The Bay Area's famous Golden Gate fog made way on the morning of July 19 for the annual retreat for the Board of Governors of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 

      Governor George Lang, owner of The Big Picture Film and Video Arts, secured the Loch Lomond Yacht Club in San Rafael, which hosted the retreat. This get-together provides a way for the Board to run a post-mortem of the Emmy Awards Gala event held June 15 in San Francisco, strategize for the upcoming year and welcome the newly-elected members of the Board.

      Newly-elected Governors arrived for orientation with Chapter Executive Director Darryl Compton and Linda Giannecchini, national NATAS trustee and national awards chairperson. Compton and Giannecchini briefed the newly-elected Board members on the duties of serving as a Governor, the Chapter by-laws and what is expected of them throughout their initial two-year term.

      Following the initiation of the new Board members, the retreat began when the full Board arrived. The Board is made up of 25 Governors (the local chapter has 23 Governors at the moment; there have been two resignations), eight committee chairpersons, 10 officers (there are two open positions - Vice President, Small Markets and Secretary) and four trustees (three trustees and one alternate). 

      Each of these positions participate and vote on local NATAS business (members holding more than one position only get one vote). 

Plans for Off Camera Melanie Woodrow and Kevin Wing discuss new ideas for the Off Camera newsletter

      "A table of 23 trustees, officers and governors had the opportunity to meet newly-elected board members, renew old ties, and plan fresh initiatives," says Keith Sanders, Chapter president and a media producer at San Jose State University. 

      After initial introductions, incumbent members introduced themselves to the new members. Then, the retreat began with an agenda of moderate presentations: "Turning Emmy Gold into Emmy Green"; webcasting; the rollout of our new Chapter website; and strategic planning.

      In four years, Emmy Gala Chairperson Julie Watts, a consumer investigative reporter and anchor and KPIX 5, overhauled the Chapter's premier event -- the Emmy Awards -- turning it into something special.           Specifically, Watts has guided the Gala toward profitability and produced a shorter and more exciting event. Before Watts' involvement, the awards portion of the Gala had swelled to almost five hours in previous years. Historically an event that has lost money, Watts created the template for the Gala to transform it into a profitable event for the Chapter. She has guided the Board on ways to entice sponsors to participate in the event. 

      The Gala has always lost money because the ticket prices and Emmy entry fees do not offset the costs of the Emmy statues, dinner, hotel charges, and various union contracts. 

      Despite these losses, new sponsors have assuaged the situation.

      Compton calls the event "the monster that keeps growing", referring to the cost, addition of categories and keeping up with technology. 

      In the past, Bay Area stations KGO and KTVU have underwritten and televised the show. The stations would take care of production costs, while the Chapter concentrated on the awards themselves. While there is no longer a local broadcast of the Gala, the Chapter produces a webcast of the event, paying for all production costs. 

      Production duties are under the direction of Chapter Governor Karen Sutton, general manager of Beyond Pix. 

Planning Takes Leadership Chapter President Keith Sanders, far left, engages Board members (left to right) Patty Zubov, Greg Rando, Linda Giannecchini and Kim Stephens

  "The Emmy webcast is on the cutting edge of technology," Sutton says. She guarantees that the live streaming and the added content of expanded recipient interviews and bonus coverage will always be of the highest quality.

      Watts is retiring from serving as executive producer of the Emmy Gala. She will no longer oversee the event but will stay involved as the Awards Chair. At the retreat, she outlined her ideas to elevate the Gala to the next level. She suggested finding a way to eliminate the expensive dinner portion of the evening, which ties the event to expensive San Francisco hotels, while looking for ways to keep the show attractive for sponsorships. 

      Watts encouraged each governor, chair and officer to support the Emmy Gala event

New Chapter Website Marketing Chairperson Patty Zubov, promoting the yet-to-debut new Internet home for the Chapter

      The other major undertaking this year will be the debut of the Chapter's new website. 

      Marketing Chairperson Patty Zubov, executive producer at Platonic TV, said the website's launch will be after Sept. 1.

      Using the WordPress format, Board governors and chairpersons will be able to change and update their sections of the site individually. In the past, content changes were relayed to a third party. New content can be entered immediately now, trumping waiting a week, the current process.  

      Sanders says it is necessary to bring new members up to speed and review the previous year's events and and plan the future direction of the Chapter. 

      "The retreat at Loch Lomand Yacht Club in San Rafael was more than just a room with a view. It was a room where all points of view could be heard while discussing critical issues," Sanders says.

