Florida Focus - Instructors
Cathy Gugerty
Position:
Instructor 
Cathy is a 30 year veteran of broadcast television with vast experience in news,
production, branding, image promotion, media planning, and public relations. She
held the position of Vice President and General Manager at WDEF TV in
Chattanooga, Tennessee before moving to the Tampa area to pursue teaching.
Previously, Cathy held the position of Director of Marketing for the Media
General Broadcast Group, working the with the Media General stations to
ensure high quality marketing and promotion. Prior to accepting this position
with Media General, Cathy worked as Director of Promotion and Marketing
for WESH-TV in Orlando, FL. Cathy also held the position of Director of
Broadcast Services at WTNH-TV in New Haven, CT., managing the promotion,
programming, production, and community service departments. Other creative
positions include WMC in Memphis, WISN in Milwaukee and WREX in
Rockford.
Melissa Joy Gonzalez
Position:
Teaching Assistant 
Melissa Joy Gonzalez is a graduate student at the University of South Florida seeking a master's in Media Studies. She received a bachelor's degree in Television Broadcasting and a minor in Communications from USF. Melissa has been a teaching assistant for Florida Focus for multiple semesters, where she directs, produces, edits, writes, and facilitates students in learning the daily functions of a news break show. Melissa interned at Univision Tampa, held an anchor position for Florida Focus, was an on-air talent for her own radio show at USF, and was a producer/anchor for a 30-minute documentary that aired on WUSF-TV. Upon graduation, Melissa hopes to find a position in the field of International/Global Media.
Nicholas Fancera
Position:
Teaching Assistant 
Nicholas Fancera is a Graduate Student at the University of South Florida seeking a degree in Strategic Communications Management. Nicholas has developed an Internet radio show and written several short films. He hopes to find a career in Sports Image Management after graduation.
Melissa Watts
Position:
Teaching Assistant/Production Manager 
Melissa Watts received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida with a major in mass communications in May 2012. She recently interned at Daytime on WFLA-TV as a production assistant and has been on the Event Staff at The Joy FM for almost three years. Melissa is currently working on a freelance project, producing a promotional video for an anti-bullying and teen suicide prevention program and marketing the program via social media.
Steve Mutimer
Position:
Broadcast Engineer 
Steve Mutimer is a broadcast engineer and media lab manager for the USF Schoolof Mass Communications supervising all media lab personnel and video content produced by USF Mass Communications students. Mutimer designed and built the digital control room where the School’s most competitive “by invitation only” student newscast “Florida Focus” originates.
Mutimer provides senior undergraduate and graduate multimedia journalism students individual video work critiques and serves as the final quality control prior to student video reports are aired on WUSF-TV or published on WUSF’s website.
After graduating from USF in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Marketing, Mutimer started his professional career in cable. He directed both live and taped sports and entertainment programs throughout the 1980s and 1990s in Florida. During his career he’s also worked for small independent production companies as production manager overseeing all shots including freelance and regular staff.
Mutimer also worked at WEDU, the primary PBS affiliate in Tampa. There he edited a gardening show called “At Garden’s Gate,” which was distributed internationally. The show was shot on location and based out of Cypress Gardens. Mutimer also worked on a 5-year-long grant funded documentary program “Inventing Florida” editing the 90-minute documentary which still airs nationwide on various PBS affiliates.
After WEDU, Mutimer worked for Video Art Productions in Palm Harbor shooting and editing 30-minute programs covering sports. The shows focused on Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Rays and were produced for Fox Sports and the Sunshine Network. He’s also freelanced for the Education Channel shooting and editing special programs featuring local artists called “Art off the Wall.”
Mutimer also serves as a judge for the Independents’ Film Festival in Tampa critiquing domestic and international entries in independent film, animation and documentary categories.
