Our Team

Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

Founder and President

Steve Adubato, Ph.D., enjoys a distinguished career as a broadcasterauthor, syndicated columnist, university professor, lecturer and  motivational speaker. A trainer and coach in the areas of leadership  and communication skills, Steve also served in the mid 1980’s as New  Jersey’s youngest state legislator at the age of 26. 

Steve currently anchors four television series produced by the Caucus   Educational Corporation (CEC) — State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, the weekly, public policy series exploring the critical issues being addressed in the New Jersey Statehouse; One-on-One with Steve Adubato, the nightly series that bring viewers in-depth interviews with  some of the region’s most compelling personalities, including artists, authors, academics, media personalities, health experts and sports icons; Think Tank with Steve Adubato, featuring leaders,  innovators and experts who tackle broader national policy issues impacting New Jersey and the tri state region; and Remember Them with Steve Adubato & Jacqui Tricarico, highlighting notable  people from New Jersey whose legacies continue to have s significant impact, even after their passing.  

Steve has also anchored many high-profile television events including exclusive specials with NJ  Governor Phil Murphy as well as US Senators, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker. Steve has been the  recipient of four prestigious Emmy® Awards for his work on public television, including “Best  Host,” from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 

The CEC’s series air on PBS stations Thirteen/WNET (the flagship station in New York), NJ PBS, WHYY and WHYY’s Y2; on cable on News 12+; on radio on NPR stations WBGO and WQXR; and on digital platforms including Steve Adubato.org, NJ.com, YouTube, Thirteen.org, MyNJPBS.org the Thirteen Explore app, the NJ PBS app and in social media on TwitterFacebook and Instagram

As a media, leadership and communication expert, Steve is a regular contributor to  MetroFocus, a PBS series in the Greater New York market and has appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show, CNN, MSNBC and FOX5 NY as a media and public policy analyst. Steve has appeared on  national radio, providing analysis and commentary on SiriusXM and has also done significant work  on regional radio on NPR as well as 77WABC and AM970. Steve is also the host of Steve Adubato’s Lessons in Leadership with Co-host Mary Gamba, based on his book, Lessons in  Leadership.  

Steve currently serves as a Buccino Leadership Institute Fellow at Seton Hall University and taught a master class there in the spring 2023 semester. He has previously served as a distinguished visiting professor in leadership at New York University and has also lectured at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the United States Military Academy at West Point as well as the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Steve has published well over 1,000 articles on leadership and communication-related issues in a variety of publications.

A much sought-after motivational speaker through his firm Stand & Deliver, Steve has conducted communication and leadership workshops for a variety of clients in the corporate and non-profit sectors. Stand & Deliver is a dynamic, hands-on professional development and executive coaching program, which Steve created to help today’s professionals reach their potential as leaders.

Through Stand & Deliver, Steve developed the “Lessons in Leadership” platform to provide  leadership advice, tips, and tools in the form of columns, videos, seminars, as well as his book,  Lessons in Leadership. Columns and videos can be found through numerous print and online  platforms including NJ Business Magazine, COMMERCE Magazine, Meadowlands USA Magazine, Stand-Deliver.com and SteveAdubato.org, among others. 

As a syndicated columnist, Steve writes a monthly column for New Jersey Monthly magazine. He is  the author of six books, including three focused on interpersonal, professional and crisis  communication: Speak from the Heart, which was featured in Fortune Magazine, as well as Make the  Connection and What Were They Thinking? You Are the Brand, examines the brand strategies of  over thirty individuals and companies, while Lessons in Leadership explores the connection between  leadership and communication offering practical leadership tips and tools as well as powerful case  studies from prominent leaders. His sixth book, due to be released in summer 2023, is titled Lessons  in Leadership 2.0: The Tough Stuff and will feature tips, tools and lessons on innovation learned  during the global pandemic. 

Steve has been frequently named as one of New Jersey’s “Power 100” – New Jersey’s Top 100  Policymakers – by InsiderNJ.com. He has also been named on the New Jersey Globe Power List as  one of NJ’s Most Powerful Personalities in Public Policy and Politics. In addition, New Jersey Monthly magazine named Steve one of the top five most powerful media figures in the state, as  one of the “50 Most Interesting People in New Jersey,” and as one of the “25 Most Influential  People in New Jersey.”