      "It was inspiring to see how much more the Board does above and beyond the Emmys, said Melanie Woodrow, a first-term Governor and an investigative reporter at KTVU Channel 2. "I look forward to contributing to Off Camera and judging student awards."

      Greg Rando, a Governor and KTVU's promotion manager, said he "learned so much in the last year on the Board."

      "It's a very rewarding experience," Rando said. "I just thought stuff like the Emmy awards show just happened, but I've learned that it takes a lot of hard work from a lot of talented people. And it's not just the Emmy's. From educational programs and scholarships to speaking engagements and offering health insurance to members, being a member of NATAS is very rewarding."

      After the retreat, Lang offered board members a ride on his 43 foot cruiser yacht - a 430 Sports Coupe, which he berths at the marina.

      The Loch Lomond Yacht Club overlooks the marina's 500 berths, one of the largest marinas in the Bay Area. 

By Keith Sanders

Chapter President

         Faith Fancher was 53 years old when she lost her battle with breast cancer in late 2003. But, the beloved, longtime KTVU Channel 2 reporter, who worked at the station from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, has never been forgotten.

      The walk/run course circles Oakland's scenic Lake Merritt and is a fundraiser for uninsured and underinsured women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.  FedEx presents the 10th Annual Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Challenge on Aug. 23 at Lake Merritt in Oakland. 

      KTVU Channel 2 anchor Dave Clark and reporter Cristina Rendon will keep the program moving as this year's emcees. KGO-TV ABC7 anchor Dan Ashley and his band, PUSH, will perform during the pre- and post-Walk program.

      Chocolate Platinum "Soul Line" Dancers will provide warm-up for the event. 

      Raffle prizes include the following: iPad Air, 10th Anniversary Photo Quilt and a Mexico timeshare package.

      There will be awards for the top three overall runners and top three overall walkers. Day of event on-site registration for non-registered participants begins at 8:30 a.m. 

      The walk/run begins at 10 a.m. and prizes will be given away at 11:15 a.m.

      (Editor's Note: For more on the life and career of Faith Fancher, please read about her in this issue's Gold & Silver Circle Profiles, below.)

By Joyce Mitchell

Chapter Governor

     A TV moment in Fremont -- the Bay Area's fourth largest city -- provides a rare glimpse into an Afghan men's group that meets like clockwork every Thursday afternoon to provide emotional and mental health support to one another. 

     Violence and social upheaval in Afghanistan have had a lasting impact on Fremont's Afghan community.

Sacramento Film Crew Chronicles Afghan Men's Group Documentary Producer Joyce Mitchell (right), with videographer Ken Day (second from left)

   The central portion of Fremont's Centerville District has become known as Little Kabul because it has the largest population of Afghans anywhere in the Western world. Mild weather and nearby rolling hills remind them of their homeland. Unfortunately, nearly half live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

     In March, the group agreed to participate in a Sacramento television documentary. After meeting with the crew and gaining trust, the Afghan men's group agreed it was important to show viewers how peer support has been helpful for members dealing with mental health issues.

     The group has dozens of members and several agreed to be interviewed for the

documentary entitled A Choice to Heal: Mental Health in California. The program aired on CBS May 31 and was hosted by Mariel Hemingway.

     The Afghan Men's Group is facilitated by Mohammad Tariq Mehdavi. "There is a big problem on all the refugees," Mehdavi says. "The isolation is a big problem for them." Mehdavi was one of the first refugees to settle in Fremont in 1979 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. "We came and I was among twenty families here. Now, it's about 40,000 people."

     The focus of the documentary is to highlight various Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) programs funded by California's Mental Health Initiative Proposition 63. The initiative was passed by voters in 2004. Twenty-percent of funds are earmarked for PEI. Many PEI programs are geared toward preventing stigma, homelessness and incarceration of people with mental illness.

     Other documentary elements included San Francisco's Larkin Street Youth Services, and Huntington Park's El Centrito de Apoyo, which means little center of support and culturally appropriate services for American Indians disproportionately impacted  by suicide and addiction. "I'm really gratified when I hear all the good work that's going on in all the communities and I'm so grateful to the people who have taken the dollars and taken the act and put it to work," California Senate President Pro Tem and Proposition 63 Co-Author Darrell Steinberg says.

      While the Afghan community is very private, Mehdavi and his group agreed to participate in the program to help shatter stigma and demonstrate how ongoing peer support shores up people living with mental health challenges. "Yes, I have good experience for myself," Mehdavi says. "The amount of medicine which I used to use, now I am not using that much. The young doctor you saw in there, he is a psychologist and he comes every Thursday and tells us about these kinds of problems that are going on among Afghans."

