RVA Faith & Film Forum

April 2026

March 2026

February 2026

January 2026

Michael Thibodeau is a creative director, and producer based in Richmond, Virginia. With a background in writing, theatre, improv, film and live entertainment, he’s worked alongside a wide range of creative collaborators across disciplines. That experience shaped his approach as Creative Director of The Sunroom, a video production company known for taking on human stories in whatever form they’re best told. Whether that’s documentary, branded content, or live performance. Michael specializes in leading projects from concept to execution, building teams around strong ideas, and creating work that’s flexible, collaborative, and rooted in real connection.

November 2025

Mark began his career at Accenture, later becoming a business consultant helping to lead large-scale business and technology transformation efforts for organizations such as the U.S. Postal Service, Capital One, and Wells Fargo. While those experiences sharpened his skills and strategic perspective, Mark found himself increasingly drawn to a deeper question: What gives work meaning?

That curiosity led him to Joe Smith, a brand and growth strategy consultancy, where he helped clients define their corporate purpose and design employee and customer experiences that truly brought those values to life. A passionate advocate for empathy in the workplace, Mark has a gift for understanding team dynamics and human behavior — and for turning that understanding into actionable, creative solutions. His collaborative approach has shaped workplace experience strategies for companies including Pratt & Whitney, GE, Tredegar Corporation, Chick-fil-A, Raytheon, and Winnebago Industries.

Mark’s enduring passion for helping teams discover and deliver their fullest potential inspired him to launch Amphibian, where he focuses entirely on the evolving future of work.

Beyond his professional life, Mark channels his creativity into The Giving Notes Project — a collective of songwriters who craft and gift original songs to people with stories that deserve to be heard.

September 2025

Liz is a strategist and thought leader at the intersection of ethical AI, human innovation, and creative leadership. Founder of Nimbology, she helps organizations adopt AI as a coworker and collaborator. She recently launched the Global Institute for AI & Humanity, produces Fuse: The AI Creative Podcast, and convenes the Women & AI cohort through AI Ready RVA, a nonprofit she helped found. Drawing on two decades in Fortune 500 and nonprofit leadership along with roots as a glass and ceramics artist, Liz equips leaders to navigate change with wisdom, vision, and nimbleness.

Dr. Kip Redick

August 2025

Dr. Kip Redick is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and the Dr. Tracey T. Schwarze Endowed Professor of Humanities at Christopher Newport University. Professional interests include pilgrimage studies, spiritual journey, spirituality of place, aesthetics, media ecology; visual, religious, and environmental rhetoric; and film studies. His specific research interest centers on the study of wilderness trails as sites of spiritual journey. 

Jerry Williams

July 2025

Jerry started TVJerry in 1989, producing videos and commercials for corporate and government clients. He was also a movie/theatre reviewer for CBS-6 (14 years) and Style Weekly (10 years). Additionally, “Tales from the Grips,” was published weekly and provided news of RVA’s production community. After 19 years, the site transitioned to SIFTER, featuring more than 3,500 reviews and 160+ podcasts on film/TV with a Virginia connection. It also airs weekly at 11:30am on WRIR (97.3 FM).

Andy Edmunds

June 2025

Andy is the Director of the Virginia Film Office, a Virginia native, and an accomplished musician and songwriter. After studying music at VCU in the mid 80s, he produced a music video of one of his songs that was aired on MTV. This brought him to the film production industry where he ultimately became a location scout until getting his job at the Virginia Film Office in 1997. During his time with the Film Office, Andy has worked with many notable filmmakers including Terrence Malick, Ridley Scott, Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg to name a few.

Mary Anderson

May 2025

Mary is the founder of My Music Starts Here, a music integration curriculum for early childhood educators, as well as the producer and host of “Songs & Stories”, a children’s television program for Virginia PBS. Mary provides engaging and inspiring professional development workshops and keynote addresses to empower educators to harness the full power of music to support our littlest learners and create happy, healthy classroom environments.

