Our Team

Rod Sinks

Director

Rod helped lead two high-tech start-ups from infancy to successful businesses in engineering management roles after earning degrees in engineering from Stanford and physics from Grinnell College.

He currently serves as a trustee of the Fremont Union High School District. Previously, he served as a council member, mayor, founder of Silicon Valley Clean Energy, chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Santa Clara County Cities Association, and a board member of other regional agencies. He champions good governance, strong public schools, environmental stewardship, more housing for all income levels and better public transit.

Rod served the community as a Scoutmaster and YMCA Adventure Guides Leader for many years and is a past president of the Cupertino Rotary Club.

TaLeiza Calloway-Appleton

Chair

TaLeiza Calloway-Appleton is a media professional with years of experience in journalism and marketing. The Ohio native has written for major daily newspapers (St. Cloud Times in Minnesota), weekly news outlets, magazines, and non-profit organizations. She currently serves as the Digital Marketing Coordinator for the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View. Before joining CSMA, she was a freelance writer for Inspire More and Embarcadero Media with her stories appearing in the Palo Alto Weekly and Mountain View Voice newspapers. She previously served as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the El Camino YMCA in Mountain View. She is very passionate about diversity, storytelling, and media education. She is excited to serve on the KMVT Board.

Jim Connor

Treasurer and Director

Meet Jim Connor: a dynamic leader with a passion, for innovation in education and media. As President and Board Director of the Future of Reading, Jim drives initiatives to enhance the K-3 reading curriculum. He’s also a Board Member at Startup Learning, a public benefit corporation, where he champions podcasts and video shows on innovation.

Jim’s current role as CEO of Startup Learning aligns perfectly with his interests in digital learning systems and media production. With 16 years of experience as an early-stage startup investor with Sand Hill Angels, Jim brings invaluable insight to the table. His podcast, “Game Changers Silicon Valley,” delves into technology innovations, while his show, “GameChangers.TV,” spotlights pioneers shaping tomorrow’s landscape. Jim joined the Mountain View Community Television Board of Directors and has served as Treasurer since 2015.

Outside the boardroom, Jim’s a formidable tennis player, actively engaged with the Sunnyvale Tennis Club, competing in local and national USTA leagues. Catch Jim’s podcasts on major platforms under “Game Changers Silicon Valley” or visit https://gamechangersv.libsyn.com/. For innovative insights, tune in to his shows at https://gamechangers.tv/.

Polly Bove

Director

Polly Bove is a recently retired superintendent from the Fremont Union High School District in Cupertino and Sunnyvale. She was an educator for over 50 years and held positions from teacher of Mathematics and Computer Science, to high school counselor and administrator, to many of the roles at the central office including developing many of the district’s alternative programs and serving 16 years as Superintendent. She is on the Board for the Cupertino/Sunnyvale League of Women Voters as well as several other local non-profit organizations. She is hopeful that her passion and experience in education will be helpful to KMVT.

If you need personal details, she was born in Illinois; attended the University of Illinois, came to California in 1972, and worked to earn several master’s degrees in mathematics, psychology, and school administration, she has one son and two grandchildren, loves architecture and has spent over 40 years remodeling homes and designing landscapes.

Carol Starbuck

Immediate Past Board Chair

Carol Starbuck is a dynamic leader and trusted community connector whose professional journey spans media, civic leadership, and public engagement. With a deep passion for uniting people and ideas, Carol has cultivated a multifaceted career defined by service, creativity, and lasting impact. 

She launched her entrepreneurial path early, founding her first business at just 25. Over the years, Carol has taken on diverse leadership roles. 

A pillar in civic engagement, Carol has served for over twelve years on the board of the Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade Association (FOLPA), including terms as President and Chair of the Content Committee. She has also been a dedicated board member of KMVT Comcast 15 Community Television for the past four years and currently serves as Co-Executive Director. At KMVT, she has produced meaningful community programming, including Homage to the Holidays (2020) and the first-ever live broadcast of the Festival of Lights Parade (2021–present). She is also the Associate Producer of Game Changers Silicon Valley, a public affairs program spotlighting innovation, leadership, and social impact throughout the region. 

Carol’s media experience traces back to her early work with The Discovery Channel on the acclaimed documentary series Terrorism: A World in Shadows, where she served as researcher to Executive Producer Robert Kline and Dr. Richard Dekmejian at USC. This foundation in media storytelling continues to inspire her community projects today. 

Often described as a “Connectivity Liaison,” Carol thrives on building bridges between people, organizations, and opportunities. She holds academic credentials from the University of Southern California and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Outside of her professional life, Carol brings the same energy to personal wellness—known affectionately as a workout fanatic, she finds purpose and joy in fitness as her daily compass.

Jeff Sasagawa

Director

Jeff Sasagawa is a highly experienced Silicon Valley executive who has spent more than two decades working in the field of video technology. During his career, he has developed multiple award-winning products in various areas such as video production, live-streaming, connected devices, and social media. Jeff played a pivotal role in creating the industry’s first product DVR at Microsoft for Dish Network, the first portable and wireless video switcher, SlingStudio at Dish Network, the first consumer Telepresence at Cisco, and the first multi-camera live shopping App. Jeff has spent countless hours working on-site with live production crews at KMVT, ESPN, USTA Open, NBC, Golden State Warriors, and many other organizations while leading the SlingStudio and product team at Dish. Jeff is passionate about building high-performing teams, and fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and customer-centricity.

Adam Wu

Director

Adam is a seasoned technologist and entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of industry
experience. He's taken senior management roles in large tech (e.g. Facebook, Google, Microsoft) as well as leading successful startup exits. Adam is passionate about helping ESG
startups and participating in creating a more equitable economy.

Josh Young

Operations Manager

Josh is a KMVT veteran, working with the company for over 20 years.

Alex Doherty

Director of Education

Alex joins KMVT15 as the Director of Education after working as a youth writing Mentor and running his own videography business. He has a Master’s in Screenwriting. He most recently worked on the writing team for Lords of the Fallen, and previously worked as an assistant producer developing video games at LucasFilm.

He’s excited to be at KMVT, and to play his part in developing creative confidence in all students that come to learn at KMVT. He looks forward to building partnerships in the community and Bay Area.

Robin Franks

Production Technician

Robin is a staple at KMVT 15, and brings a deep knowledge in film lighting and sound production to every project.