology, the event celebrates the importance of human creativity and connections.

“I think that it's a good opportunity for the students to network and to show that, just because there are so many innovative things with AI and digital creation, that human touch is still very important in media,” Cisneros said. “Just because those things are evolving so quickly, it doesn't mean that our own human creativity isn't going to be still a very important and integral part of digital media and media as a whole.” 

“As technology merges and evolves, it's important as media students for us to reconcile the fact that we have to evolve with that technology and not let it diminish our life and creativity into projects,” Sakalis noted. 

Cisneros emphasized that students in many disciplines can benefit from attending, as media companies also need business majors, for example, to support their operations.

“Bringing the students in to network and meet people that they wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to meet, and that helps their careers, it's really fun and interesting to see where we're all going to go,” Cisneros said.

The students all appreciated the opportunity and offered thanks to the large student team, as well as faculty, staff and alumni supporting the production. They also know it’s a key opportunity to really knock the first media summit in Hewitt Hall out of the park.

“My favorite part is actually the part that is most daunting to me, which is the notion that the footage we're putting together is going to be seen by Emmy Award winners and other high-profile alumni,” Hawthorne said.

Alumni expertise

“Students should come to this event to hear firsthand from alumni that walked in the same shoes we did, the same classes that we did, and are now in the digital world in an industry that keeps evolving,” Sakalis said. The alumni panelists bring a wide variety of experiences and skills that can inspire any attendee.

Garcia has dedicated her career to serving as an editor and leader for web-based publications and magazines including Vox.com. The journalism graduate’s commitment to highlighting marginalized communities earned her recognition including an award from Folio, acknowledgment from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Association, and a nomination from the Western Publishing Association for Best Web Publication. Her leadership position with NBC BLK involves a news organization focusing on the African American community from an African American perspective.

With a broadcasting and mass communications degree, Abbondondolo is a three-time New York Emmy-winning branded content producer at MSG Networks who has received 16 Emmy nominations in all. Her Oswego years included active involvement with WTOP-10 and WNYO, where she anchored, hosted and reported on sports-related original productions. She works as a collaborative producer, director, editor, project manager and videographer, with clients that include WWE, FanDuel, DoorDash, BMW and Delta.

Almanzar oversees design strategy, post-production, and visual storytelling for major CBS News broadcasts. An accomplished multi-Emmy Award winner with more than two decades of experience in both news and sports media, he earned his degree in graphic arts with a minor in Spanish. Almanzar actively engages with the College of Communication, Media and the Arts Advisory Board. His creative initiatives, technical expertise and notable achievements are recognized as significant contributions to modern broadcast design.

Gliner earned a degree in broadcasting and communications while involved in organizations such as WTOP and what was then the Lanigan Television Studios. After graduating, Gliner gained hands-on experience in video editing, production and post-production, while also evolving his editorial direction skills. In his role for Warner Bros. Discovery, he strives to exemplify the qualities of a key leader, ensuring that productions maintain the highest quality standards.

In addition, students have the opportunity to meet and speak with this year’s Career Connectors:

  • Kaylee Filighera (Class of 2019), associate manager of social media, Rich Products Corporation
  • Emma Leavy (Class of 2020), filmmaker/camera operator for the New York Mets and New York Islanders, among other clients
  • Seung Guk Damon Park (Class of 2020), a freelance video editor and master at Park’s Martial Arts
  • Theresa Personna (Class of 2019), senior specialist for marketing and publicity at Kogan Page

SUNY Oswego’s College of Communication, Media and the Arts hosts the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit each fall. The summit was founded in 2005 by media pioneer and 1977 Oswego alumnus Lou Borrelli. In 2007, 1976 Oswego graduate Al Roker of NBC’s “Today” show became a co-sponsor of the event, which was renamed in memory of their beloved professor, the late Lewis B. O’Donnell.

For more information on the Lewis B. O'Donnell Media Summit, visit mediasummit.org.

Other activities celebrating the reopening of Hewitt Hall will include an open house in Hewitt and Tyler halls from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. Stay tuned to Oswego Today for more info and updates.