Executive Board
The UMTV Executive Board is comprised of “Officer” positions, each with specific responsibilities, and two Executive Producer positions for each active UMTV show. The group meets at least once per month to discuss ongoing UMTV projects, goals, and policies. All E-Board positions are meant to last for one full academic year, with the ability to reapply.
UMTV Officers
Wrigley Kordt
Station Manager | Class of 2026
Wrigley Kordt is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Motion Pictures. He serves as UMTV’s Station Manager, as well as Host of UMTV’s late-night comedy show, Off the Wire. Wrigley is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. He hopes to pursue a career in screenwriting and directing.
Click here to contact Wrigley.
Taryn Jacobs
Assistant Station Manager and SportsDesk Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Taryn Jacobs is a senior majoring Broadcast Journalism and Media Management and minoring in Sport Administration. Taryn is the Assistant Station Manager and Executive Producer of SportsDesk. She also is an anchor and reporter for NewsVision and SportsDesk. Outside of UMTV, Taryn works as a Production Assistant for UM Athletics and is a Dean’s Student Circle Ambassador. She hopes to pursue an on-air career in sports broadcasting.
Click here to contact Taryn.
Shea McDonald
Outreach Coordinator | Class of 2027
Shea McDonald is a junior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Honors. Shea is UMTV’s Outreach Coordinator and an active reporter, anchor, producer, and director across UMTV programs including SportsDesk, NewsVision, Off The Wire, and UMTV Special Presentations. Shea is a freelance sports podcast analyst and works as a Production Assistant for UM Athletics. He hopes to pursue a career in sports media.
Click here to contact Shea.
Jacob Lyons
Assignment Editor | Class of 2026
Jacob Lyons is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Honors. Jacob is the Assignment Editor for UMTV as well as a video producer, director and technical director for SportsDesk, NewsVision, Off The Wire and other UMTV special projects. Outside of UMTV, Jacob is a Production Assistant for UM Athletics. He looks to pursue a career in the production of live sports broadcasting.
Click here to contact Jacob.
Delanie Haddad
Special Projects Coordinator and SportsDesk Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Delanie Haddad is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Media Management. Delanie is UMTV’s Special Projects Coordinator, the Executive Producer of SportsDesk, Director of NewsVision, and has worked on various UMTV Special Presentations as Director and Technical Director. Delanie is a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She is pursing a career in sports broadcasting.
Click here to contact Delanie.
UMTV Executive Producers
Ann Badowsky
CanesCast Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Ann is a senior majoring in Meteorology with a minor in Broadcast Journalism and Mathematics. Ann has been the co-EP for CanesCast for two years and has delivered forecasts for NewsVision, NewsBreak, and the past two editions of the UMTV Morning Show. Ann has extensive experience with WSI MAX, a professional-grade graphics system, where she can practice her love for weather graphics creation. She hopes to pursue a career in broadcast meteorology.
Click here to contact Ann.
Brian Matute
NewsBreak Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Brian Matute is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Brian is an Executive Producer for UMTV’s NewsBreak and is involved in other UMTV programs such as NewsVision. He hopes to pursue a career in journalism and storytelling.
Click here to contact Brian.
Chris Perez
NewsVision Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Chris Perez is a senior from Coral Gables, Florida. In addition to his work as Executive Producer of NewsVision, Chris has worked in a variety of roles across multiple UMTV shows, including as an associate producer, video producer, technical director, and crew member. Chris co-executive produces Breaking Barriers, a UMTV Special Presentation which introduced the audience to individuals and organizations in the Miami community who don’t let physical disabilities define them. He is also a Dean’s Student Circle Ambassador in the School of Communication.
Click here to contact Chris.
Emma Balleste
UniMiami Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Emma Balleste is a junior majoring in Broadcast Journalism with minors in French and Law & Politics. Emma currently serves as the Executive Producer for UniMiami and is a Video Producer for NewsVision. In previous semesters, Emma has anchored across different shows such as NewsBreak, NewsVision and UniMiami. She also enjoys crewing and working behind the scenes, helping bring stories to life. Outside of UMTV, Emma is passionate about pursuing a career in Broadcast Journalism and is always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow in her career path.
Click here to contact Emma.
Jessica Valdes
UniMiami Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Jessica Valdes is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. She is the Executive Producer of UniMiami and an active member of UMTV, with experience in anchoring, reporting, and newsroom editing. Outside of UMTV, she has worked with University of Miami Athletics, Streann Media, and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. She hopes to pursue a career in broadcast media, focusing on storytelling and amplifying diverse voices.
Click here to contact Jessica.
Johnny Mustion
Off the Wire Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Johnny Mustion is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Johnny is the current Executive Producer of Off the Wire and is an active anchor and segment host for NewsVision and SportsDesk. Johnny is also a sportscaster for WVUM Sports and a desk assistant in the School of Communication Dean’s Office. He hopes to pursue a career in sports and entertainment television.
Click here to contact Johnny.
Kayla Singer
Pulse Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Kayla Singer is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. Kayla is UMTV’s Executive Producer for Pulse, the live entertainment and lifestyle show. She has previous on-air experience across several UMTV programs, including NewsVision, NewsBreak, Pulse, and the Election Special. Outside of school, she held a summer reporting internship with Channel 10. She hopes to pursue a career in producing for entertainment or reality television shows.
Click here to contact Kayla.
Lazaro Chavez
NewsBreak Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Lazaro Chavez is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Political Science. He is Executive Producer of NewsBreak and has contributed in a variety of roles across multiple UMTV shows. Lazaro is also a senior writer for The Miami Hurricane, covering news, sports, arts, and political op-eds, and he serves as President of the College Republicans. Off campus, Lazaro is active in local politics through the City of Hialeah Beautification Committee and managed communications for his sister’s city council campaign. Lazaro hopes to pursue a career in media both on-air and behind the scenes, with a long-term goal of holding public office.
Click here to contact Lazaro.
Melanie Lowe
The Culture Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Melanie Lowe is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Communication Honors. Melanie is an executive producer, reporter and anchor across UMTV programs like Newsvision, Decision Day: 2024 and Breaking Barriers. Outside of UMTV, Melanie is an intern at CBS News Miami, a member of the Tau Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a student member of the National Association of Black Journalist South Florida chapter. She hopes to become a local reporter in a dynamic city, and eventually be a national correspondent.
Click here to contact Melanie.
Ximena Hidalgo
NewsVision Executive Producer | Class of 2026
Ximena Hidalgo is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Motion Pictures. Ximena is one of NewsVision’s Executive Producers, UMTV’s award winning live newscast covering local and campus news, sports, and weather. She’s also been involved in the production of other UMTV shows like NewsBreak and is the former EP of UniMiami. She works as a Student Assistant at UM’s College of Arts and Sciences as a Social Media Producer. She is also a production intern at Telemundo Enterprises for the network’s morning show, HoyDia. She aspires to be a primetime television producer.
Click here to contact Ximena.