The staff at TNDV Television is the cornerstone of our success, bringing together a unique blend of technical expertise, creativity, and dedication. Our engineering team is well-known for going above and beyond the call of duty, providing exceptional service to ensure every project is a success. Flawless execution and collaborative attitudes allow the TNDV team to consistently exceed expectations. Read all about the team below, and also look at our position openings to join a fantastic team.
Nic Dugger
Founder and Chief Innovation Officer
Nic came up with a crazy idea to start a company in his driveway in 2001, and the rest is history. Chances are if you have ever worked with TNDV, you know Nic. He can be found doing everything from sales, to tech managing, to planning staff events. He is also an outstanding director and always looking for ways to mentor and share his expertise, especially with his alma mater, MTSU.
Nic is originally from Jackson, Tennessee, and likes spending time in the mountains, loves movies in the theater, and prefers his laptop to his phone any day. A few things Nic wants you to know: There is no seafood in a shrimp kit. Frisbees are best when they are being run over. And a kill sticker will not get you arrested.
Nic’s favorite moment with TNDV was the night we swept the regional Emmys with 7 wins while also producing the same Emmy telecast.
Rob Devlin
President
Rob has been with TNDV since 2011. He oversees all engineering and operations, along with many other company elements. Originally from Uniondale, New York, Rob is a MTSU alum with a major in Electronic Media Production with a double minor in Recording Industry and Spanish. After being involved with the campus TV station, he turned his focus from audio to television. He still gets to work with a lot of friends from MTSU every day.
When Rob has a break from his presidential responsibilities he enjoys spending time with his family, watching baseball, and traveling.
Rob’s favorite show with TNDV was Powershares Tennis in beautiful Hawaii.
Andrew Humphries
Mobile Unit Engineering Advisor
Andrew is a Senior Engineer and helps keep the trucks running and in excellent condition. He started freelancing with Nic after graduating with an Electronic Media Production degree from MTSU in the early 2000s. He was actually TNDV’s first employee.
Andrew is from Knoxville, Tennessee and when he isn’t using his expertise at work, he is giving his expert advice to students as an Engineering professor at MTSU.
4th of July at The White House is one of his favorite TNDV shows he has been a part of.
Chris Payne
Manager of Streaming, Remote Control Operations & Special Projects
Chris has been working for TNDV officially since 2012, but was freelancing with us long before that. Like many of our engineers, he graduated from MTSU with a degree in Television Production and minors in Theater and IT Management. Chris has many roles at TNDV including, but not limited to: engineering, streaming, system building, software and web development, and remote control production management. His nickname is the “Wireless Wizard”.
When Chris isn’t working at TNDV he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. He is an avid roller coaster enthusiast and also enjoys nerd projects that involve a lot of wiring and soldering, like restoring a pair of 1960s pinball machines.
Chris enjoys all the most complicated and large shows we have done, such as the multi-site live production of Passion. The coolest place TNDV has taken him was the Utah desert to cover the annular eclipse.
David Bennett
Director of Business Development
David began working with TNDV officially in 2023, but has been connected to TNDV for many years through previous endeavors. David is an autodidact, beginning his career in the production world not long after high school, with many years of wide work experience in the field. David has produced many hours of TV programming, music videos and indie films. And he’s who you call if you need a TNDV truck or fly pack for an event. David will work with you to come up with the best production package for the size and scope of the show.
David is what some might call a unicorn, as he has been in Nashville his entire life. He was the Executive Director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission for 4 years. He met many Hollywood studio executives along with celebrities and stars. David enjoys cooking, spending time with his family, studying various philosophies, and working out 6 days a week. He has been trained in martial arts since the age of 15.
David’s favorite show with TNDV was Dolly Parton’s Christmas special, A Holly Dolly Christmas.
JJ Hacker
Senior Engineer
JJ is from the great state of Alabama who also graduated from MTSU with a Recording Industry Audio Production degree. He fell in love with television through the student-run TV station on campus and began working with TNDV in 2013. JJ is the primary engineer of our audio truck, Vibration, but you will also see him on many of our other trucks and fly packs.
JJ enjoys hiking and kayaking in his off time, along with woodworking. He is also our resident TNDV grill master.