For more information, visit www.stand-deliver.com


Mary Gamba

Mary Gamba

Executive Director

For almost 25 years, Mary Gamba has worked closely with Steve Adubato and the CEC fundraising team to develop, guide and oversee the growth and management of the CEC from a small, single-program production company into the multi-media content provider it is today.  As Executive Director of the CEC, Mary works closely with the CEC fundraising team to continually meet and exceed the individual needs of current and prospective underwriters. Mary’s expertise focuses on client service, team coaching and engagement and overall sponsor relations to ensure satisfaction on all aspects of each partnership.


Jacqueline Heyer

Jacqueline Heyer

Executive Producer, State of Affairs with Steve Adubato & Program Director

Jacqueline Heyer oversees all aspects of State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, which features New Jersey’s top government and industry leaders, policy experts and pundits.

Jacqueline is also the Program Director for the CEC, creating regional public affairs programming for some of the country’s most-watched PBS stations (Thirteen/WNET, NJ PBS), as well as various other public television and cable outlets. The widely-viewed and enduring series include State of Affairs with Steve Adubato; One-on-One with Steve Adubato, and Think Tank with Steve Adubato.


Jacqui Tricarico

Jacqui Tricarico

Executive Producer, Think Tank with Steve Adubato and Co-Host/Executive Producer, Remember Them with Steve Adubato and Jacqui Tricarico

Jacqui has over 15 years of experience in Television Production & Project Management. She has been part of the Caucus Educational Corporation team since 2009 and has also been a freelance producer for NJ PBS and Rutgers iTV.

As Executive Producer of Think Tank with Steve AdubatoJacqui oversees all production of this informative and educational series, which features thought leaders, innovators and experts from a variety of fields to explore the critical issues, trends and challenges facing society today.  

Jacqui is also the Co-Host of Remember Them with Steve Adubato and Jacqui Tricarico, as well as Executive Producer, overseeing all production of this informative series, which honors notable people from New Jersey whose legacies continue to have a significant impact, even after their passing.

Jacqui also oversees CEC Special Projects, including on-location productions.

Additionally, Jacqui produces television programming for the CEC series State of Affairs with Steve Adubato and One-on-One with Steve Adubato.

Jacqui holds a bachelor's degree in television broadcasting from Montclair State University.


Delaney McGowan

Delaney McGowan

Senior Producer, One-on-One with Steve Adubato  

Delaney McGowan, a seasoned professional in media production, brings a wealth of experience to Caucus Educational Corporation as a Senior Producer. With a proven track record of conceptualizing, developing, and executing high-quality content, Delaney has honed her skills through years of dedicated work in the industry. Her professional career began at National Geographic, where she cultivated her skills and passion for storytelling. Delaney's tenure at Nat Geo provided invaluable experience, laying the groundwork for her subsequent roles with Warner Bros. Discovery and A&E Television Networks. With her diverse background, she contributes significantly to the CEC’s mission of delivering informative and inspiring content to audiences everywhere.
 
As Senior Producer of One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Delaney oversees all production of this series, which features conversations with today’s most interesting people who do extraordinary things.


Usame Tunagur

Usame Tunagur

Usame Tunagur is the Executive Producer for Post-Production and Digital Content. He oversees the daily post-production needs for the Caucus Educational Corporation and its four programs; One-on-One with Steve Adubato, State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, Think Tank with Steve Adubato, and Remember Them with Steve Adubato & Jacqui Tricarico.

A multimedia producer and a journalist with hands-on production and project management experience for more than 15 years, Usame has been working in the broadcast media industry in a variety of capacities across multiple genres and formats. Along with industry experience, he is also an educator, having worked as an assistant professor of video production at Cabrini University, a social justice centric liberal arts college. Before joining CEC, he was a segment producer at the Black News Tonight w/ Marc Lamont Hill that aired on Black News Channel.
He is a recipient of a Vision Award from the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, for the TV show, World in America and a John Michaels Memorial Film Award at the Big Muddy Film Festival, for his short film, Muslim 101.

Usame holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University and a master of fine arts degree in Film from Ohio University.


