Sesame Street Season 56

Kay Wilson Stallings serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Development and Production Officer for Sesame Workshop.   

She oversees Sesame Street and all Sesame Workshop shows as well as the development of new programs and content across existing and emerging platforms. She also leads creative for domestic production and partners with global teams to enrich and expand Sesame Workshop’s presence around the world.   

Wilson Stallings greatly expanded the Workshop’s impact through animation with specials including The Monster at the End of This Story, Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy, and The Nutcracker: Starring Elmo and Tango, as well as new shows such as Mecha Builders, the first CGI-animated spinoff of Sesame Street; the preschool comedy series Bea’s Block; the newly animated miniseries of the E.B. White classic Charlotte’s Web; and the new animated series Tales From 123, which takes viewers inside 123 Sesame Street, the most famous apartment building in the world.  

She was most recently the SVP of Creative Development at Sesame Workshop, where she developed the first new Sesame Workshop shows in nearly a decade: the critically acclaimed and award-winning Esme & Roy, Helpsters, and Ghostwriter, as well as the documentary series Through Our Eyes. Wilson Stallings also created Sesame Studios, a YouTube channel hosting a broad mix of original stories, songs, and other Sesame-quality kids’ content.   

In 2017, Wilson Stallings created and directed the first annual Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room, an intensive six-week competitive fellowship program dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and increasing the presence of writers with diverse voices in children’s media. Held at Sesame Workshop’s New York City office, participants come from across the country to meet weekly with industry writers, producers, agents, and executives, with two winners each year offered creative development deals. Upon completing the program, many participants find staff positions on kids’ series for production companies like Netflix, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and more.   

For two consecutive years (2023 and 2024), Wilson Stallings was named in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual roundup of the most powerful people in Kids Entertainment. She recently received a 2024 Hall of Fame Award from Animation Magazine, which honors the artists and executives behind animation’s most iconic titles and enduring classics.  

Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Wilson Stallings was Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s preschool programming arm. In her 16 years with the company, she oversaw development of original series and co-productions, including the content development of pre-buys, acquisitions, and the global shorts program. Wilson Stallings developed and helped launch more than 20 series while at Nickelodeon, including Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Fresh Beat Band, Shimmer and Shine, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Wallykazam, and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!  

Wilson Stallings holds a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.  

Sal Perez is the Executive Producer and Vice President for Sesame Street Productions, overseeing the creative direction and production teams for Sesame Street, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and all other content experiences across broadcast and digital platforms for the brand. He previously led studio and location production, live shows, and themed entertainment for international Sesame Street co-productions, as well as production for the Workshop’s U.S. Social Impact projects. Perez received a BFA from NYU  Tisch School of the Arts. He lives in Brooklyn with his family. 

Stephanie Longardo is a multiple Primetime and Daytime Emmy Award-winning Producer who is responsible for overseeing the Production Management Department for Sesame Street, Helpsters, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Sesame Street Live-Action Specials, Sesame Workshop Social Impact projects, and all live-action digital content. Longardo began her career in television production in 1995 as a Production Accountant at MTV Networks, where she was responsible for projects such as MTV News, MTV’s 1996 Choose or Lose campaign, and various other MTV/VH1 series and specials. She started her career at Sesame Workshop as the Production Accountant for Sesame Street and continued working in the finance department until 2007 when she crossed over and became Line Producer for Sesame Street. Longardo lives in Brooklyn and is a proud aunt to John-Paul, Alexa, and Thomas.  

Karyn Leibovich is a ten-time Emmy Award-winning producer. She plans pre-production and execution for Sesame Street, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and digital projects. Leibovich oversees all scheduling and DGA positions for Sesame Street, manages talent company-wide, and serves as the liaison between all Sesame Workshop departments and talent including puppeteers, cast members, and celebrities. She started at Sesame Workshop in 2012 as an associate producer working on film and animation commissions. Prior to Sesame Workshop, Leibovich worked on The Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago for six years, helping to pull off some of the most memorable moments on the show. She began there in 2005 in the research department, fact-checking scripts, researching, and pitching potential show and guest ideas. She then moved into production, where she pre-interviewed and booked show guests and wrote and edited insert scripts. Leibovich worked on The Oprah Winfrey Show until it came to an end in 2011. She prides herself on being a part of two iconic, long-running television shows. Leibovich is from Minneapolis, Minnesota but now calls New York home.  

Autumn Zitani is a Senior Producer at Sesame Workshop, working in both the Production and Curriculum and Content Departments. She has been with Sesame Workshop for over 20 years and is responsible for executing the overall creative direction of Sesame Street, as well as managing the development and implementation of Sesame Street’s whole child curriculum.  Behind the scenes, Autumn reviews, creates, and integrates educational and developmentally appropriate content across Sesame Workshop’s media platforms such as television, digital media, and social platforms. Autumn received her master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.  

