Scott Slade is host of Atlanta’s Morning News, consistently one of the top-rated radio programs in metro Atlanta for twenty years in a row, and among the top-rated news-talk programs in the USA. The show airs weekdays, 5:00-8:30 AM, on AM750 and now 95.5 FM, Newstalk WSB. Scott is a rare two-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award as Best Radio Personality in America, in 2004 for Large Markets and 2006 for Major Markets. Atlanta’s Morning News with Scott Slade has won numerous awards since its inception in 1991, including the national Edward R. Murrow Award as Best Radio Newscast in the nation. Scott initiated the WSB Radio Care-a-Thon for the AFLAC Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2000, raising nearly nine million dollars so far to fight children’s cancer and blood disorders. Scott has been with WSB Radio since 1984 as a producer, show host, and helicopter traffic reporter. His career includes all facets of media since 1970. He was won numerous news, programming and advertising awards since his broadcasting career began at the age of 15. In fact, his first award was an Associated Press award in 1971 for “News Interpretation” for a weekly program where he and other teenage journalists interviewed news makers on a local radio station. He is an Atlanta native. He is a graduate of Georgia State University, a commercial airplane and helicopter pilot, and enjoys hiking, playing jazz saxophone, and horseback riding among his hobbies.
Sandra Parrish returns for her third season on Lawmakers. She continues her work as a reporter for WSB Radio where she covers political, legislative, transportation, and educational news. This will be her fourteenth session covering the Georgia Legislature. She graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism in 1989 and worked as an anchor/news director for WPLO in Lawrenceville, an anchor/assistant news director for WNGC in Athens and an anchor/reporter for WDUN in Gainesville before joining the WSB news team in 1995. Over the years, she has received more than ten Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards including "Best Use of Sound", "Best Series", and "Best Sports Reporting". She's also received numerous awards from the Associated Press including Best Reporter/Anchor and won the 2006 Georgia Association of Broadcaster’s GABBY Award for “Best Series” for her coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Sandra is a former member of the board of the Georgia Associated Press Broadcast Association. She is married with two daughters.
Keocia Howard returns for her fifth season as part of the Lawmakers team. After producing Prime Time Politics last session, she returns to her true passion this season as a Capitol Reporter. Keocia wears many hats at GPB - She is a Producer for Today in Georgia History and appears on Georgia Traveler as a Special Contributor. Keocia graduated from Georgia State University in May of 2009, with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and minor in Sociology.
Emmy Award-winning producer Ashlie M. Wilson returns for her fifteenth season as part of the Lawmakers team and sixth as the show's Managing Editor and Executive Producer. She produced the program from 1999 through 2006. As a Senior Producer at GPB, Wilson is the co-creator and Executive Producer of the Prime Time Politics series, which launched in September of 2010. Wilson also co-created and served as the Executive Producer of the “Georgia Traveler” series from 2006-2010, the highest rated original program series on GPB Television. Programs that she has produced at GPB have won regional Emmy Awards, awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Telly Awards and Gabby Awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Wilson serves as the First Vice President of the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a member of the Atlanta Press Club. She holds a BS in Communication from Kennesaw State University where she serves on the National Advisory Board for the Communications Department. KSU’s Alumni Association recognized Wilson as a Distinguished Alumni in 2008. She also serves as a Board Member for the Tommy Nobis Foundation. In October of 2011, Wilson was recognized by Georgia Trend magazine as one of the “40 Under 40: Georgia’s Best and Brightest”. She is a native of Marietta, Georgia and is engaged to John Pendley.
Sammy Jones returns for his seventh season as a part of the Lawmakers team and his fifth season as Producer. He first joined GPB as a Lawmakers intern in 2006. Sammy is a native Georgian and a 2005 graduate of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA.
Lara Fawaz is returning for her third year as a part of the Lawmakers team. Lara moved to Atlanta from Huntsville, Alabama to begin her professional career with GPB in 2010. Her experience ranges from interning with NBC Universal in New York to hosting and coproducing a local show for AIB TV here in Atlanta. She also currently works on GPB’s Georgia Traveler. Lara graduated from Auburn University in 2009 where she received her B.A. in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political Science.
Dan Hodlick returns for his seventh season as part of the Lawmakers staff, and his fourth season as the program's director. Dan is a 19-year veteran of the PBS network, as well as a seasoned Director and Technical Director for numerous national televised sporting events. When he's not in the Director's chair, Dan is
either behind the lens as a Videographer, working as an Editor or serving as a Producer or Executive Producer on GPB's numerous original productions.
The 2012 legislative session marks the beginning of Wesley Nichols twelfth year as a member of the Lawmakers staff. A 2001 graduate of the University of Georgia, Wesley majored in telecommunication production and having a good time.
Hank Johnson joins us for his first season as a part of the lawmaker’s team. He is a 2007 graduate of Clark Atlanta University where he received his B.A. in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in Television, Radio and Film. Over the last 5 years Hank has filled many shoes in the television broadcast industry, and is now enthused to be occupied by his first time position as House Director for the Georgia State Capitol.
Jenny has worked as a freelance videographer and editor, which includes work with GPB Sports. She also worked as a production intern at Comcast Sports South. Jenny graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Duquesne University. She is very passionate about television, and in her free time enjoys broadening her knowledge about the subject. She also enjoys curling up with a good movie and spending time with her family.
Jackie Brittain is a recent graduate from Georgia State University, majoring in Journalism. She worked as a co-host and reporter for “GPB’s Football Friday’s in Georgia.” Previously, she also worked as a reporter for Georgia State Athletics and interned with Eric Johnson’s campaign for Governor for 2 years. She also interned with CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” in Atlanta. This will be her first year working for Lawmakers.
Covering the 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly marks Patrick Edmond's first time as part of the Lawmakers team. Patrick is a native Georgian and recent cum laude graduate of the University of Miami with a bachelor's degree in Video/Film and Sociology. He began his journey at Georgia Public Broadcasting in August of 2011 interning with the New Media department and working as an Editor and Videographer for GPB's Friday Night Football series.
Nicole Hamilton joins us for her first season as part of the Lawmakers team. Before moving to Atlanta, she was a Video Editor at WFIE in Southern Indiana. Nicole graduated from Indiana University in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Psychology.
Kelly recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgia State University with degrees in both Anthropology and Journalism. During her studies, she dedicated herself to Georgia State Television (GSTV), the on-campus, student-run television station, where she co-created and directed the Panther Report, a weekly student newscast that won the station its first national award. She also directed two documentary shorts through Beyond Documentary, LLC. Currently, she is also a Production Assistant for Half Pint Productions, LLC for the new documentary, AKA Blondie. While interning at CNN World Headquarters last summer, she discovered her career goal of establishing herself as a news producer. She is proud to begin her career in broadcast journalism with the Lawmakers team.
Oluremi is a new addition to the Lawmakers team. A graduate of the University of Southern California and a current student at Chattahoochee Tech in the TV Production Technology Department, she is excited to make the transition from intern to staff member at GPB.
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