Tanya Ishikawa, President

Tanya is an award-winning, freelance journalist and editor, based in Federal Heights, Colorado. She is regularly published in various Denver metro area magazines, newspapers, newsletters and websites.

An aspiring screenwriter, Tanya's desire to produce films and documentaries led her to join Denver Open Media, where she has taken several classes and uses the editing equipment, studios and field equipment. She produced and edited a monthly TV show, In the Loop: Colorado Filmmaking for 13 episodes in one year. She continues to participate in film activities with Colorado Actors and Screenwriters Assembly, Colorado Film and Video Commission and other local film groups.

She has served on the Federal Heights City Council, the Northmoor Homeowners Association Board, Adams-Jefferson Chapter of the Green Party, and the Denver Foundation Board Marketing Committee. She is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Colorado Press Association. She has lived in Japan and enjoys traveling with her husband and son to visit native and traditional cultures.

Cheryl Zeeb, Secretary*

Since her Fundraising Internship with Deproduction/DOM in 2008, Cheryl has maintained her Unlimited Membership as a volunteer with the Development Department of the Open Media Foundation, DOM events, and studio productions. As Secretary of the OMF Board of Directors and member of the Development Committee she continues to incorporate her professional and volunteer experience in Public Relations, Event Coordination, Fundraising, Theater, and Media Production.

Her interest in creating meaningful yet entertaining television and her belief in community involvement align with the organization’s mission “to put the power of the media and technology into the hands of the community.” Currently she is editing her first DOM broadcast. It will include some of the characters from her one-woman show, WE AIN’T MAD: WE GOT ISSUES! 

This collection of monologues contains some work written at The Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and another for Literature & Writing in 1998. The compilation was her Capstone Project at the University of Denver in 2003 where she was awarded a Certificate in Creative Writing and her Master of Liberal Studies degree. In 2008, the entire piece was re-edited during her Jentel Arts - Writer’s Residency in the beautiful wide-open spaces of Wyoming.

Angelia D. McGowan, 
Treasurer

For more than 10 years, Angelia D. McGowan has worked in a variety of communications roles from community outreach coordinator for health awareness campaigns to publicist for arts organizations. 

She has worked on traffic safety campaigns for the Colorado Department of Transportation, a drought-awareness campaign for Denver Water and a healthy-pregnancy campaign for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In April 2006, McGowan traveled to Durban, South Africa to present a poster on CDOT’s award-winning seatbelt program at the Safety 2006: International Prevention and Safety Promotion conference.

As a publicist, she has represented Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Denver Black Arts Festival and the Pan African Arts Society/Starz Denver Pan African Film Festival. She has also served as a freelance writer for community newspapers and as an editor and media relations director in higher education. In 2004, the Colorado Association of Black Journalists named her Public Relations Professional of the Year.

McGowan, who resides in Denver, is the publisher of Canady’s Corner, an online community news release service for nonprofit organizations.

Rebecca Askew

Rebecca A. Askew is CEO/Managing Member of Circuit Media, LLC, a print and web-based media company focusing on the legal and governmental industries. Ms. Askew’s primary responsibilities include day-to-day management of the company, business development, and corporate strategy.  Ms. Askew also serves as publisher of Circuit Media’s weekly legal publication, Law Week Colorado.  Before founding Circuit Media, Ms. Askew was General Counsel of RealLegal, a legal software and technology company.

Ms. Askew’s legal career spans over 25 years, with expertise in technology and corporate law. She has been an instructor in both law school and post-graduate paralegal programs with specialties in Ethics, Legal Research and Writing, and Legal Technology.  Ms. Askew has authored numerous white papers and articles on topics such as electronic signature technology, technology in the courtroom and Internet privacy and security.  She earned a BA from the University of Iowa and a JD from the University Of Denver Sturm College Of Law. 

John Montgomery

John is a freelance media professional specializing in producing and directing programs for television. He is currently producing a short subject documentary, "Mirror". He is also a student at the University of Colorado at Denver studying Transmedia, an emphasis that combines elements of sculpture and digital design. 

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, John relocated to Denver in 2008 to work with OMF as an AmeriCorps VISTA through the Digital Arts Service Corps. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, John served as the full-time project manager for the Open Media Project until June 2010. Since then, he has worked as a Station Associate at Denver Open Media, Technical Director at The Colorado Channel, and Assistant Jury Coordinator at Starz Denver Film Festival. Prior to relocating to Denver, he was a Project Manager at Thomson Elite and an I.T. Manager at Tredway, Lumsdaine & Doyle, LLP. Dedicated to his contributing to the community, John serves as a member of OMF's Inclusiveness Committee and is a volunteer mentor with Colorado Youth at Risk.

Jared Petsche

A Native Coloradan, Jared Petsche is a graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and minor studies in History, Religious Studies & Entrepreneurship. Since graduation he has worked in the film/media industry, state government and with the surrounding Denver communities’ many non-profits.

Most recently, after a two year stint in Colorado's legislature, Jared has been involved in many creative endeavors, beginning with launching of Colorado Creates, a bragging website of the Colorado Creative Industries, and helping the Santa Fe Arts District by highlighting local creative's and  their positive cultural and economic impact in the Denver Metro Area.

Jared sits on two committees at Open Media Foundation, Public Relations and Grant Writing. Jared is also involved in many other media communities and serves on the Colorado Film & Video Association Board and their Communications Committee.

Tony Shawcross

Tony Shawcross developed and launched the visionary model for community media that has evolved into the Open Media Foundation. Before founding Deproduction and Denver Open Media, Tony worked with Little Voice Productions, the Colorado State House of Representatives, the Pan African Arts Society and FreeSpeech TV, among others.

Tony has presented over 100 media education courses with the Colorado Independent Media Center, Denver Community Television, the Alliance for Community Media and various local schools and universities. Tony graduated magna cum laude with a degree in marketing and business administration from the University of Colorado.

Andrew Unthank

Andrew Unthank is a litigation attorney with the local firm of Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP, and focuses his national practice on complex consumer and commercial issues. Beyond his professional pursuits, Andrew is an active member in the legal and non-profit community, having helped the firm win the annual Legal Aid Foundation associates' fundraising campaign in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and by mentoring first-year law students through the Lawyering Process program at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law.

Andrew joined the OMF Board in 2012 with the goal of applying his fundraising skills to further the OMF's mission of making media available to all.