Mike Rabin

April 2025

Mike is a systems thinker and founder of Pollinators for Change, a movement for sustainable change grounded in the belief that everyone has parts to play in the making of sustainable futures. His work focuses on aligning people across the fields of regenerative economies to reimagine our civic life as a collective field. Mike sees Richmond as a beacon for systemic transformation — a place where national divisions can be transcended and a new enlightenment movement can be embodied.

Amanda Russell

March 2025

Amanda is the Co-Founder, Creative Director & Motion Design Ambassador of Cream Studio. As Co-founder and Creative Director of Cream Studio, Amanda shapes ideas into rich visual experiences that captivate the senses through design and animation. She’s passionate about pushing the creative industry toward a positive future through mentoring, thought leadership, and collective collaboration between artists, studios, agencies and brands.

Micah White

January 2025

Micah’s enthusiasm and energy radiates wherever he goes. Over the span of his 25+ years in the entertainment industry, he has worn numerous hats, evolving from a stand-up comedian to a versatile host, keynote speaker, and philanthropist. Off the stage, Micah White serves as the Vice President of Business Development for the Metropolitan Business League (MBL). As a TEDx VA speaker, he has used his platform to address critical issues such as diversity, growth, and inclusion within corporations and organizations. Micah White’s mission is elegantly simple yet profoundly impactful: to use comedy and entertainment as tools to bridge racial, religious, and political divides.

Melanie Cox

November 2024

Melanie has been the President of Spang TV since 2002. She is a graduate of VCU and an active member of the local film community. She has grown Spang TV to national prominence by her ability to hire and empower those around her to be the best they can be. She discussed this and the variety of traits that make her productions unique to the film and commercial advertising business. 

Laura Seltzer-Duny

October 2024

Laura is an Emmy-nominated PBS Producer and award-winning filmmaker who has been Producing and Directing documentaries and educational programs for over 20 years. Driven by her commitment to creating media that inspires social change, she founded Seltzer Film & Video, LLC. Her work has aired on major networks including PBS, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, Discovery & History Channels.

Jason Roop

September 2024

Jason is the founder of the public relations and content marketing firm Springstory. He helps clients discover compelling stories within their organizations. A native of Luray, Jason is a University of Richmond graduate with a B.A. degree in journalism and political science. For more than 20 years, Jason worked as a journalist in Richmond, including 12 as editor-in-chief of the news publication Style Weekly. He’s been a fill-in host for Newsradio WRVA’s “Richmond’s Morning News” and serves as host of the Richmond City Council live broadcast

Maeve Jones

August 2024

Mauve is the Executive Director of the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Before joining the museum in 2022, Maeve worked in historical interpretation at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and in fundraising at the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance. Maeve attended the University of Virginia and holds a master’s degree in English with a focus on 19th-century British literature..

Dontrese Brown

July 2024

Dontrese is the Co-Founder and CEO of BROWNBAYLOR™ and Hidden In Plain Site (HiPS™). He is a strategic thought leader and change agent with deep expertise in community collaboration, social justice, and integrating equity into the built environment. Combining business and marketing acumen with creative design and strategic planning, he inspires and develops people through servant leadership, exceptional communication, and a compelling vision of respect, integrity, and empowerment. A leader of initiatives such as the renaming of Richmond’s Arthur Ashe Boulevard and bringing the Cristo Rey Network to underserved youth, Dontrese advances racial equity and empathetic storytelling by reimagining what leadership looks like when it’s rooted in purpose, powered by courage, and committed to justice.

Named the 2024 RVA Community Maker Honoree, he is a sought-after speaker on design, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership, and serves on multiple boards including Urban Hope RVA (Chair), Richmond Public Library Foundation (President), BridgePark RVA, RIFF Arts Institute, The Well Collective, and Dominion Energy Innovation Center, with degrees in graphic design from Georgetown College, Morehead State University, and Savannah College of Art & Design.

Angi Kane

June 2024

Angi is a born & bred New Yorker now living in Richmond and Williamsburg, VA. She won an Emmy for her work on the PBS documentary HEARD. Additionally, she is the Creative Director and co-owner of Jolly’s Mill Pond – a historic farm in Williamsburg VA. Before Jolly’s Mill Pond, she spent several years in marketing and has generated publicity on CNN, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Fox, and regional media.

