What’s your name and title at Smithsonian Channel (SC) and how long have you worked there?
“I’m the Executive Vice President for Programming and Production which really means that I oversee the editorial and creative direction of our channel. I’ve been with the channel since day one.”
Give a few sentences about your background…how did you get to SC?
“I had spent the previous nine years with National Geographic – as executive producer of their flagship EXPLORER series and also as their EVP of production. Before that I was an independent filmmaker, working on everything from a history of the Mafia to non-fiction comedy, from the popular “Trauma” series to a documentary about the collapse of the Soviet Union.”
What’s the coolest thing you’ve done in your career or life (something you love telling people about because it’s exciting or it’s something you never thought you’d get to do)?
“I’ll never forget living through the collapse of the Soviet Union…watching courageous people put their lives on the line for freedom. Today, we forget how unexpected it all was. At the time, we had little idea how fast the Soviet Union would unravel. The experience was awe-inspiring, scary, exhausting and exhilarating. It was my fortune to be in the Lithuanian Parliament when they declared independence. This small, defenseless nation was the first to break away. We all waited for the Soviet tanks to come. They never did.”
What’s the hardest part of your job?
“Not having enough money, nor time, to tell all the stories that deserve telling…”
If you were stuck on an island and could take 3 things, what would they be?
My dog – she’d keep me constantly amused; a shortwave radio – in the hope that I’d hear news of my impending rescue; a bar of Cadbury’s chocolate – I have a sweet tooth.
What are some of your hobbies, skills and interests?
“Running, photography and sailing small dinghies in strong winds.”
Your favorite travel destination and why?
“Zimbabwe. Despite its current troubles, it’s the most wonderful country with some of the friendliest people in the world. It’s hard to beat a landscape that includes the Victoria Falls, the Great Zimbabwe ruins and the Matobo Hills.”
What’s currently on your iPod?
“Dejame entrar” by Carlos Vives, “Quixotic” by Martina Topley Bird, “Abbey Road” by the Beatles, “Moondance” by Van Morrison, Mahler’s “Symphony, #5” and “Chapter Three: Viva Emiliano Zapata” by Gato Barbieri.
Why do you work at SN?
“It’s a wonderfully exciting challenge to take the world’s largest and most popular museums, find the stories behind the objects, discover the passions of its curators and scientists, and dream up ways to bring them to a wider audience all across America.”
Give me a unique fact about yourself.
“Unique? I doubt it. But I’ve worked as a garbage man and a lobster fisherman.”
If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
“Someone tall, dark and handsome.”
