The Gold & Silver Circle is not an award; it’s a society of honor.
Television professionals are inducted to recognize significant contributions made
by these individuals to our industry for 25+ years (Silver) or 50+ years (Gold).
TICKETS
Single ticket: $99
Table for 8: $792
*Tickets are digital and have been emailed
to the email(s) listed on the order form
SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 21, 2024
6:00 PM — Dinner
6:15 PM — Induction Ceremony
LOCATION
Chateau Luxe
1175 E Lone Cactus Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85024
MENU
Salad (Preset)
Baby Kale and Mizuna Tomato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Entrée
Citrus Herb Roasted Chicken Breast with Crushed Yukon Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables
OR Vegetarian: Roasted Cauliflower with Gluten Free Orzo Pasta, Blistered Tomato, Baby Carrots and Patty Pan Squash
(please choose meal selection on the ticket form)
Dessert
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Carol Lynde
Carol Lynde began her broadcasting career as a TV news photographer at KTVK in Phoenix and became the first woman in the market to hold that position. Her career later took her to news stations in Atlanta, Montana, and Denver before she returned to Arizona as a videographer/editor for Arizona PBS in 2000. Then came her “dream job” as a video producer for the Arizona Game and Fish Department in 2004.
"Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to stories that involve nature and the outdoors. Whether it's counting woodpeckers in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, watching prairie chickens dance in Montana, or translocating bighorn sheep in Arizona, I'm just fascinated. It truly is my passion.”
Carol now runs her own production company, Tall Paul Productions, specializing in wildlife, outdoor, and human interest videos.
She has earned 22 Regional Emmy® Awards and has been inducted into the Silver Circle Society.
Malachy Wienges
Mal Wienges spent a distinguished 31 years at the CBS Television Network, rising to the position of Vice President, Sales/Marketing, and Technical Systems. Wienges is credited with originating the concept of remote production for daytime dramas (soap operas) by taking "The Guiding Light" to the Bahamas in 1976. Since then, Malachy has participated in more than 154 worldwide location productions.
In June 2011, he was elected Chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, serving as NATAS Chairman for three years. He also served NATAS as its Vice Chair from 2008 to 2011, and in addition, he was National Treasurer from 1990 to 1996.
In 2014, the Trustees of NATAS granted him the title of Chairman Emeritus. Mal was awarded three National Emmy® Awards, including a Sports Emmy® for Technical Achievement for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and a second National Emmy® in 1992 for the NFL on CBS. In 2022, Wienges won a Daytime Emmy® as an executive producer in the category of Outstanding Short Form Children’s Program for the provocative documentary "Girls’ Voices Now," a HERE Media production. In 2005, Wienges was appointed by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to serve as one of twelve commissioners on The Arizona Film and Television Commission. He served as a commissioner for five years and established the Arizona film tax credits. In 2008, Wienges was appointed by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to be its Chairman. He served the chamber as Chairman for four years. Wienges also received national attention with his recognition in several publications including 'Outstanding Young Men of America,' 'Who’s Who in Management,' and in the millennium edition of 'Who’s Who in Entertainment.'
Wienges is an honors graduate from C.W. Post College with a B.S. in Atomic and Nuclear Physics and went on to obtain an M.S. in Engineering Management from Long Island University. In 1975, Wienges was elected President of the 30,000-member Alumni Association of C.W. Post College and served in this position for five years.
Wienges is currently President of Sedona Broadcasting. He resides with his wife, Noreen, in Sedona, Arizona.
Jason Barry
Jason is a 10-time Rocky Mountain Emmy® Award winner who was born in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Miami.
An avid sports fan, Jason follows the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Suns with his wife, Karen, and son, Joshua.
He is best known for his weekly "Dirty Dining" reports, which highlight local restaurants with major health code violations.
For years, Jason put together the station’s "Pay it Forward" segments, which rewarded members of the community with $500 for going ‘above and beyond’ the call of duty to help others.
His favorite stories are the ones where he can make a difference in someone’s life: getting money back from a crooked contractor, saving someone’s home from foreclosure, or helping someone being taken advantage of.
Jason has covered an assortment of major news stories, including the deadliest Amtrak derailment in U.S. history in 1993, the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster in 2003, and the University of Arizona’s National Championship in 1997.
Jason started his career at WBTW-TV in Florence, SC, before moving to WALA-TV in Mobile, AL.
He was named the Associated Press Reporter of the Year in Arizona in 2002.
Jessica Garate
Jessica Garate has built her career on breaking major news stories. While she had the privilege of anchoring for 25 years, her true passion lies in reporting. “There are so many aspects to anchoring, from ad libs and cross talk, to live coverage that lasts hours, to delivering each read with command and emotion. Jess is a master of them all. She is also a tenacious reporter with a powerful gift for storytelling. She is a rare find. It has been a gift to work with her these years,” Dean Staley, KRQE Co-anchor.
Jessica’s love for news started at an early age. As a kid, she enjoyed listening to public radio, watching local news, and discussing politics and national events with her parents. At Rawlins High School in Wyoming, Jessica was responsible for reading the morning announcements. Her English teachers, impressed by her voice, suggested she pursue radio in college, which she did, later working at Wyoming Public Radio.