Pam Hervey

May 2024

Pam has been the Owner and President of Fuel since 2003. She is renowned for her creative leadership and strategic vision in producing impactful video content for the corporate, agency, and nonprofit sectors. Pam has earned two Capital Emmy awards and eleven nominations for her work. She began her career producing short-form promotions and live broadcasts at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, PA, before establishing Fuel. Pam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science in Strategic Communications and Public Relations from Virginia Commonwealth University. Pam is a proud graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond and has served on the Penn State Bellisario College of Communications Alumni Board of Directors. Locally, she contributes her expertise to film and video initiatives and currently serves on the board of Communities in Schools (CIS) of Chesterfield County.

Justin Laughter

April 2024

Justin is a Partner at Threshold Counsel, PC. He is an experienced attorney specializing in business, intellectual property, and entertainment law. His expertise encompasses a broad spectrum, including business structuring, copyright and trademark protection, licensing, and private securities offerings. Justin has received recognition for his work, including being named a Virginia Super Lawyers-Rising Star (Intellectual Property and Nonprofit Organizations) and part of Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite (Entertainment/Media/Sports Law). He is actively involved in the nonprofit, creative, and entertainment sectors, serving on multiple boards and as an adjunct professor. Additionally, Justin is a co-founder of Silly Bus, an educational media company.

Dr. Zane Gibbs

March 2024

He is the CEO/Co-founder of ZADA Strategy. Growing up in a single-parent household in East Toledo and overcoming early academic challenges, Dr. Zane Gibbs went on to earn a Ph.D. in Quantum Field Theory from Virginia Commonwealth University and built a 23+ year career at one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies, spanning innovation, strategy, product design, and brand management. In 2019, he founded ZADA Strategy, a consulting firm helping organizations from global corporations to startups drive growth and innovation. Beyond his professional work, Zane has been a DJ, race car driver, rockabilly saxophonist, basketball coach, sports photographer, and craft cocktail enthusiast, and he’s currently training to compete in table tennis.

Martin Montgomery

February 2024

Martin Montgomery is an experienced director and filmmaker whose work often tells a compelling story of hope and perseverance. His films go beyond observation—each project is a mission-driven exploration designed to inspire meaningful conversations among viewers and participants alike. For Martin, filmmaking is not just about collecting facts; it’s about creating emotional connections that reveal the deeper truths of human experience. He believes that when people feel safe, seen, and understood, they share their stories with authenticity and depth. As a director, Martin’s guiding role is to cultivate that trust—to create space where subjects can shine and be genuinely heard. Martin was the director of both of Belltower Pictures’ Emmy® winning films: HEARD and Anahita. He is a graduate of Longwood University and lives in Richmond, VA.

Mark Lambert

January 2024

He is a Producer and Specialist in Visual Digital Technology and is the founder of VArtisans, a Virginia-based VR and 360 video production company, and co-founder/COO of Lighthouse XR, which applies extended reality to healthcare. After 15 years as a CG/VFX Supervisor on feature films—including Harry Potter, The Polar Express, and The Chronicles of Narnia—Mark launched VArtisans in 2015, producing projects from PBS documentaries to wildlife conservation series and location-based attractions across 26 countries. Lighthouse XR is developing the Retreat VR Platform, including TST-VR, a clinical trial–backed substance use disorder program for veterans, and other therapeutic XR initiatives. With a career spanning pioneering RenderMan software interfaces to directing VR for global brands like Toyota, AARP, and PWC, Mark has consistently worked at the forefront of visual and immersive technology.

Chris Little

November 2023

Chris Little is a visionary leader and entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to fostering a more humane and purpose-driven approach to business. In 1997, he founded Dominion Digital, which has since evolved into SingleStone and WayPath, a prominent tech consulting firm based in Virginia. Chris’s mission from the outset was to uplift humanity in the world of business, driven by his belief that doing so is not only good for people but also good for business. In 2017, Chris made the decision to step down as CEO but he remains involved as a board member, where he continues to influence the company’s mission and direction. He has also taken on the role of “In Service With Our Community,” which focuses on bridging the gap between mainstream society and marginalized communities. In this role, he is dedicated to his lifelong mission of fostering humanity in business and creating a more inclusive and purpose-driven world.

