Emily Stanitz has served as Mr. Koppel's assistant since early 2003. She began working for him at ABC News Nightline just as Mr. Koppel was heading off to Iraq to cover the impending war. She continued in this capacity through his departure from Nightline in November 2005.
Currently, she coordinates Mr. Koppel's commitments as managing editor at Discovery, as a contributing columnist for the New York Times and as a senior news analyst for National Public Radio.
As an associate producer at Koppel on Discovery, she conducts research, coordinates shoots and helps gather all the elements necessary for broadcasts.
While at Nightline, joining Mr. Koppel on the road was a highlight for Stanitz. In September 2005, she traveled with Mr. Koppel and a team of Nightline producers to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. During the 2004 presidential campaign, she accompanied him on trips to her home state of Ohio, as well as to New York City for coverage of the Republican convention.
Prior to joining ABC News, Stanitz was an associate producer at MSNBC, where she produced live segments and assisted with breaking news coverage. She joined the cable network in 2001 as a production assistant after working for a small public relations firm in New York.
Stanitz graduated from Georgetown University in 2000 with a bachelor of science in business administration. Weekend travels and spending time with her friends are high on her list of out-of-office hobbies, and she enjoys making it back to her hometown of Cleveland whenever she can.
