Meet the Explore PA Crew

JOE ULRICH
Audio
A native of Elizabethtown, Joe has been tinkering with audio since he was a kid, from picking apart cassette tapes to recording local bands in his parents’ basement. After graduating from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Arizona he worked a year and a half in a recording studio in Pittsburgh doing both live and studio recordings before making his way back to Central PA.

Joe’s work at WITF has expanded his audio horizons to include anything from spending evenings at the symphony to dodging llama dung on Explore PA shoots. Regardless of the location and assignment, he can be found with headphones on his head and buttons and knobs at his fingers.

CARA WILLIAMS FRY
Executive Producer
Since arriving at WITF in November 2004 Cara’s whipped both the series and crew into shape …sometimes literally. You don’t often find executive types out in the field and down in the trenches with the crew. But Cara’s persistent passion for television production tempts her out from behind the desk and into the wilds of Pennsylvania on a regular basis. Cara has no qualms with thrusting herself through a sea of thousands to get the perfect stand up with a weather predicting marmot. Plus she “loves” long drives across the Commonwealth in the wee hours of the morning on little to no sleep. What more could you ask for in an EP? Years of experience and talent have made her an invaluable leader of the team. She’s the no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is vegetarian who has helped Explore PA fine tune its unique vision and focus. When Cara’s not juggling the responsibilities and glamour of executive producing you’ll often find her with enjoying time her husband and their children; training for a 100+ mile bike ride, or traveling and photographing her many favorite places all around the world.

James A. Thomas
Production Assistant
A native of England , James has lived in the US of A since high school. Settling in Champaign , Illinois with his family, James eventually attended university at the University of Illinois – yes, he’s an Illini… Majoring in Media Studies and Ethics, James began his television career in broadcast news working for the local CBS affiliate. James worked his way up the ladder from a naïve camera operator all the way up to a hot-headed director and sleep-deprived editor. James continued his television tour working in Madison , Wisconsin for a year, and since his move to Harrisburg , James is convinced that he can only work in Big Ten states!
A huge fan of PBS since high school, James was thrilled to start working with WITF, and his position on Explore PA has allowed him to learn all about Pennsylvania without leaving his cubicle. James is often researching locations, tracking down interviews and screening lucky travelers for a spot on XPA.

Copyright 2008, WITF Inc. Explore PA is a production of WITF, Harrisburg, PA