Meet the Staff

The Alabama Public Health Training Network has 9 technical and support in-house staff to professionally manage all aspects of video production, distance learning, and video conferencing.

Ryan Easterling
Director

Engineering and Special Projects Branch

Dan Metzger
Broadcast Engineer

Video Communications and Distance Learning Branch

Darren Gilley
Audio Visual Specialist

Program Support Branch

Sandra Blakely
Office Manager

Video Conference and Webcast Support

Ron Davis
IT Systems Specialist

Ryan Easterling

Director
(334) 206-3878
[email protected]

Ryan joined the Alabama Department of Public Health in July 2014. He is a native of the River Region, and graduated from Huntingdon College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Media Studies. Prior to joining the ADPH team, Ryan spent eight years at Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters located at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, where he was a Multimedia Production Specialist and later became a Protocol Officer. Before that, he interned and later worked in the production and news departments at WAKA – CBS 8 News. As Director, Ryan manages both the daily operation and long-term planning specific to distance learning technologies and the department’s initiatives.

Engineering and Special Projects Branch

Dan Metzger

Broadcast Engineer
(334) 206-3981
[email protected]

Dan joined the Video Communications and Distance Learning Division in March 2016. He has over 30 years experience working in the commercial and public television industry. His primary responsibility is overseeing all the technical aspects of our broadcast facilities. This includes assisting in the purchase, installation, operation, and repair of our television studio and satellite operations equipment. Dan plays an important part in the emerging telemedicine initiative at ADPH, as he builds the telemedicine carts that are used at clinics in county health departments throughout the state. He also works with the production team, when needed, in the operation of various equipment used in live and recorded programming.

Video Communications and Distance Learning Branch

Darren Gilley

Audio Visual Specialist
(334) 206-5633
[email protected]

Darren joined the Video Communications and Distance Learning Division in 2016. Prior to this position, he worked as an Audio Visual Specialist at the Alabama Department of Education. Before that, he worked as a Photojournalist at WSFA-TV in Montgomery and a Production Assistant/News Photographer at WDHN-TV in Dothan. Darren is responsible for shooting and editing video projects, directing satellite conferences, running audio for programs and operating the satellite uplink truck. He is a 1997 graduate of Slocomb High School in Slocomb, and attended Wallace Community College in Dothan.

Program Support Branch

Sandra Blakely

Office Manager
(334) 206-5635
[email protected]

Sandra joined ADPH in January 1990. She has worked with the ALPHTN for more than 15 years. Sandra manages all of the program support activities, including satellite conferences and video conferences. She lives outside of Montgomery with her husband, three children, one dog, and one cat.

Video Conference and Webcast Support

Ron Davis

Webcast Specialist
(334) 206-2078
[email protected]

Ron began working at the Alabama Department of Public Health in June 2010. He is a native of Montgomery and a graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, but has been in the Information Technology field since 1998. As an IT Systems Specialist for the ALPHTN, he is responsible for maintaining the Training Network's computers, along with serving as a specialist for video conferencing and live webcasts.