Filmmakers
Lee Botts
Executive Producer
Lee is a prominent American environmentalist who has provided leadership for environmental protection in public and governmental organizations including as the Founder of the Lake Michigan Federation, now the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Assistant to the Administrator for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs for the USEPA, and a Presidential appointment as Chairperson of the Great Lakes Basin Commission. In addition, she participated in the founding of the Environmental Management and Policy Committee, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission (1995), the Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council (1997), and the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center (1997). Most recently, she initiated the production of the documentary Shifting Sands.
Pat Wisniewski
Producer/Director
Pat created For Goodness Sake Productions, with the mission of creating films that make a difference. Her most recent production Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh aired on PBS stations across the country and was nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award in 2013. She began filmmaking at WYIN-Lakeshore Public Television assisting in the production of a compendium piece to Ken Burn’s documentary The War. Pat won a Christopher Award in 2006, for a short documentary about How One Person Can Make a Difference. Her current work in progress, Project Neighbors, explores a revolution to help those less fortunate.
Tom Desch
Producer/Editor/Writer
Tom is an independent documentarian. Tom was a producer on the PBS documentary, Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh, which was nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award in 2013. He has edited numerous shows for broadcast (PBS) and cable (BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, ANIMAL PLANET). Tom is wrapping production on his documentary THE FIELD, about Chicago’s proposed third airport. He is also producing An American Home, about Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Prairie Style Home.
Rana Segal
Producer/Director of Cinematography
Rana is an award-winning director, producer and cinematographer. Her work has aired on PBS, The Learning Channel, and Discovery Health Channel. She produced and directed Painting the Town for Artbeat Chicago, WTTW PBS Chicago, which was nominated for an Emmy. . She won a Cine Golden Eagle award for producing and directing On the Shoulders of Giants about Lincoln Park Zoo.
Brian Kallies
Editor/Story Consultant
Brian is an independent documentary filmmaker. He has produced, directed and edited award-winning television and films for Showtime, PBS, Esquire, Tre-TV, WGN, and the BBC and has received critical acclaim from ROGER EBERT, RICHARD ROEPER, NY TIMES, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, HUFFINGTON POST and THE ONION.
Paul Nelson
Associate Producer/Editor
Paul is currently the Production Supervisor at Oakbrook Productions. He recently released an independent documentary called Brotherhood of Bags, about the rise of the popular backyard game. In addition, Paul was the Production Manager at WYIN Lakeshore Public Television where he created programming content.
Matthew Keene
Associate Producer/Camera
Matthew is a recent graduate from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago with a degree in Digital Film and Video.