A couple of JJ’s favorite shows have been working the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington D.C. and Bluegrass Underground at The Caverns. TNDV has also taken JJ to Hawaii and Grand Junction, Colorado.
Robert Pace
Warehouse Manager
Robert makes sure all equipment is prepped, organized and ready for the next event. In addition to warehouse/equipment organization, he can occasionally be seen out in the field as an engineer. Robert was a client before he became an employee in 2014, using one of our original trucks for FOX17’s local cut-ins during the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
Robert is from Nashville, Tennessee. He was a wedding DJ for years and occasionally still dabbles for fun. Otherwise, he’s learning new things on YouTube or hanging out with his son.
His favorite show was the NCAA Fencing Championships at Notre Dame where so many fun things happened and the crew was great!
Tom Leis
Maintenance Director
Tom makes sure our equipment is working properly by either fixing it himself or coordinating the repair. Tom has been with TNDV since 2016 when he was connected with Nic through a mutual friend.
Tom has lived in Nashville since 1976. He enjoys hiking as often as he can. Tom has two daughters and two granddaughters that live in Seattle, so he flies there often to attend birthdays and holidays. His wife, Liz, also has a grandson they are very close with in Clarksville. Fun fact: Tom’s father made up his last name.
Tom’s favorite memory working with TNDV was managing the IFBs at a Dolly Parton benefit for the Gatlinburg fire.
Andy Bell
Senior Engineer
Andy began working with TNDV as a freelance director and crewer in the Texas area before moving to Nashville and coming on full time at TNDV. Andy is also our fleet manager, so when he is not driving or engineering Exclamation he maintains driver records, truck lease/purchases, permits, as well as state and federal reporting requirements.
Andy originates from Haughton, Louisiana and went to Louisiana Tech University for business management. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time on the lake, along with many other outdoor activities, and riding his Harley.
Andy’s favorite venue to work at is The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington.
Courtni Jackson
Director of Operations
Courtni began working for TNDV in summer of 2018 after getting to know the staff on a show she was producing at the time called Skyville Live. She graduated from MTSU with a degree in Media Management and Marketing.
She is from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee and likes to spend her free time with her husband and little girl. They enjoy being outdoors and taking the dog for walks, anything that involves water in the summer and going to the mountains in the winter. If you see her with headphones in, she is probably listening to a true crime podcast.
Her favorite show was working the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival in her hometown.
Steve Boyajian
Engineer
Steve comes to us from Thousand Oaks, California. He transferred to Tennessee in 2019 from our sister company, Live Media Group, located in Los Angeles. He has a Bachelor of Arts from California State University Northridge. Steve is our primary satellite engineer, but he also works on many of our various production trucks and fly packs and is really great to have around the office for carpentry, office upgrades, and other handyman projects.
In his downtime, Steve enjoys spending time with his family, especially his new granddaughter. He also likes motorcycles and r/c helicopters.
Steve’s favorite moments working with TNDV are getting to work at Graceland and standing on the side stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium.
Amanda Freese
Operations Coordinator
Amanda began working with TNDV in the Fall of 2021. She has been familiar with TNDV for many years, being connected through her husband’s work as a freelancer. Amanda has a degree in Television Production from MTSU with a minor in Film Studies and went to school with many of the engineers on staff.
Originally from Gordonsville, Tennessee, home of the back-to-back 2023-2024 1A Softball State Champions, Amanda enjoys trips with her family, reading and buying too many books, cross stitching, and coaching her daughter’s softball team.
Working in the office, Amanda doesn’t get on site much with TNDV, but does enjoy working behind the scenes with freelancers and coordinating many aspects of the show.
Tanner Freese
Engineer
Tanner started working full time at TNDV in 2022, after many years of freelancing and one previous stint as a staff member. He comes from Berea, Kentucky, moving to Middle Tennessee in 2004 to attend MTSU. Tanner knows most of the senior staff at TNDV through college. He graduated with a degree in Recording Industry Management Production and a minor in Television Production.
When Tanner isn’t on the road, he enjoys watching sports with his wife and daughter, relaxing in the pool, and amateur woodworking. He also enjoys general aviation and has his instrument rated private pilot’s license. He can appreciate a good bourbon and makes a great trivia partner.
His favorite shows are the ones when the whole TNDV staff get to work together, which makes the event even more fun. As far as favorite places, Tanner has been to the Pacific Northwest and loves any show that takes him close to a beach.
