1. United States Department of State
Office of Broadcast Support
800 National Press Building
Washington, D.C. 20045
July 2, 2016
Ms. Jackie Menendez, VP Communications
Mr. Peter Howard,Interim AVP Communications
University of Miami
6200 San Amaro Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
Dear Ms. Menendez and Mr. Howard,
I wanted to take a minute to write you about my recent experience with Ms. Alex Bassil of the University
of Miami’s Office of Communications and Public Relations.
I was the American producer for the US Department of State who invited a TV team from Guayaquil,
Ecuador to come to the US to produce stories on “climate change and sea level rise.” Knowing that
Miami is very much at risk for sea level rise and that the Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science (RMAS) is an important facility studying climate change, I reached out to Alex for assistance to
line up some good interviews when we would be in the Miami area in early June.
Since our two week trip was starting in Miami on June 5, and the university was on summer break, Alex
did advise to me that it might be hard to get some good climate change experts at RMAS, which was fair
and candid.
But very soon after our first conversation, Alex came back to me pretty quickly with some good
candidates who were willing to meet with us at RMAS on our first shooting day, Monday June 6.
I found working with Alex to be delightful and easy. I bring a lot of our TV guests to universities all over
the US and in most cases,the Media/Press Offices simply give me the names and contact info for the
professors and let me contact them myself to set up our visit. In the case of Alex, even after she informed
me as to who was willing to meet with us, you turned down my offer to contact the professors myself,
telling me that it is easier and more efficient for her to take my scheduling needs and work up an itinerary
for me and my TV team. This was such a refreshing and surprising turn of events!
I later met Alex on the Main Campus that afternoon as we met U of M Sustainability Manager,Teddy
L’Houtellier, who was happy to show us the Frost Music Buildings solar array on the roof and to describe
the “rain collection” system. All in all, a great first day.
I know Alex was just doing her job, but I wanted you to know how appreciative I was of her assistance to
me; from the first call to her office will we left campus that day. I know many times people who go the
extra mile is never rewarded,but in this case I wanted to be sure someone in Alex’s office knew of her
superlative help to me and my TV team.
Sincerely,

2. George A. Santulli, Contract Producer
U.S. Department of State,Office of Broadcast Services
800 National Press Building
Washington, D.C. 20045
540/422-3102-Cell
Email: gsantulli@hotmail.com