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PROFILES OF PIONEERING SPIRIT

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Adriana Roberts ’90

San Francisco, California

Amy Giannotti ’95

Winter Park, Florida

Angelique Evans ’09

Champaign, Illinois

Ashley Thomas ’14

Garfield Heights , Ohio

Darren LaShelle ’89

San Francisco, California

Don and Leslie Straub Ritter ’81

Dallas, Texas

Dr. Joseph Webb ’07

De Pere, Wisconsin

Dr. Kenneth Andrus ’70

Honolulu, Hawaii

Krista Tkacz ’09

Sicklerville, New Jersey

Leah Seaman ’21

Philippi, West Virginia

State

California
Adriana RobertsDarren LaShelle
D.C.
Lindy Nester
Florida
Amy Giannotti
Hawaii
Dr. Kenneth Andrus
Illinois
Angelique Evans
New Jersey
Krista Tkacz
Ohio
Ashley ThomasScott and Rachel Worthington Burnham
Texas
Sarah MayoDon and Leslie Straub Ritter
West Virginia
Leah Seaman
Wisconsin
Dr. Joseph Webb

Country

Browse
Close
People Location
Adriana Roberts ’90

San Francisco, California

Amy Giannotti ’95

Winter Park, Florida

Angelique Evans ’09

Champaign, Illinois

Ashley Thomas ’14

Garfield Heights , Ohio

Darren LaShelle ’89

San Francisco, California

Don and Leslie Straub Ritter ’81

Dallas, Texas

Dr. Joseph Webb ’07

De Pere, Wisconsin

Dr. Kenneth Andrus ’70

Honolulu, Hawaii

Krista Tkacz ’09

Sicklerville, New Jersey

Leah Seaman ’21

Philippi, West Virginia

State

California
Adriana RobertsDarren LaShelle
D.C.
Lindy Nester
Florida
Amy Giannotti
Hawaii
Dr. Kenneth Andrus
Illinois
Angelique Evans
New Jersey
Krista Tkacz
Ohio
Ashley ThomasScott and Rachel Worthington Burnham
Texas
Sarah MayoDon and Leslie Straub Ritter
West Virginia
Leah Seaman
Wisconsin
Dr. Joseph Webb

Country

Adriana Roberts ’90

San Francisco, California

B.A. Radio/Television, Minored in Art

About

Owner and CEO of Bootie Mashup • Activist for Trans Community

Darren LaShelle ’89

San Francisco, California

B.A Radio/Television, Marietta College

About

President & CEO, Northern California Public Media • Emmy award-winning Executive Producer

Icon for their major

Adriana Roberts ’90

San Francisco, California

B.A. Radio/Television, Minored in Art

About

Owner and CEO of Bootie Mashup • Activist for Trans Community

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“I throw parties for a living. I jump up on stage, get everyone excited about having a good time and we have a dance party. You wonder, ‘How the hell did MC prepare me for this?’”

Though very little of it made sense at the time, Adriana Roberts’ undergraduate experience at Marietta College was a roadmap to her career as the owner and CEO of Bootie Mashup, an international company that throws nightclub and mashup dance parties.

For starters, Roberts came to Marietta determined to create her own major: creative media. She gravitated to creative projects — she wrote and created her own video and film projects, hosted a radio show and a cable-access show, and worked in the theatre. Her work study job was in the College Relations Office, where she learned graphic design. As the McDonough Leadership Program was still in its early years, she paid attention to the business and leadership tones that permeated from the newly established program into other academic programs. And, of course, at the core of her liberal arts education was a strong focus on written and oral communication.

When Roberts graduated from Marietta, she had been involved in so many different programs and extracurricular groups that she had keys to just about every academic building on campus. Though she settled into a Radio/Television major, an Art minor and a Communication Certificate, it was graphic design that would carry her through the early part of her career after she graduated.

“Everybody at MC thought I was going to move to Hollywood and become a famous director,” she says. Roberts did move to California to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California — but her time at USC was short-lived. “I’m from Ohio and there was plenty of [financial aid] for me. USC was a rich kid school and I just couldn’t afford it. I went to San Francisco to visit a friend and then eventually I moved there.”

