Justin has over 19 years of experience in media production, broadcast, and creative services. His first media job was as a master control operator at KBTX-TV in his hometown of Bryan, TX, where he rose to director of their 6pm and 10pm newscasts. During that time, he earned a degree in Radio & Television Production at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. He does not miss the daily 45-minute commute between work and classes.
In 2009, Justin made the move to his now beloved home of Houston. He began work as a newscast technical director at KHOU-TV, and quickly became the primary director of Great Day Houston, a live morning talk and variety show shot in front of a live studio audience. Early during his tenure at KHOU, he began freelancing with a video production company that streamed live music events, such as concerts and festivals. Justin has directed live performances of some of music’s biggest names, such as Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Jack White, Vampire Weekend, Gorillaz, Slayer, Bon Iver, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Costner & Modern West, and many more.
In 2013, Justin temporarily said goodbye to Houston, driving cross-country with his dad to New York City. There, he continued directing live music, in addition to working on various reality shows, including National Geographic’s Drugs, Inc., which took him to some spots in Manhattan he would not normally find himself. His favorite part of that job was attaching a GoPro to the hood of a rental car and driving all night down the streets of Manhattan, and crossing all the bridges between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
But Houston remained home, and as such, he quickly returned. Having worked with now Station Manager Josh Adams at Great Day Houston, Justin began at Houston Public Media in 2014, where he has remained to this day. Starting as a Senior Producer in the Creative Services department, he became Creative Services Manager in 2018. During his time at Houston Public Media, he has helped develop the current branding and visual identity of the public television and radio station to where it is today, managing teams of producers, editors, writers, and designers in areas of content creation, promotion, branding, fundraising campaigns, and marketing. He has helped lead the design and marketing of some of the station’s largest productions, including Town Square with Ernie Manouse, I SEE U with Eddie Robinson, A Murder in Montrose, Tu Voz es Poder: A Latino Town Hall, and Houston in Black and White.