Caroline Pizzano 

Caroline Pizzano 

Marketing Communications and Social Media Manager

As the Marketing Communications and Social Media Manager at the Caucus Educational Corporation, Caroline assists in curating and promoting marketing initiatives alongside our VP of Marketing. In addition to marketing, she is also responsible for the engagement and communication between our underwriters and producers regarding programming, branding and visibility. 

Previously, as an intern with CNBC, Caroline developed a foundation in production and live television. Her interest in media eventually led her to a full-time position at the CEC. With a BFA from Montclair State University, Caroline has several years of digital marketing and design experience. In addition to having a degree in the arts, she’s also heavily involved in the community. She enjoys volunteering over the weekends at soup kitchens and local animal rescues. Caroline is a firm believer that staying connected with the rest of the world is an important part of being human, which is the primary reason she has found herself in the media industry.


Chloe Swift

Chloe Swift

Associate Producer

Chloe Swift serves as the Associate Producer for all four Caucus Educational Corporation programs. She assists the Executive Producers in coordinating guests, creating production materials, and communicating with the CEC's underwriters. 
 
Chloe received her bachelor’s degree in Television and Digital Media from Montclair State University in 2022. In addition to being the Associate Producer at the Caucus Educational Corporation, Chloe serves as the Alumni Association President and Foundation Scholarship Chair of the Cumberland County Technical Education Center. It is her passion to give back to the community in which she grew up and the school that propelled her into a successful collegiate and professional future.


Elvin A. Badger

Elvin A. Badger

Director

Elvin A. Badger is an Emmy® Award winning director with over 15 years of experience directing live and studio television.

Elvin currently directs State of Affairs, Think Tank and One-on-One for the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Elvin also directs various programming at NJ PBS, including NJ Spotlight News, On the Record, Reporters Roundtable, Matter of Faith and any special events such as the NJ debates and the NJ PBS In Your Neighborhood series.

Elvin has worked for several companies over his career including CUNY TV, Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Fox News & Activision and has directed Moyers & Company, Theater Talk, SciTech Now & Long Island Business Report, which airs on PBS.


Frank Brown, Jr. 

Frank Brown, Jr. 

Audio Engineer

Frank Brown, Jr., is a two-time Emmy® Award-winner who brings with him more than three decades of experience as an audio and mixing engineer.

Frank is the audio engineer for One-on-One, State of Affairs and Think Tank for the Caucus Educational Corporation. He is also the audio engineer for Steve Adubato's Lessons in Leadership with Co-host Mary Gamba.

Frank also is the senior audio engineer for other programs airing on WNET, NJPBS and WLIW, including American Songbook from NJPAC. Frank is also an accomplished percussionist having attended The Manhattan School of Music and Lincoln University and is currently an endorsed drummer for the S.J.C. Custom Drum Company.  


Scarlyn Veloz

Scarlyn Veloz

Video Operator/Engineer

Scarlyn Veloz has over 10 years of experience in Camera Operation and Video Engineering for Television. He also has experience in filmmaking, where he has worked as camera operator for feature films and several music videos.

Scarlyn is in charge of all home studio operations for the Caucus Educational Corporation and Stand & Deliver.

As a freelance Video Operator/Engineer, Scarlyn travels around the country providing video expertise to various TV stations and large Broadcast events. Some of the events he has worked on include the 2018 Spotify’s Pre Grammy-Bash, New York Time’s “Time Talks” and Call of duty World League among others.

Scarlyn currently works as a Robotic Camera Operator, Video Operator and Engineer for different Companies including, CUNY TV, FOX NEWS, SNY, NE Productions, Cue 2 Cue and Jib Tek.

Scarlyn worked on the film “Early light” directed by Geoffray Barbier which is currently on Amazon Prime Video.


Marcus Bonilla

Marcus Bonilla

Video Editor

Marcus Bonilla has more than 20 years experience editing video content for television, independent filmmakers, successful corporations and large financial institutions. He currently handles the post-production duties for Think Tank, State of Affairs and One-on-One for the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Marcus graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts as a film and television production major. Entering the field just as it was becoming predominately digital, Marcus was able to spread his skills and interests into other categories such as graphics, animation, digital photography and even DVD authoring.

