We’re proud to have an incredibly talented, passionate, and ragtag team at BIG. We work as a creative collective, holding space for the diverse range of professional, personal, and cultural backgrounds each of us brings to the table. We are: an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker; a former public school teacher for 10 years; trained and working professional artists and performers; the former chief elected officer of the largest town in MA; a contractor with the UN who used human-centered design in crisis zones; a professional musician and former software developer who found additional fame in his creative classes with teens; and an inventive tech journeyman who knows more about broadcasting and blimps than you do. Amidst all this, we are passionate about community media and committed to empowering all to express themselves by telling their stories and creating our world together.
BIG's STAFF
Jessica Smyser
Executive Director - jessica@brooklineinteractive.org
Jessica Smyser has built a career around her passion for providing arts and culture organizations and educational institutions with strategic coherence, financial sustainability, and operational efficacy. Jessica comes to BIG from her most recent role as Executive Director at Cambridge Community Television. At CCTV she led with the goal of establishing the center as an inclusive, modern, and anti-racist organization. Key facets of her work included determining the organization’s future strategy focusing on Equity, Learning, and Revenue. Jessica’s passion is inspiring action among employees and community partners to support access and civic engagement. She received her bachelor’s degree from Smith College and her master’s degree in Organizational Development and Ethical Leadership from Claremont Lincoln University.
Dominic (Dom) Lounds
Director of Production - dom@brooklineinteractive.org
A recent graduate of Emerson College's MFA film program, Dom specializes in documentary filmmaking and motion graphics. Her work includes archival producing for WGBH broadcasts, animation for both narrative shorts and feature length films, and, most recently, an experimental virtual reality installation. At BIG, she helps to provide civic information and create news content across multiple platforms, all while supporting client and member productions.
Marinah J Phennicie
Production Manager - marinah@brooklineinteractive.org
Marinah J Phennicie is a New England based filmmaker who has taught filmmaking and video editing courses at The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, The Sidney Poitier Film Festival, Boston Neighborhood Network, and Cambridge Community Television. After her role as a Senior Media Technician at Harvard’s Hauser Studio, she started her own production company with her partner and is currently in post-production on her first feature film.
Stephen Walter
Director of Innovation + Creative Strategy - steve@brooklineinteractive.org
Stephen Walter helps run the R&D at BIG, with eyes toward the future of what "public access" can and should mean in the 21st century, while also being BIG's de-facto chief engineer to keep the center running today. He has been working as a researcher, designer, and program director at the intersection of technology, community, and carework for the past 15 years. He's worked for organizations such as the International Red Cross / Red Crescent and the UN, where he helped design communications systems and educational programs in humanitarian crisis zones; the Boston Mayor's Office, where he helped co-design and program the region's lowest barrier-to-entry harm reduction day shelter for people dealing with substance use, homelessness, and mental health crises. Before this he was the founding managing director of the Engagement Lab, an applied research lab that used games and play to design more resilient social safety systems in communities around the globe. Here's a peer reviewed book chapter about some of the design philosophy behind this work. Much to the annoyance of his family, he never has an easy-to-explain job title, and the current iteration at BIG is no exception. But Stephen knows what he does and why he does it - so come on by or send an email or alter his green screen bio photo background and spark a conversation! Let's explore and experiment with the newest tools for community engagement and civic media together. Learn more about Stephen's other work and projects on his website: weirdmachine.org
Wes Kaplan
Director of Education
Wes Kaplan is a Boston native and longtime Brookline educator. His work in Brookline has included managing the music studio at Brookline Teen Center and organizing Brookline Porchfest. As Director of Education, he oversees BIG’s Media Apprentice program, which provides paid production jobs for high school teens. As Apprentices, young people learn professional media skills while producing cinematic shorts and documentaries. As an educator, Wes’s passion is for fostering creativity and empowering young people to be the movement leaders of their communities. In his free time, Wes is an active member of the Boston rock scene and occasional iced coffee brewer.
Wes Kaplan is a Boston native and longtime Brookline educator. His work in Brookline has included managing the music studio at Brookline Teen Center and organizing Brookline Porchfest. As Director of Education, he oversees BIG’s Media Apprentice program, which provides paid production jobs for high school teens. As Apprentices, young people learn professional media skills while producing cinematic shorts and documentaries. As an educator, Wes’s passion is for fostering creativity and empowering young people to be the movement leaders of their communities. In his free time, Wes is an active member of the Boston rock scene and occasional iced coffee brewer.
Morgan Laing-Buckland
Control Room Operator - morgan@brooklineinteractive.org
Morgan has worked in the control room at BIG since 2001, directing almost all of the Town of Brookline's government meetings, and running camera for civic events around town. He has an abiding love for cinema and TV, while also being a huge contributor to civic life in Brookline