Jessica’s career took her to Moscow, Russia, where she followed a human rights group. While in New Mexico, she uncovered alleged corruption in the administrations of three different governors and revealed corruption several times within the local school district. She has interviewed several presidential candidates and covered numerous political rallies. Jessica has moderated debates and covered the Wyoming and New Mexico legislatures. For two decades, she has exposed the deaths of children in New Mexico and the issues facing its Children, Youth, and Families Department. One of her stories, involving the death of a 4-year-old boy the state could have saved, was nominated for a regional Emmy®. She has reported live from New Mexico’s biggest wildfires, in Roswell during a school shooting, and in El Paso after a mass shooting at a Walmart.
Jessica won her second regional Emmy® Award for covering the kidnapping and murder of a New Mexico woman. Jessica was named a '2021 Woman of Influence' by Albuquerque Business First, and she has won numerous awards from the Texas Associated Press, the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, and the New Mexico Broadcasters Association. Her Balloon Fiesta coverage in 2022 was nominated for a regional Emmy®. Jessica grew up in West Texas and Wyoming and is a graduate of the University of Wyoming, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. She's forever grateful for all the people who gave her a chance to pursue her passion in journalism at Wyoming Public Radio, KTWO-TV in Casper, Wyoming, KWES-TV in Midland, Texas, and KRQE-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jessica believes in giving back to the community. She has participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters and served on the Boys and Girls Club board. She takes pride in the "KRQE Cares" program, which has provided thousands of new shoes for kids in need. Additionally, she enjoys reading to children as part of this program. Jessica is also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign. She is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of New Mexico's College of Communication and Journalism.
Jessica is deeply appreciative of her mentors and the news teams who have shaped her into a better journalist. She credits her first-generation Mexican parents for instilling her values. Her sister, a role model, and her family have also played a significant role in her life. Above all, she takes immense pride in her daughters, Lola and Kaylee. Jessica is grateful for her husband, Ryan, whose unwavering love and support have been invaluable to her.
Cory McCloskey
Cory is a familiar face in Arizona as the energetic weather guy for FOX10 in Phoenix, where he crisscrosses the Valley in search of on-air adventures. He spent 20 years answering a 2:50 AM wakeup call on FOX10’s AZAM, but now perpetrates his on-air hijinks on the evening shift.
Prior to his Arizona arrival, Cory spent about a dozen years as the weather anchor at his first station, WGEM, in Quincy, IL. But before getting into the weather business in 1989, Cory made his living in the theater and on the small screen. He played Equity stages in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., and has a few commercial jingles in his repertoire, too – perhaps you’ve sung along with him! “It’s a good time… for the great taste… of McDonald’s!” Cory appeared as young Michael Hudson on NBC’s Another World and spent nearly a decade as a model, wearing everything from Swatches to Tommy Hilfiger to Fruit of the Loom.
In addition to acting when he can, Cory is a busy stand-up and improv comic and is perhaps the Valley’s most sought-after master of ceremonies. He has made bearable hundreds of charity events through his quick wit and good humor. His wife, Mary Jane, is an accomplished singer and actor, and they occasionally have a chance to share the stage (their regular gig together is in their church choir).
The McCloskeys have three daughters, one son-in-law, and the world’s first two granddaughters.
Jorj Marie Mills
Jorj Marie Mills started her broadcast career as a reporter/producer for KTAR radio and then transitioned to television. From 1981 to 2015, she worked at KTVK-TV in the Engineering department, advancing her knowledge from physical manipulation of operations to digital operations. She moved through formats from 2-inch reel to reels, to 1-inch tape, to ¾ inch tape, to 1-inch cassettes, and finally to digital recording. Jorj Marie earned her First-Class FCC License and was a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcasting from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Jorj Marie served as a Crew Chief closely collaborating with the news department, managing crews, and making assignments to ensure smooth operations. Ensuring the well-being of newscasters was a primary concern for her. She was involved with "Good Morning Arizona" from its inception and played a pivotal role in its growth. She also edited commercials, shows, and collaborated closely with the Sales department, vetting political ads and ensuring correct commercial input for the station.
Jorj Marie mentored new team members, teaching them how to read commercial ISCI codes, operate equipment, interface effectively with other departments, and maintain on-air quality. She collaborated with technical staff to deliver the high-quality news broadcasts expected by KTVK-TV. She authored a handbook for new hires introducing them to the technology and standards necessary to uphold.
Outside of work, Jorj Marie was a Girl Scout leader for many years, teaching camping skills and assisting with various badge programs. She organized a Field Day-International festival for the Cactus-Pine Group involving multiple troops. Jorj Marie has also been actively involved with the Daughters of the American Revolution and Job’s Daughters service groups. As a Union officer, she worked with members to promote quality work, safe working conditions, and high performance standards.
