By Darrell Halen

Viewers of Windham Community Television may not know it, but there’s a new coordinator running its studio.

Stacey Sofronas, 25, took over the position in mid-November and brings a lot of enthusiasm to the job.

“I definitely want to bring fun programming,” she said. “I want to do more cooking shows. If anyone has a show they want to do, I want them to come by and see me and we’ll do it. I’m very open to different types of programming.”

Sofronas comes to her new job from CATV, community access television that reaches Hanover and seven other New Hampshire and Vermont communities in the Upper Valley.

Sofronas began as a voluneer at CATV, worked part time for about two years, then joined its staff full time about a year ago. Working in Windham allows her to be closer to the house in Newmarket she and her boyfriend purchased in June.

“Just because I live far away doesn’t mean I don’t want to be part of the community here,” said Sofronas, who has recently been becoming more familiar with Windham. “I’m willing to stay late, to work weekends, go to events and do certain things.”

Through her experience at CATV, she comes to the job with experience in taping and editing, although she admits she has some things to learn in her new job. Sofronas said she believes she brings professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm to her new role.

 Sofronas would like to train others in camera use and editing, and hopes to get students interested in TV work when Windham High School opens in two years.

“I definitely want to make sure the community is involved with the station as much as possible,” she said. “That’s the whole point of us being here, to serve the community on whatever level. That’s my main goal.”

Sofronas succeeds Jim Daddona, who left in early October to become senior producer of National Hockey League programming for HDNet, a high definition television network in Denver, Colo.

Sofronas, who has no staff except a group of volunteers to rely on, recently filmed children meeting Santa Claus at the town’s recent tree-lighting ceremony and is planning coverage of the town’s Christmas party for seniors and a school holiday concert.

She’s also planning to record presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign stop at Windham Junction, and said plans are underway for two shows, “Book Beat,” and “Windham Watch,” to resume airing.

Sofronas graduated from Hanover High School in 2000 and earned a bachelor’s degree in public communications four years later.

She became interested in television production in college when she took a course in the subject. The professor was tough but turned her on to the work.

“He just took a liking to me. Gave me a hard time but was pushing me to do well, and I did well in his class,” she said. “Ever since that class, I (knew) TV production was really for me.”

Following graduation, Sofronas spent about three years working as an editorial assistant to the Journal of Vascular Surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

When she moved to Newmarket, Sofronas wanted to continue working in public access television. It’s the public service part of the work that appeals to her, she said.

“You can go into television, you can go into network TV, the fancy editing and all that. But to me, it’s the public service,” she said. “Putting something on TV that’s going to educate, entertain. There’s some point behind what I’m showing you.”