Related Links

BootieMashup.com

Listen to a podcast with Adriana Roberts '90

https://soundcloud.com/user-475194276/episode-14-adriana-roberts-90
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Above: For nearly two decades, Adriana’s company, Bootie Mashup, has brought a special energy to San Francisco’s nightlife and beyond

For years, she worked as a graphic designer, but the pull to do something else was growing. That “something else” would require her to focus all that she learned at Marietta College and

apply it to what she was passionate about: bringing a vibrant and new experience into the nightclub scene. Roberts’ DJ skills, blended with her theatre experience, strong communication skills and marketing ability, transformed into a high-energy, entertainment company that is based in San Francisco. Bootie Mashup employs a team of DJs from around the world.

“This is such an interdisciplinary career. It’s a confluence of skills that have been weirdly developed during my time at Marietta,” she says.

The pandemic has caused her to switch gears — and even change continents — until the restrictions in California are lifted and people can enjoy packed night clubs and other party venues. Roberts, who has moved to Berlin, Germany, for the foreseeable future, hosts a podcast, radio show, webcasts and virtual Twitch parties.

Flying to Germany brings up another facet of her life that has helped to make others’ lives a bit easier. Roberts, who identifies as a trans feminine woman, is a trans activist and was one of the first people in California to successfully change their gender to “non-binary.” The legislation that was passed in order to offer that identification also included the “X” option in the gender category on her driver’s license. This identification, coupled with educating Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in airports on transgender identify awareness, allows transgender people to go through airport screenings easier.

“My career and my identity — my day-to-day life — are not wrapped up in gender politics,” she says. “I’m a DJ and an entertainer and a business owner, and I want to normalize (gender rights). Literally, we are only talking about humanizing people. … Awareness is half the battle. Most people are not aware of people other than themselves — whether that’s gender, race, religion. The way that I have chosen to live my life, I always try to lead by example. No soapboxes. I try to be as good as I can to other people.”

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Darren LaShelle ’89

San Francisco, California

B.A Radio/Television, Marietta College

About

President & CEO, Northern California Public Media • Emmy award-winning Executive Producer

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Included in the more than 250,000 acres burned during the 2019 California wildfires was Northern California Public Media’s radio transmission facility, which was set to be replaced early in 2020. But before work could begin to address the devastation the fires caused, Darren LaShelle ’89 and his team at NorCal Public Media had to switch gears to help the community prepare and deal with the figurative tsunami that was hitting the world: COVID-19.

LaShelle, who was named the President and CEO of NorCal in 2019, oversees KRCB-TV in the North Bay, KPJK-TV in the South Bay, KRCB-FM Radio 91 in Sonoma County, the website norcalpublicmedia.org, and the Northern California Public Media free digital app. While most of the staff began working remotely, those who worked directly with broadcasting quickly had to develop ways to safely deliver important news to the general public.

“Just like with all great challenges, more can be accomplished when collaborating with others who share similar goals,” LaShelle reflects. “As a member of the California Public Television Association, we were able to get at-home-learning resources onto the laptops and into the lesson plans of students and teachers. This model was adopted by PBS stations nationwide to serve schools and families. Our regional partnerships were strengthened through our participation in the North Bay Leadership Council and the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits. NorCal’s seat on the Sonoma County Vaccine Distribution and Outreach Committee enabled us to quickly get information to the public about vaccine timelines and locations.”

Related Links

norcalpublicmedia.org/

Listen to a podcast with Darren LaShelle ’89

https://soundcloud.com/user-475194276/episode-16-darren-lashelle-89
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Above: Even during a global pandemic, Darren and his team at Northern California Public Media continued to bring critical health and educational programming to the Bay area residents.

LaShelle began his career in broadcasting working for national news outlets and chose to leave the major networks behind in 1995 to follow his passion for programs and news telling that explored community issues and provided educational opportunities for viewers. The pandemic underscored the importance of providing access to the latest community-based news and trusted educational content, as many viewers and listeners had to balance what they were learning about the global pandemic with what was happening at the local level.

NorCal provided lifesaving information to the Bay-area audiences — from where families facing food insecurities could find nutritious food to delivering multi-lingual health messages from local health officials regarding COVID-19. The public media group also hosted a virtual, bilingual meeting on grief and healing to help viewers as they cope with tragedies stemming from the pandemic, from violent attacks on the local immigrant community, and massive amounts of damage caused by wildfires and floods.

Despite the pandemic, LaShelle’s team continued to provide access to educational, cultural, creative and in-depth stories that inform and celebrate the best of the San Francisco Bay area and its people. These offerings led to three Emmy nominations for the Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2020.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the realization that people’s lives are improved by the programs we produce on public television and public radio. The information and learning we make available to people gives them the tools they need to make better and informed decisions. Our programs set people on new and interesting paths to explore subjects that are meaningful to them.”

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