Working professionally in Manhattan for 20 years has allowed him to sharpen his talents on creative and compelling video projects for clients such as Deutsche Bank, Lancôme, Fuji Television, Verizon, Guggenheim Partners, Estée Lauder, BNY Mellon and NetApp.

Marcus also served as the sole film editor for New Jersey’s own independent horror-cult filmmaker Dante Tomaselli.


Aimee Brooks

Aimee Brooks

Senior Producer & Marketing Specialist
Think Tank, One-on-One and State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, and Remember Them

As a Marketing Specialist, Aimee manages CEC video content shared on our partner websites and social media outlets and manages online advertising and email marketing.

As a CEC Producer, Aimee assists in aspects of pre-production and production for all of the CEC programming including One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Think Tank with Steve Adubato and State of Affairs with Steve Adubato. In this role, Aimee books guests, conducts pre-interviews, prepares the host for tapings and produces segments on-site

Aimee worked for CBS News On-Air Promotion and Marketing for over 20 years.  Her career started in the 90's as an NBC Page.     

Aimee received her bachelor’s degree in Communications from Rider University in 1992.


Buki Elegbede

Buki Elegbede

Contributing Producer

Buki Elegbede is an award-winning host, producer, and content creator. Over the past 10 years, he has produced content for the likes of Health Magazine, ABC, CREATE TV, PBS, and Nat Geo. He has produced and hosted docu-series, talk shows, panel shows, and LIVE events. He has been nominated for various awards including 2 NY Emmys, but holds awards for both hosting and producing. Buki brings a varied skill set and love for storytelling to his role as contributing producer for Caucus Educational Corporation.

Buki earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Business Administration from Rutgers University.


Norris Clark

Norris Clark

Managing Partner, PSC

As the Managing Partner of PSC (Princeton Strategic Communications), the full-service award-winning marketing communications arm of PPAG (Princeton Public Affairs Group), Norris and his team support all aspects of Caucus Educational Corporation’s marketing and sponsor relations. PSC also communicates the stories of other consequential companies and causes such as the New Jersey Hall of Fame, Georgian Court University, the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund (MEL), Entain PLC, Bermuda Tourism Authority, Cape Resorts and Cape May MAC.

Norris formerly led communications for the NJ Department of Education, and as VP of New York City-based Magnet Communications, he helped Thomson launch online learning globally. Before this, Norris was recruited by Ross Perot as an IT marketing executive for CRM services after helping the businessman organize a two-million-member national advocacy campaign. Norris served a four-year term as the deputy mayor of Lower Township in Cape May County, organizes TEDxCapeMay viewed online by over seven million people, serves on the boards of Cape May MAC, and the historic Cold Spring Church, and has traveled to over 50 countries.


Carolinn Pocher Woody

Carolinn Pocher Woody

Digital Marketing Specialist, PSC

As a Digital Marketing Specialist at PSC, Carolinn contributes her talents and extensive experience in graphic design, email campaigns, and website development in support of CEC. After years of experience publishing Filmbill magazine, the graduate of Mount Holyoke College saw the seismic changes coming in the print industry and got ahead of the digital explosion to become a three-time Constant Contact All-Star Award winner. Carolinn is passionate about helping others succeed in telling their story using online communication tools.

Carolinn also loves to hunt, fish, cook and decorate. Her former antiques business specializing in American folk art, antique garden furnishings and marine antiques was featured in The New York Times.


Natasha Alagarasan

Natasha Alagarasan

Media Relations Specialist, PSC

Natasha brings over 15 years of experience in journalism and communications to the CEC team, a decade of which was spent in New York City television newsrooms. At NY1 News – where she previously accumulated experience as a writer and control room producer, associate producer and fill-in executive producer in the general news division – she senior produced the popular primetime show The Call. The New York Press Club awarded the show’s “New Yorker of the Year” special, which Natasha executive produced, the Rev. Mychal Judge Heart of New York Award.

After more than 11 years working in New York City, Natasha found her Jersey roots calling her home. In 2018, Natasha joined Governor Philip Murphy’s administration as Deputy Director of Communications at the NJ Department of Human Services. There, she helped spearhead the communications function of the state’s largest agency serving one-fifth of all New Jerseyans and one out of every three children. Her service included one year of shepherding the department through the COVID-19.