Catherine Burgess, Operations Director
Catherine is responsible for both internal and partner-facing operations, increasing performance, and consistently delivering service excellence to program partners and their constituents. Prior to joining The LAMP in October 2018, Catherine was the Communication Editor at Macmillan Learning, where she developed print and digital content and pedagogy for courses in journalism, media studies, public speaking and interpersonal communication. With a B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross and a M.S. in Media Studies from Brooklyn College, Catherine also serves on the Leadership Council for the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and is the Assistant Chair for their 2019 conference. In her free time, she enjoys photography, live music, and sitting down with a hard crossword.
Margaret Irving, Education Programs Associate
Margaret is currently responsible for planning and implementing hands-on media literacy workshops for youth across New York City. Before joining The LAMP in March 2018, Margaret was a program manager for a private camp where she developed creative curriculum, managed staff and instructed student groups in year-round educational programs. In addition, Margaret is certified in HTML/CSS and has experience in photography, videography, content management, and web development. She is passionate about social justice issues, STEAM outreach and the healing power of a few hours hard work outside. Margaret grew up on Long Island but spent quite a few years working in central Florida. In her free time, she enjoys riding horses, reading, art and learning about regional foods.
Donya Nasser, 22×20 YOUTH LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR
Donya Nasser is currently serving as the 22×20 Campaign’s Youth Leadership Coordinator, overseeing the Fellowship and teen engagement. She is passionate about empowering women, youth, and minorities to become civically engaged and combat stigmas/stereotypes; advocating for gender equality and reproductive justice on both a domestic and international level, and working at the center of technology and policy for innovation. She has interned for the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, and the Brennan Center for Justice. Donya served as the first Iranian-American and Muslim U.S. Youth Observer to the United Nations from 2015-2016, and is currently the youngest Board Director of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Board, as well as a Youth Director on the Western Hemisphere Region Board and Governing Council of the International Planned Parenthood Fund. She has previously served as a member of the Advocates for Youth Young Women of Color Leadership Council, the President of the College Democrats of New York, and AAUW Youth Representative to the United Nations. Donya is also a 2016 Bustle Upstart Award Honoree, 2015 recipient of the WIN Young Women of Achievement Award in Service/Nonprofit Advocacy, and a 2014 Glamour Magazine Top 10 College Woman and L’Oréal College Woman of Worth. She has been featured on ABC, Al-Hurra, Al Jazeera, the Huffington Post, the L.A. Times, MSNBC, and Voice of America and is a Contributor and Executive Producer of The Tempest’s “The Expose” podcast. Donya graduated summa cum laude from St. John’s University in 2015 as a McNair and Truman Scholar. Earlier this year, she completed a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship at the Truman Center for National Policy.
DC Vito, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
D.C. Vito co-founded The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) in 2007. Since that time, The LAMP has brought media literacy training to over 3,000 youth, parents and educators, transporting equipment and facilitators directly to communities in need of its services. Under Mr. Vito’s leadership as Executive Director, The LAMP’s programming capacity has grown tremendously from serving roughly 75 students in the 2010-2011 school year to serving over 1,000 students in our hands-on programs by the 2017-2018 school year. Mr. Vito worked as a community organizer for many years prior to The LAMP, having served in the Peace Corps in Mali, managing campaigns for City Council, State Senate and Presidential candidates, and spent eight years acting as Chairman of the Youth Services and Education Committee on Brooklyn’s Community Board Six. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Media Literacy Educators (NAMLE), is a member of the NationSwell Council and was in the 25th cohort at the Coro New York Leadership Center. He was a keynote speaker at the first Wikipedia USA conference in 2014, co-taught “Media Literacy and Activism” at Queens College in 2015, and has spoken at a number of other conferences and events. Mr. Vito holds a B.S. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, German Shepherd puppy and lap-loving cat.
Amy Wickstein, Director of Development
Amy Wickstein is an accomplished and passionate fundraiser with fifteen years of experience in the non-profit sector at New York Cares and Careers through Culinary Arts Program. With a B.S. in Sociology from the University of Maryland, Amy’s vast experience includes individual and institutional giving, strategic planning, volunteer management, and project/event management. She is deeply committed to building authentic, mission-based relationships with funders to create a meaningful impact. When not fundraising, Amy can be found cheering on the Maryland Terrapins during basketball season, designing jewelry, listening to podcasts on the subway, and reading in Central Park.
The LAMP was co-founded by D.C. Vito, current Executive Director, and Katherine Fry, Ph.D., current professor of media studies in the Department of Television and Radio at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Program Facilitators
SETSHI FORD is from Dallas, Texas and currently attends Pratt Institute pursuing a degree in Critical and Visual studies with minors in Film and Philosophy. He works mostly in branded media as well as documentary work that focuses on marginalized communities and different cultural explorations. Apart from his art, he is a track athlete and a certified crossfit coach!
JAKE GERVICH is a post-production freelancer in film and television. They have edited a variety of short documentary films and worked as an assistant editor on feature documentaries such as Cartel Land, Hitchcock/Truffaut, and Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda.
ALEX HO is a museum educator and youth media educator. Outside of LAMP, he currently works at the Museum of Chinese in America and the Museum of the Moving Image, where teaches visual analysis of media objects. He is committed to facilitating opportunities for youth to produce media art and practice critical thinking about their mediated worlds.
KEVIN JOSEPHS is a photographer, videographer, writer and media educator with a degree in Visual and Cultural Studies. His focus is to empower storytellers of all ages and backgrounds to share their voice in our changing media landscape.
BRENDA LEON is a multidisciplinary artist and journalist born and raised in New York City, she has worked with various grassroots organizations and intergenerational communities to provide media education. By using popular education she intersects video, interactive media, dance, and poetry to explore themes around health, displacement and social-political youth education. She holds a Bachelors in Multimedia Journalism from CUNY Lehman College is currently completing her graduate studies at The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
SARA MONTIJO is a poet, media educator, and Reiki healer exploring modes of resistance to dismantling hegemonic formulations. She holds a B.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and has previously worked in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Iraqi-Kurdistan.
JEREMY C. NORRIS is a television industry professional with 15+ years of experience in the marketing and event side of the business. Over the course of his career, he has worked with a variety of channels including MTV, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, mtvU, and MTV2. Jeremy has also invested a lot of his time working with youth-focused non-profit organizations. He is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Television Production at CUNY Brooklyn College.
PREET PANNU was born in Kenya and has lived and worked on 3 continents, managed a production company and edited Food and Travel, plus documentary shows. She is a committed producer, editor, and educator, who believes in guiding others through the digital media terrain.lindsayskedgell.com.
VESNA STOICOVICI is a digital media educator who has taught kids and teens of all ages. She holds a B.A in Social Justice from the University of British Columbia and has facilitated youth workshops for organizations across New York City and Vancouver. She aims to equip youth to challenge and disrupt the existing the media landscape.