Joseph Ortiz
Joseph Ortiz holds a Bachelor's degree in Broadcasting with an emphasis in Video Production and a minor in English from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He has served on the Board of Governors for the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences continuously for 35 years, both as a voting member and an Ex Officio member. Joseph serves as a media spokesperson for the Tolleson Union High School District, managing media relations, social media, crisis communications, public relations, and marketing. He regularly interacts with television media in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, drafting press releases, pitching news stories, and responding to media inquiries. Previously, Joseph held the role of Public Information Officer for the Phoenix Union High School District, the City of Tempe, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Roosevelt School District, and currently serves as the Director of Public Relations and Marketing for the Tolleson Union High School District.
Joseph previously served on the Educational Access Governing Board for the City of Phoenix Education Channel, formerly known as "Know 99". During his tenure with the City of Tempe, Ortiz oversaw the public information office, the graphic arts department, and the City of Tempe's public affairs TV station, Channel 11. He has also been actively involved as a panel leader and judge for regional Emmy® nominations, both in English and Spanish, throughout his entire tenure on the NATAS Board.
For many years, Joseph coordinated NATAS Scholarships for ASU broadcasting students and currently co-chairs the board’s Student Awards Committee. He has been a presenter at the Rocky Mountain Emmy® Awards Gala and has attended over 25 regional Emmy® Award events in his lifetime. Nationally, Joseph served on the Board of Directors of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) in Rockville, MD, and is an alum of the Phoenix Business Journal’s '40 under 40.' He is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the Arizona Latino Media Association (ALMA).
Joseph has mentored numerous broadcasting students and has extensive experience as a producer, videographer, scriptwriter, and editor.
Richard Williams
Richard “Dick” Williams is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished producers of medical media in the United States.
Williams' career in media began when he attended the United States Navy School of Photography during his stint in the US Marine Corps. His experience in medical communications started at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 1965, where he produced a variety of surgical films. It was in Texas that Williams first met renowned heart surgeon and biomedical educator Dr. Edward B. Diethrich of Houston. Many of the treatments still employed by surgeons today were being developed by Diethrich and documented by Williams.
In 1971, Dr. Diethrich moved his practice to Phoenix and founded the Arizona Heart Institute. One of Diethrich’s initial actions was establishing an audio-visual department, which would later become VAS Communications (VAS). Dick Williams was hired as Diethrich’s cinematographer and film editor. Under Williams' leadership, VAS revolutionized the training of surgeons worldwide and informed the public about heart disease, America’s leading cause of death.
The Diethrich/Williams collaboration led to the development of a mechanical camera boom that allowed Williams to mount his 16mm film camera above the surgical field, documenting pioneering procedures like coronary artery bypass and aortic repair. In 1983, Diethrich and Williams partnered with PBS in the US and the BBC in the UK for the first international public broadcast of live open-heart surgery, resulting in the regional Emmy® Award-winning program titled "The Operation," broadcast from St. Joseph’s Hospital Phoenix and KAET Channel 8 studios in Tempe.
In 1983, VAS also collaborated with the ABC network program "20/20" for a special called "The Great American Heart Test," which spurred the largest write-in campaign in broadcast television history. In 1992, VAS produced the documentary "A Woman’s Heart" with Joanne Woodward, aired on PBS, exploring unique cardiovascular risks for women and medical biases in heart care.
In 1994, VAS partnered with the Phoenix Suns for an educational clay-animated series for children titled "The Adventures of Mr. Heart," featuring NBA superstar Charles Barkley. In 2000, Williams was part of an educational team that traveled to China to teach physicians about new aortic disease treatments, documented in the PBS documentary "In the Heart of China" narrated by Korva Coleman.
Williams retired in 2005 but remains a consultant for VAS Communications, contributing to the regional Emmy® Award-winning series "The Procedure," aired nationally on PBS and locally on AZTV. As a volunteer, Williams produced/directed/camera-operated 20 "Arizona Historical League Arizona Historymaker" biographies. He also mentored over 35 Northern Arizona University communication students as part of the Dick Williams Communications Internship program at VAS, which now bears his name. During his tenure at VAS, Williams also hosted 20 medical illustrators and 6 medical photographers.
David Yetman
David Yetman is a distinguished outreach faculty and research social scientist at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona, where he has worked since 1992, specializing in the peoples and ecology of northwest Mexico and the southwestern United States. He is nearly a native of the Sonoran Desert.
Yetman holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Arizona and is the author of numerous books and articles, including 'Sonora, an Intimate Geography' (University of New Mexico Press), 'Colonial Conflict: Indians, Priests and Settlers in Colonial Sonora' (University of New Mexico Press), 'The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography of Columnar Cacti' (University of Arizona Press), 'Natural Landmarks of Arizona' (University of Arizona Press), and 'The Saguaro Cactus: a Natural History' (University of Arizona Press), of which he is the first author.
Yetman hosted the PBS series "The Desert Speaks" for ten years and currently serves as the host and co-producer of the PBS travel/adventure series "In the Americas with David Yetman." He is a frequent lecturer on the history and ecology of northwest Mexico, as well as on the geography and cultures of the Americas.