Pete Rango

November 2023

Pete is a seasoned music producer with a decade of experience spanning engineering, production, and live events. Originally from Bogota, Colombia, he moved to the United States at 12, where he embraced music and learned multiple instruments. His path led him to tech theater in high school and to participation in a metal band, where he honed recording, programming, and live audio design skills. Graduating in Child Developmental Psychology in Florida, he discovered a passion for artist development, aligning his psychological background with music. Returning to Richmond, Virginia, Pete founded a mentorship program, LIV, bridging music and education. What began as an initiative to make music with kids in schools evolved into the creation of “Dream Labs” in collaboration with local institutions. Now active in four elementary schools, these labs help nurture young talent with a team of dedicated mentors. His journey exemplifies his commitment to music, mentorship, and community enrichment.

Randall Taylor

October 2023

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Randall Ricardo Taylor Jr. is a cinematographer, producer, photographer, and editor whose storytelling career began at The College of William & Mary, where he earned a B.A. in Literary and Cultural Studies: Film and later taught multimedia tools to students and faculty. His work spans television, branding, educational materials, and documentaries, with credits including PBS, National Geographic, Vogue Arabia, Essence Magazine, Discovery, Bloomberg, and Virginia Public Media. Randall’s projects have taken him across the U.S. and around the world—including Kenya, Guatemala, India, Pakistan, France, and the U.K.—reflecting his versatility and dedication to impactful storytelling.

Maggie Melton

September 2023

If you have turned on the TV you have seen Maggie Melton’s work. She has been in video production for decades constantly surrounding herself in a diverse group of storytellers. Her career started in news production, but quickly took her to Los Angeles as the Director of post-producing reality TV. She moved back to Virginia to build the postproduction department at SpangTV where she produces branded content, music videos, and documentaries. As their EP of Post Production, she knows the hard work and dedication it takes to get a script and vision past the finish line.

Reese Williams

September 2023

Reese Williams has been a voice actor for over 25 years. She enjoys this work because it allows her to be obnoxiously animated, yet socially acceptable. She’s lent her talent to live radio, animation, mobile apps, on-hold messaging, commercials, corporate videos, and singing backup vocals. She’s the Studio Ambassador for In Your Ear Studios and Chief Communications Officer for Shockoe Records, so now she gets to run her mouth about her beloved music community for a living. She hosts the weekly concert series Shockoe Sessions Live and its companion podcast This Room Sounds Great, she produces and hosts her own podcast titled Spying on Humanity, and she narrates performances with the Commonwealth Concert Opera.

Carlos Chafin

August 2023

Carlos Chafin, a Virginia native, has been immersed in the music and entertainment industry since childhood, evolving from a session keyboardist and composer to studio manager at Alpha Audio, Virginia’s first 24-track music studio. In 1990, he co-founded In Your Ear Music and Recording Services, achieving success in film and television composition. His credits span co-composing The Red Badge of Courage, creating theme music for Gleaming the Cube and PBS’s The Good Road, and producing music for top brands such as Coca-Cola, Colgate, Sprint, and Sesame Workshop. He developed and teaches the Advanced Media, Production, and Technology program at VCU’s School of the Arts and in 2022 co-founded Shockoe Records to empower Virginia artists and reimagine the record label model.

Heather Waters

July 2023

Heather Waters is the Founder and Producer of the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) and a longtime producer and development consultant with over 25 years in the entertainment industry. After beginning her career in the performing arts, she moved behind the camera as a producer, writer, and director, and co-founded the Creative World Awards to support writers’ craft development. She also leads the Media Industry Xchange (MIX) and the RIFF Arts Institute (RAI), a nonprofit offering fellowships, labs, and production platforms for artists. A Georgia State University film and writing graduate with an M.A. in Political Science, Waters recently launched the Global Visionary Summit as part of RIFF to connect innovators from around the world