Aimee Blackton is the PGA Award- and three-time Emmy Award-winning Senior Line Producer of Sesame Street. Blackton has been with the Workshop for 19 years. She began her tenure at Sesame Workshop a year after graduating from Marist College, initially joining the Workshop as a Special Projects PA. She moved into Production Management where she became Production Manager, eventually progressing into her current role. As Senior Line Producer, Blackton oversees all major production logistics; conceptualizing and executing project budgets, managing equipment and crew, and facilitating interdepartmental communication to best help the Workshop achieve its creative goals within fluctuating constraints and parameters. Blackton is a member of the PGA and a former Treasurer of the CMA. In addition to her business acumen, Blackton is also a visual artist and has occasionally contributed crafts and illustrations for various Sesame projects. She is also the proud pet mom of unofficial studio chinchilla mascots Crockett and Tubbs and official home-office mascots Rascal and Wren.  

Andrew Moriarty is an Emmy winning writer and creative producer of Sesame Street and serves as the lead producer and Head Writer for Sesame Street’s digital content. Moriarty contributes to the creative vision of Sesame Street by generating story ideas, reviewing scripts, working on set with directors and talent, and overseeing projects through post-production. A life-long Sesame Street fan, Moriarty creates highly engaging and entertaining content true to Sesame Street’s legacy helping monsters, grouches, and snuffleupaguses learn their ABCs and 123s. Moriarty is a WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA member who got his start at Sesame Workshop in 2009 as an intern. Since then, Moriarty has contributed in many different roles, including directing and puppeteering for the Muppets of Sesame Street.   

As a writer, Moriarty has written for Sesame Street, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Mecha Builders and countless digital projects, parodies, and songs. In addition, Moriarty has written for Donkey Hodie, Give a Mouse a Cookie, Bubble Guppies, and Nature Cat.  

Halcyon Person is an Emmy, Humanitas, and NAACP Award-nominated TV maker who’s worked as a writer, director, and producer for everything from preschool to late night. She is currently the Head Writer and Co-Executive Producer of Sesame Street. She was the Head Writer and Co-Executive Producer of Karma’s World (2021) and Dee & Friends in Oz (2024) on Netflix. Before that, she was a Director and Producer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. You’ve seen her work on Nickelodeon, PBS, and Apple TV; written up in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Essence, and Vulture; published in picture and chapter books for young readers. Her mission is to create work that centers those experiences underrepresented in media to foster greater understanding — all through stories driven by humor and heart.

Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop. Dr. Truglio is responsible for the development of the interdisciplinary curriculum on which Sesame Street is based and oversees content development across platforms (e.g., television, publishing, toys, digital media, live shows, and theme park activities). She also oversees the curriculum development for all new show production, including Bea’s Block, Mecha Builders, Esme & Roy, Helpsters, and Ghostwriter. 

Previously, Dr. Truglio managed a global content team responsible for co-productions and content development across media platforms worldwide, including digital media. From 1997 to 2013, she oversaw all educational research pertaining to program development, which informed both production and creative decisions and strategies for enhancing the entertaining and educational components of linear and interactive content. Before joining Sesame Workshop in 1997, she was an Assistant Professor of Communication and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.  

Dr. Truglio has written numerous articles in child and developmental psychology journals and presented her work at national and international conferences. Her most recent book is “Ready for School! A Parent’s Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages 2 to 5,” published by Running Press (2019). She was co-editor of “G is for Growing: Thirty Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street” (2001) published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Dr. Truglio has appeared on many network, cable, and radio programs including The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN Town Halls, NPR’s Life Kit for Parents, Morning Edition, and All Things Considered, and she has been interviewed by reporters from a variety of national newspapers and news agencies.  

Dr. Truglio serves on the advisory boards of Child Trends News Service, Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network, Read Alliance Advisory Council, and the University of Kansas Advisory Board for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She previously served on the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council (NICHD), LEGO Foundation Advisory Board for the Research & Innovation Network, NSF REESE grant entitled Collaborative Research: Using Educational DVDs to Enhance Preschooler’s STEM Education, PBS KIDS Next Generation Media, Children’s Digital Media Center Advisory Board, and National Association for Media Literacy Education.  

Dr. Truglio received a Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, and a B.A in Psychology from Douglass College, Rutgers University. She received distinguished alumni awards from Douglass College (2005), University of Kansas (2013), Rutgers University (2014), University of Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame (2015), and Teachers College Medal for Distinguished Service (2022).