Pilgrim's Progress

Camaro West - Filmmaker with a Mission

Camaro West is a filmmaker, producer, and the Co-Executive Director of Peace is Loud, a non-profit that harnesses the power of storytelling by women, trans, and nonbinary change makers through film. She holds a Masters Degree in International Development Studies, and in the past has led global advocacy work in collaboration with UN Women, Youth and United Nations Global Alliance, The Dove Self Esteem Project. Through her work Camaro helps emerging filmmakers find their voices through their projects. Through the Film Impact Campaign, her organization facilitates partnerships with grassroots organizers and the communities most affected by the social injustices. Peace is Loud helps filmmakers advance their causes. They also support the powerful self-identified women on their Speakers Bureau, by connecting them with speaking events that then financially support their work on the ground. Kitty Pilgrim talks to Camaro about the power of storytelling through film, and how her mission affords women the chance to be heard on their own terms, and depict the world though their own personal lens. Produced by Kitty Pilgrim, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhinecliff

Carol Seitz - Hudson Valley resident, photographer

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, Carol assisted many fashion and celebrity photographers before setting off on her own. Finding that what she enjoyed most was working with real people, she focused on portraiture and event photography for magazines and large corporate clients. After more than 25 years in business, she still enjoys the creative challenges of capturing the fun and vibrancy of people at work and at play. She has photographed many celebrities including Beyonce, Al Roker, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Cohen and two US Presidents. Her impressive client roster has included iconic retailers such as Macy’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond, media giants such as NBC and Telemundo, as well as Shape, Seventeen and Real Simple magazines, just to name a few. As much as she likes people, Carol also has a love of places and spaces. It is reflected in her recent work shooting commercial and residential real estate for architects, retailers and real estate brokers. Drone photography has also been added to her list of services for the option of adding an aerial view to help better tell the story of a building or property. She is an FAA certified drone pilot. Be it people or property Carol works closely with each client to make sure their creative needs are met while bringing her own unique vision to each project. With her artistic abilities as well as her talent for making people relaxed and comfortable during a shoot, she is fortunate to have many clients who have come back to her time and time again. Carol also taught photography to children for 15 years at the Summer Institute for the Gifted in both the Drew and Princeton University sessions. She is a member of ASMP. She is also active in her community. She served as President of the Woodland Community Association from 2007-2013, Member of the Phoenicia Library Board 2013 -2015, Elected Town Official - Member Shandaken Board of Assessment 2009 -2015, and DJ/Host of The Rabbit Hole on community station WIOX in Roxbury NY 2018 to the present. Produced by Kitty Pilgrim, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhinecliff

Jill Dougherty - A World View

Jill Dougherty she is one of the great international correspondents, who appears regularly on TV as a commentator and analyst. She was driven by a passion to understand the world from a young age. As a student, she spent time in the former Soviet Union, leaning about the Communist system and how the Soviet people viewed the world. This is the basis for her deep knowledge about global conflict, especially the Russian war against Ukraine. She talks about the prospects for that conflict as well as Russian leadership and mindset. In her career as a journalist, she also spent time in Asia, so we analyze the prospects for conflict or engagement in the region and the increasing level of tension over the South China Sea. Now a professor at Georgetown, Jill gives us a crash course international relations, and how the major world powers - US, China, Russia view one another. Is conflict inevitable or can diplomacy work? Lastly Jill talks about how her curious personality opened the door to a world of adventure and inquiry. Her personal story is deeply inspiring for anyone who has a desire to make a difference in the world. Produced by Kitty Pilgrim, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhinecliff

Gail Daman - a passion for photography

Pilgrim’s Progress celebrates women who reach down into themselves and find that spark which makes a difference in their quality of their lives. In this episode, we talk to Gail Daman. In her early years Gail was stuck in an unfulfilling 9-5 job, but she would sometimes shoot weddings for her friends on the weekends. Referrals started coming in, and as her wedding business picked up, she realized that she could quit her job and do photography for a living. She loved the lifestyle. The weddings were a delight, and took her all over the country. Every weekend was an adventure. She found she had a natural advantage of being a woman photographer, because it gave her access to all the intimate moments with the bridal party, before the big event. Gail talks to us about her discovery of wildlife photography during her trips to her “camp” in Maine. For 21 years she would go there in the summer, and there were so many wild animals to photograph, she became good at being very still and capturing just the right moment. Now, retired and living in Florida, she photographs wildlife almost exclusively. She is a sought-after photographer because of her sensitivity to the animals she photographs – whether horses and their owners in the nearby equestrian community, or local dogs which she snaps with her I-phone on her four miles walks every day. Gail, now retired, talks to us about finding a passion, and nurturing it through out a lifetime. Joy can be found in the simplest activities, even if it is just snapping pictures of birds at her birdfeeder, just outside her window. Produced by Kitty Pilgrim, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhinecliff

Heather Cassano - the computer connection

Heather has served for over two decades as a product design leader at technology companies like Google, Meta, Pearson and Yahoo. She understands that when a person uses a computer, they are making thousands of personal choice in what they look at. Her insight into psychology and technology give consumers the most positive experience possible when they open up that laptop. No one understands better the fact that we are shaped by what we read on line. A powerhouse in the industry, Heather was featured in "Profiles of Women in Human Computer Interaction" by the Anita Borg Institute at Carnegie Mellon University for women in the field of Human Computer Interaction who have broken through the “glass ceiling” in the industry. Heather is passionate about building inclusive teams and products, and has led the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Councils for several organizations, working to increase diverse representation and build more inclusive and accessible products. In addition to her day jobs, Heather has taught as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at Harvard, UCLA, Marist College, and Yale School of Management. She holds an MFA from Bennington College, a bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Cognitive Psychology from Boston College, and is the primary inventor on two patents. Produced by Kitty Pilgrim, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhinecliff