Connect With Me was as live, local call-in TV talk-show that aired on the MeTV Network in Fresno, California.  The show aired live weekdays from 10am to 11am on over-the-air broadcast TV channels KGMC 43.6, KVBC 13.1 and Comcast cable channel 187.  It was later re-broadcast on other local networks, as well as, hosted on YouTube.  The show aired various segments covering news, current events, the arts, sports, health, business, and more.  I co-created the show with Ventura Broadcasting Company owner, Mark Shirin, as well as, served as Executive Director, technical director, producer, editor, and engineer spanning over 1,500 episodes from 2011 to 2017.  I designed the original set and worked with local contractors to fabricate everything in the studio including the interview desk and removable halogen-lit background panels.  The show originally started out as a 30-minute show in (4:3) format and after negotiations with the network, we were able to secure an entire hour-long spot and later converted the format to a (16:9) format.  The show was the only one of its kind in our region at the time and featured a who’s who of guests ranging from television, film, and sports celebrities to local media personalities, business owners, and politicians.  Over the course of show, we employed various interns from Fresno State’s broadcast/journalism department and full-time employees to assist with guest bookings, editing, directing, and various other duties related to the production.  As a result, many of the interns and employees I trained and mentored were able to advance their careers moving on to organizations including larger local news stations, government agencies, and mainstream television talk-shows.  One of our most popular and older episodes (#187) with television actor Tony Dow, best known for his role as “Wally Cleaver” on the hit show “Leave it to Beaver” has garnered over 265K views on YouTube.  While many episodes have been archived and stored off-line, several episodes can still be found here.