Meet the 2012 Stage Emcees

Kim Ngan Nguyen of KMGH and Nelson Garcia of 9News wait to tinroduce a young Mongolian dancer at the 2011 festival’s Main Performing Arts Stage.

Since the first year of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, we’ve featured Denver-area Asian Americans from the media as emcees on our Main Performing Arts Stage to showcase them as role models especially for young Asian Americans and Pacific Americans to enter journalism. Denver fortunately has Asians working at most of the local network affiliates, and at The Denver Post. But more Asians need to set their sights on media careers, to represent our communities accurately and fight stereotypes.

This year, for our new Band Stage, we’ve also recruited a pair of local actors to take the stage as Masters of Ceremonies.

Here are this year’s emcees:

GIL ASAKAWA

University of Colorado, Nikkeiview.com

Gil is a veteran of the local media scene from Westword to The Denver Post and many online sites including serving as adviser to the CU Independent, CU Boulder’s student news website. He has volunteered for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival since its 2001 debut. He manages the content for the festival’s website and newsletters, and is the lead emcee on the Main Performing Arts Stage. He is also a blogger and social media expert, and manages CDBF’s online social media presence.

CHRISTINE CHANG

KMGH 7News

Christine is the weekend morning anchor for KMGH 7News. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan and moved to the United States when she was 8 years old. She graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. After working as weekend anchor/reporter at 31LAX in Alexandria, La., she moved on to report at NJN in New Jersey. Her next stop, weekend anchor/reporter at KEZI-TV in Eugene, Ore. From there, she took a gamble and moved to Las Vegas, where she became morning anchor/reporter at KTNV-TV. Christine joined Denver’s 7 in February 2004. Denver is not only beautiful, but the people here are so down to earth, it reminds her of her southern roots. “I got into this business because I LOVED going to school. I think in order to grow, not only in your career, but as a person, you have to learn something everyday. That’s why I like watching ‘Jeopardy!’” she said. Christine is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. One of her friends shared this with Christine early on in her career, and it’s a something she tries to live by: “Always think today you are building for tomorrow.”

CHARLEE CHIV

Band Stage Emcee

Charlee Chiv is Cambodian Chinese and a veteran professional actor. Over the years he’s appeared in numerous national and regional commercials and the TV series Law & Order. He has performed at The Denver Center, Hartford Stage, and Off-Broadway in NYC. Charlee received the Norrie Award for promising actor from Pan Asian Rep in NYC. You can catch him in the 2009 comedy film “Skills like This.”
 
 

NELSON GARCIA

KUSA 9News

Nelson joined the 9News team in November, 2005. Nelson came to 9News from WCCO-TV in Minneapolis where he spent five years. He worked the last three as their Education Reporter, after having worked general news. Prior to WCCO, he worked at WIS-TV in Columbia, South Carolina where he covered the city beat. Nelson also worked in Terre Haute, Indiana and at KOMU-TV in another Columbia — this time in Missouri. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Nelson attended CU for two years before getting his degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. “I hated to leave CU, but my parents weren’t too happy that I spent nearly as much time in the back bowls of Vail as I did in the classroom,” says Nelson. Now, he spends nearly every day in the classroom as 9News’ Education Reporter. Nelson and his wife Lisa live in Lakewood with their two young daughters and two crazy dogs.

DONNA HANSEN

Band Stage Emcee

Donna H. Hansen is an actor and a mother. Born in Okinawa, Japan and raised in rural Florida she is thrilled to MC the Dragon Boat Festival, since she has been a fan of the festival for years. An actor with Donna Baldwin Talent, she has appeared in national and local commercials. Having worked in local theatre in CO and NYC – most recently as Suyuan Woo in The Joy Luck Club at the Vintage Theatre and the wife in Rashomon at the Aurora Fox Theater. She is honored to introduce so many talented members of the community on the stage this weekend. She is thankful for her husband, Mark, and daughter, Portia, for their amazing love and support.

JACKI JING

KWGN CW2

Jacki Jing is the Timesaver Traffic reporter for Daybreak on Colorado’s Own Channel 2. She joined the Daybreak Morning News Team in December of 2011. Jacki was raised in Centennial, Colorado and graduated from Grandview High School. She received a full-ride sports scholarship to the State University of New York in Binghamton for volleyball and graduated magna cum laude with degrees in Political Science and English. Jacki reported and anchored for stations in Binghamton, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts before she returned home. She has covered a wide range of stories, reporting live for FOX News following the mass shooting at Binghamton’s American Civic Association. She also reported on the deadly tornadoes that ripped through Western Massachusetts. During her free time, Jacqueline likes to read and write. She also enjoys watching anime and playing volleyball.

CHRIS JOSE

KDVR Fox31

Chris is still new to Denver and he’s very excited to emcee his second Dragon Boat Festival. Chris is a morning news reporter for Fox 31 Denver’s Good Day Colorado and KWGN Ch. 2′s Daybreak. He also contributes reports for the stations’ evening newscasts. When he’s not getting smoked out covering wildfires and freezing in early morning blizzards, Chris enjoys shooting hoops, improving his below average golf game and exploring Colorado with his beautiful wife, Jaclyn, and their dog, Chloe. Chris is an active member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

TAK LANDROCK

KMGH

Tak Landrock is proud to be part of the Call 7 Investigators at KMGH-TV. He started his new position in December 2011. Before moving to Denver he worked at KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs as the station’s investigative reporter. He’s won numerous awards including three regional Edward R. Murrows, awards from the Associated Press, Colorado Broadcasters Association and he’s been nominated for several Emmys. He covered major stories for KRDO starting with the Columbine Shooting, the Hayman Fire and the Ellicott Tornado. While he’s not a native, he considers Colorado Springs his hometown. He went to Falcon High School and graduated with a class of only 98. He moved on to Regis University and obtained a Bachelor’s in Communication. When he’s not at work you can catch him running; he also likes to hang out at local coffee houses reading a book and walking his dog, Shiro. This is his first time serving as emcee at CDBF.

PATTI MOON

KRDO

Patti Moon is an anchor/reporter for KRDO Newschannel 13 in Colorado Springs. She’s a Colorado native who graduated from Lakewood High School. Patti then ventured to Chicago where she got her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northwestern University. She’s the oldest of four children and says she’s lucky to have the most loving and supportive family ever! As a Korean-American, she’s proud to be part of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival!
 

KIM NGAN NGUYEN

TheDenverChannel.com

Kim helped launch TheDenverChannel.com website in 2001 for KMGH Channel 7, and is now the Director of New Media for the station’s broadcast and web opereations. Kim was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when she was 6 years old. She grew up as the youngest of nine kids in San Jose, Calif., and is a graduate of UCLA, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English. Before KMGH, she was the Managing Editor of Channel2000.com in Los Angeles, the Web site for KCBS-TV. Prior to that she worked as a producer and news reporter for a Citi-CABLE Ch. 22, a cable station in Torrance, Calif., and wrote feature articles for Valley Vantage, a paper covering the San Fernando Valley.