Meet the Team
Former newspaper photographer Meg Daniels, Director and Co-Producer of I’m Still Here, Love has been telling people’s stories from around the globe for over 20 years. As a native of Upstate New York, she discovered photography at a young age. Over the course of her career, she became a photo essayist and filmmaker, knowing that it was her responsibility to use her storytelling skills as a platform for raising awareness about social justice issues both well-known and shrouded by secrecy. Her first feature-length film Proper Pronouns, has screened in several 2020 film festivals including The New Orleans Film Festival and Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. The film was broadcasted on PBS-NC in November 2020 and recently completed the 2022 Southern Circuit Film Tour, an outreach program that uses filmmaking as a conduit for community discussions around current topics that impact everyone. Meg graduated with her MFA in documentary filmmaking from WFU on May 18, 2019.
Megan Q. Daniels, Director and Co-Producer
Jessica Watt Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in counseling from North Carolina State University, a certificate in Violence, Loss and Trauma from Marshall University and has worked as an elementary school counselor for the past two decades. She works closely with children who have experienced trauma, grief and loss and for the past two years has found it necessary to support her students with a wide array of stress and difficult experiences while schools have learned to navigate education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the January 2022 death of her father, Randy, to COVID, Jessica now finds herself navigating the trauma and isolation of a COVID death in her own life. She has found that the connections she helps children make with supportive people during life’s hardships is now at the forefront of her own healing and for this reason is passionate about making connections with others by telling her story of loss. Jessica witnessed her father die alone quite suddenly, via her cell phone, not permitted to be by his side. One of the last texts she ever received from her dad said, “I’m still here, love.” No one should have to face a tragedy such as this but if you do have to face it, you do not need to grieve and heal alone. We are all stronger together. Jessica is stronger because of the connections she is making as she mourns out loud and because of her family. Jessica resides in Southeastern Ohio with her husband, Stephen, and their children Jillian, Brendon, Maddie, and Benjamin.
Jessica Watt Doughtery, Co-Producer
Jillian Dobson, granddaughter of Randy Watt, daughter of Jessica Watt Dougherty, is a wife, sibling, musician, PA-C, and dog mom to a Corgi named Frank. Born in Wheeling, WV and raised in the Ohio Valley, Jillian grew up with an appreciation for the sciences and human connection. She earned a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies and then became a nationally certified PA-C. During the first few years of her career, she endured working in inpatient medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed numerous patients fall victim to the virus. She has also witnessed the beginning of the horrifically unique grief that victims’ family members endure watching their loved ones die. After losing her beloved grandfather, Pappap, to COVID, she is now first-handedly experiencing and attempting to navigate this grief. With a heavy but hopeful heart, Jillian feels blessed to have this opportunity to share her COVID loss experience through “I’m Still Here, Love,” especially with her mother by her side. Her main goal through this film is to provide a sense of connection amongst youth across the world who have had to say goodbye to loved ones too soon. You are not alone.
Jillian Dobson, Co-producer
Charles Cleaver is a pianist and composer based in Durham, North Carolina. In addition to composing for film, Charles performs regularly in North Carolina and elsewhere with many groups, including Big Star’s Third and Chris Stamey & The Fellow Travelers. Charles is also known for his work as a session musician, engineer and producer, and can be heard on myriad recordings by both established and emerging recording artists. His recent credits include mixing engineer, co-producer and musician on “Conviction: Songs of Faith From Women In Prison,” a collaboration with local songwriting groups organized by Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women.
Charles Cleaver, Composer and Re-recording engineer
Story Consultant Sarah Galloway got her start in documentaries as an assistant editor on the seminal film Hoop Dreams. After twenty years of making documentaries, interactives and other exhibit media for the American Museum of Natural History she began a freelance career. Her first independent documentary, BIKE RIDDIM won the Asbury Park Press Award at the 2018 Asbury Park Music + Film Festival. Sarah’s second independent, WILD in the Garden State is screening in festivals now. Sarah lives in New Jersey with her husband. She can be reached at SarahGalloway.com.
Sarah Galloway, Co-Editor
Kelly Burns is a motion designer, animator, and digital artist living in New York City. In the early 90’s he began obsessively documenting street art in NYC, and in 2003 self published “I NY – New York Street Art”. In 2005 a revised and updated edition was published by Die Gestalten Verlag.
Kelly Burns, Animator