Canaan Santele
Engineer
Canaan can usually be found as the E2 on Exclamation. He is from Mora, Minnesota and one of the few employees who did not come through MTSU. Canaan got connected to TNDV through one of our freelancers after moving to Tennessee.
When Canaan gets down time, he enjoys music, photography, and videography. He also enjoys the great outdoors with many activities such as: hiking, camping, swimming, and motorsports like snowmobiling, four wheeling, and boating.
Canaan enjoys the festivals we work where it can be absolute chaos, but all comes together as one awesome giant show in the end. His favorite memory is when he got to drive over a mountain backroad in California between different shows.
Nathan Miller
Engineer
Nathan is from Maryville, Tennessee. He joined TNDV in 2022 through his connections at MTSU, where he graduated with a degree in Video & Film Production.
Nathan likes to spend his free time watching movies and tv shows, hiking, and playing video games. He can solve a Rubik’s cube in 45 seconds.
His favorite show was Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday at the Hollywood Bowl.
Dakota Russ
Engineer
Dakota began working with TNDV in 2022 after being connected through a friend that also works with TNDV. Dakota is from Lebanon, Tennessee and a MTSU graduate in Video, Film & Live Production.
In his spare time, Dakota likes motion graphic design and hanging out with friends and family. He is also really into medium-format film photography.
Dakota’s favorite show with TNDV was at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for Passion 2024.
Houston Chapman
Engineer
Houston is a MTSU Video Production and Media Management graduate from Nolensville, Tennessee. After taking a multicam production class taught by our founder, Nic Dugger, he was interviewed for an apprentice in September of 2022 and has since been promoted to full time engineer.
When Houston is not on the road, he likes to hike and attend events at his church. He loves sporting events and playing basketball. If you think Houston looks familiar, you may have seen a clip of him playing basketball on SportsCenter when he was in high school.
His favorite memories with TNDV so far are getting his picture taken with Tom Brady at a Delta Airlines event and making the beautiful drive to Bigfork, Montana.
Christian Dunham
Engineer
Christian started working with us through our apprentice program in 2023. He got started in his engineering career by taking our very own Andrew Humphries’ engineering class at MTSU, where Christian graduated with a degree in Broadcast Television Production.
An avid Philadelphia fan, Christian enjoys cheering on the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers in his spare time. He is also a self-proclaimed huge nerd and builds props and costumes for various charity groups. One of those groups is the Tennessee Ghostbusters. A group of enthusiasts that dress up as real Ghostbusters for fun events like parades and movie premieres. They also focus on charity events like toy drives and hospital visits. If there is any paranormal activity going on, just give Ghostbuster Dunham a call, he ain’t afraid of no ghost!
Christian’s favorite show working with TNDV so far is the annual K-Love Fan Awards where he met some of the many great people that work in our industry.
Joshua Goad
Apprentice
Joshua is from Helenwood, Tennessee and heard about TNDV through his MTSU engineering class with Professor Humphries. He graduated with a bachelor’s in Live Production and began working at TNDV in 2024 as a shop hand and engineering apprentice.
He has fun working on cars and going to car shows with his friends and family. Gaming is also a hobby of Joshua’s.
Though he hasn’t been to many places just yet, his current favorite is working a show at The Caverns, a completely underground concert venue.
Alex Hammond
Field Shop Technician
Alex began working at TNDV in February 2024. He helps make sure the shop is in order and the gear is ready for the next show.
Alex is from beautiful Burlington, Vermont and in his spare time writes and produces music.
Rilea Newton
Apprentice
Rilea began working at TNDV in May of 2024. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, she is a MTSU graduate in Video and Film Production with a minor in Media Management. Rilea got connected with TNDV through taking Andrew Humphries’s engineering class in college.
Rilea enjoys cooking, physical activities and spending time with family and friends.
Her favorite TNDV experience so far was working at CMA Fest.
Jordan Camosy
Apprentice
Jordan began his apprenticeship with us in June 2024. He is originally from Zionsville, Indiana and currently attending MTSU for audio production.
When Jordan isn’t at school or working, he likes recording music. Since he has only been with us for a short time, he has yet to see outside the shop, but is excited about the events and places TNDV can take him.