Director/Producer

John Forsen is an award-winning producer/director who heads Fidget Films and Documentaries Seattle. John began his career in Northwest television in 1981. His interest in documentaries led him to KCTS where he worked on Winds Over Everest and The Susan Butcher Story. He also worked on special projects and programming at KIRO TV. In 2009, John produced the Emmy-nominated documentary Alaska-Yukon-Pacific, Seattle’s Forgotten World’s Fair, which ignited interest in creating a comprehensive history series on Seattle. With 14 Emmy’s to his credit and a passion for sharing compelling stories, he is excited to break new ground with this ambitious project.    

Writers

Contributors to the series will include Sherman Alexie, Feliks Banel, Knute Berger, Tim Egan, Paul Dorpat, Mike James, Lorraine McConaghy, Christina Ruddy, Mayumi Tsutakawa, David B. Williams, George Wing, Tom Horton and others.

Narrator

Tom Skerritt has appeared in more than forty films and more than two hundred television episodes since 1962. He is known for his roles in MASH, Alien, Top Gun, A River Runs Through It, Up in Smoke and the television series Picket Fences. Skerritt has earned several awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Picket Fences. He also narrated Forsen’s Alaska-Yukon-Pacific, Seattle’s Forgotten World’s Fair documentary.

Associate Producers

Gayle Podrabsky An experienced professional with more than 20 years of success in, producing, directing, writing, editing video, creative project management, client liaison, relationship building, team leadership and budget oversight. Understands how to identify the needs of an organization and tell a cogent, persuasive marketing story, helping clients introduce or reemphasize a brand or nonprofits organize and convey their message for increased donations.

Tom Horton Tom lead marketing efforts for some of the Northwest’s most iconic brands and legendary campaigns, including Rainier Beer and Ivar’s, for which he won numerous awards. He also worked on the early development of Starbucks, Cinnabon, Red Hook, Keystone Resort, Taco Del Mar and Restaurants Unlimited. Tom also directed the marketing efforts for New Balance at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Advisory Committee

Tim Egan is an author and journalist who won the National Book Award for his epic The Worst Hard Time, an account of the Dust Bowl and those who lived through it. He has written several historical books about the Pacific Northwest and is a columnist for The New York Times. He lives in Seattle.

John Findlay, Ph.D., is chair of the department of history at the University of Washington where he focuses on the history of the North American West and Pacific Northwest. He maintains a special interest in 20th century social and urban history and has authored numerous articles and books.

Carver Gayton, Ph.D., is the retired founding executive director of the Northwest African American Museum. He served as the corporate director of educational relations and training at Boeing and was the state commissioner of the employment security department under Governor Gary Locke. Dr. Gayton was the director of affirmative action and staff training at the University of Washington and a former teacher of history and English at his alma mater, Garfield High School in Seattle.

Jennifer Kilmer is the director of the Washington State Historical Society. Kilmer began her career as a grant manager for The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in Seattle. She also served as the program officer for the Seattle Seahawks Charitable Foundation and worked on a variety of special projects including the development of the Science Fiction Museum at Seattle Center. Kilmer is the former executive director of the Harbor History Museum.

Warren KingGeorge is the oral historian for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Western Washington where he oversees the collection and recording of oral accounts from tribal and community members. He is a popular speaker on modern tribal issues including sovereignty, resources and co-management of tribal affairs.

Marie McCaffery is the executive director of History Link, the largest encyclopedia of community history created expressly for the internet. The online resource provides a free, authoritative reference for students, teachers, journalists, researchers and the general public.

Lorraine McConaghy, Ph.D., is public historian emeritus at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and has devoted her career to researching and teaching Pacific Northwest history. She is a past recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History, the DAR National Heritage Medal for Oral History, the AKCHO Charles Payton Award, and the Annual History Award from the Pacific Northwest

Jean Walkinshaw is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and producer who has created content for The History Channel, KING-TV and KCTS 9. She has produced numerous documentaries on contemporary issues in art, literature and history. She is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and resides in Seattle.

Consultants

Robin K. Wright, Emerita Curator of Native American Art, Burke Museum, University of Washington; Paul Dorpat, historian and photographer; Mayumi Tsutakawa, writer and editor; Ron Chew, writer, editor and historian; Vivian Phillips, director of marketing and communications, Seattle Theatre Group