Documentary Showcases Fremont's "Little Kabul" Community Veteran Sacramento videographer Ken Day (right), filming the CBS documentary

     One of the biggest humanitarian crises of modern history, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 sent millions of people fleeing. The United States backed rebels fighting the Soviet invasion and granted Afghans political asylum. Refugees grabbed their children and escaped when they could.

     Ongoing strife in Afghanistan ignites painful memories of family and friends lost or left behind from days of the early 80's. "I haven't seen or heard from them since, " says Mohammad Naim Mojaddedi. "I mean, they are gone. We don't know, hear about them. This incident at that time affected me mentally and emotionally a lot. They are lost and presumed dead. It was a tragic experience for me."

     While the Afghan men's meeting is modest, outcomes are profound. "When you have the chance to talk to someone, particularly the same group that has the same kind of problems, it is somehow a relief," says Abdullah Kazem, Ph.D. "Life is not so easy. We have to be hopeful. I have come to the conclusion that you have to be hopeful and you will be successful."

Eat Your Way to a Trimmer Waist

      Are you finding it harder to maneuver in tight spaces like the control room or on challenging field assignments? If so, you might want to consider shedding the extra weight that has settled around your belly. Extra fat from the waistlines of obese subjects compared to dieters who ate refined- A large waistline (abdominal obesity or "having an apple shape") not only slows you down, but puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

 The Whole-Grain Diet

     A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a calorie-controlled dietrich in whole grains decreased egrain foods. A grain product is whole grain if a whole grain is listed as the first ingredient on the food label. By following the whole-grain eating plan, participants lost more abdominal fat than another group that ate the same diet, but ate refined grains instead.

    To determine caloric needs, each subject's daily energy needs were calculated minus 500 calories per day to produce a calorie deficit that is necessary to lose weight. To replicate the study, eat the following foods daily for 12 weeks (the participants lost 12-14 pounds):  

• Four to seven whole-grain servings/day (amount is based on your energy needs)
• Five servings of fruits and vegetables
• Three servings of low-fat dairy
• Two servings of lean meat, fish or poultry

Participants in the whole-grain group included the following whole-grain foods:

• Bread and rolls, 2-2.5 servings/day (1 slice bread = 1 serving)
• Brown rice (1/2 cup or 120 mL = 1 serving)
• Oatmeal (1/2 cup or 120 mL = 1 serving)
• Pasta (1/2 cup or 120 mL = 1 serving)
• Ready-to-eat cereal (1 ounce or 28 g = 1 serving)
• Salty snacks (e.g., popcorn, whole grain crackers, snack chips)
• Snack bars (0.5-1 serving/day)

    The participants also engaged in moderate physical activity three or more days per week for 30 minutes per session. Ideally, aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise each week which translates to 30-60 minutes on most days.

Decrease Inches and Inflammation

    The study also found that the subjects in the whole-grain group decreased their levels of C-reactive protein (a biomarker for inflammation) by 38% whereas CRP levels in the refined-grain group were unchanged. CRP is an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a predictor of cardiac events in persons with and without CVD.

How to Shop for Whole Grains

    To qualify as a whole grain, 100% of the original kernel - all of the bran, germ, and endosperm - must be present. All grains start out whole, but during the refining process, the bran and germ are removed. As a general rule, look for the key word "whole", such as "whole grain", "100% whole grain", or "whole wheat" when shopping for a whole-grain product.

Beware of the following product ingredient descriptions as they MAY NOT be whole grain:

• Wheat, wheat flour, durum wheat
• Semolina, stoneground, organic flour
• Multigrain (may be a mix of whole grains or several refined grains or a mix of both)

These words NEVER describe a whole grain food:

• Enriched flour
• Degerminated or degermed (on corn meal)
• Bran
• Wheat germ

The following grains are invariably whole grain without being preceded by the word "whole":

• Amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat)
• Popcorn, millet, oats, oatmeal
• Quinoa, sorghum (milo), triticale
• Rice (brown, wild, and colored, such as red or black rice)

For the following, you need to look for the word "whole" to be sure you're getting a whole grain:

• Barley, corn, cornmeal
• Rye, spelt, wheat

Karen's Fit Tip:  

As you can see, eating whole grains is not limited to just whole wheat, oatmeal and brown rice. Be adventurous and try a different grain each week!

Karen Owoc is a San Francisco Bay Area-based reporter and producer and is host of The Health Reporter. She also served on the Board of Governors of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 

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