Our Mission
ESCAPESEEKER seeks to inspire everyone to travel and embrace the unexpected…the new experiences, the new friends they’ve yet to meet, and all that our tremendous world has to offer.
As Mel Gee Henderson explores the most unique, intriguing, and often dramatic destinations near and far, our talented team of cinematographers capture the spectacular grandeur and beauty, bringing breathtaking moments home to the living rooms of our avid PBS viewers!
ESCAPESEEKER taps into the ever-growing audience interested in and captivated by distinctive, once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. It entertains and educates, expanding viewers’ understanding of other cultures, by introducing them to remarkable and renowned locals whose lives capture the spirit and true essence of the countries we visit.
ESCAPESEEKER strives to empower the viewing audience with a passion for distinctive, meaningful travel—and provides them with the information and insights to recreate the same unforgettable travel experiences, whether venturing out solo or with family and friends.
ESCAPESEEKER shines the light on the real “stars” of ESCAPESEEKER—the REMARKABLE DESTINATIONS and the FASCINATING PEOPLE Mel encounters throughout her journey that make each experience truly unforgettable.
Meet the Team
Mel Gee Henderson – Creator/Journalist Host/Executive Producer
At ten years of age, Mel watched a broadcast of famed journalist Walter Cronkite’s series, “And You Were There” and she instantly knew journalism would be her chosen profession. Mel has since morphed her talent for storytelling from broadcast TV news, to television documentaries in collaboration with Roots’ author, Alex Haley, producing the popular PBS series “Ancestors”, to print media as ‘Special Correspondent’ to the International Cannes Film Festival for over a decade, to producing feature films such as “Abjad” with famed writer/director, Abolfazl Jalili, which received rave reviews from her former fellow film critics, including a 15- minute standing ovation during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, to ‘Contributing Editor’ for Escape, Asia’s leading English-language travel/lifestyle magazine. Mel has also made it her life’s goal to use the power of the pen and the power of film to educate, and inspire her readers and audiences everywhere to promote greater understanding of other cultures and people. Mel has made a practice of traveling the world—from the “Roof of Africa” to the “Roof of the World”–from the exotic islands of her native Polynesia to the wonderfully decadent lifestyle on the French Riviera–Mel savors every minute. As many of her friends will concur, and as former Entertainment Weekly Editor, Cable Neuhaus explains, “Mel’s insatiable hunger for adventure, her natural wanderlust and need for global exploration, combined with her indefatigable energy makes her a perfect fit for this role. “The exhilaration I experience when a viewer or reader tells me, ‘Thank you for giving me the courage to widen my horizon and see another part of the world I knew nothing about,’ is beyond description,” Mel explains.
Mel is the founder of Gabrielle Productions, LLC and Escapeseeker, LLC, and creator of the ESCAPESEEKER TV series.
Jason Wise – Director/Producer/Underwater Photography
Jason has worked successfully on a wide variety of subject matters and continually delivers distinctly human stories as illustrated in his films. Jason traveled to Central America to shoot the film Nation of Grace, about Nicaraguan immigrant children living near tourist resorts in Costa Rica. Thereafter, he went on to write and direct the World War II drama 90, which earned numerous awards in fifteen film festivals, including the Hollywood Film Festival. His past filming assignments also include the Galapagos Islands where he captured on film several different subspecies of giant tortoises as part of an upcoming animal extinction film, Walking Softly.
As a former elementary school teacher, Jason is passionate about helping raise awareness of the needs of children around the world. He won a Telly award for his Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation commercial and donates many professional hours annually to nonprofit organizations. Jason is also a regular member of the Cisco Systems film team—working to document their relief efforts, most recently, in the Gulf Coast Region following Hurricane Katrina. A series of short documentaries has emerged demonstrating the power of corporate philanthropy. Jason has logged many hours shooting aerial photography for major networks and TV programs including the popular Emmy Awards, as well as hundreds of hours shooting underwater footage using the latest scuba equipment. Fluent in Film, HD and editing, Jason has truly made his mark as a rising young American filmmaker. ESCAPESEEKER benefits greatly from his wide array of global filming assignments and inexhaustible energy!
Jackson Myers – Director of Photography
Specializing in travel photography, Jackson Meyers has shot documentaries in Central America and Europe as well as directed the award winning short film, Split, shot in Prague, Czech Republic. His extensive knowledge of HD cameras and lenses, have allowed him to work as a Camera technician on many Discovery channel shows including, Overhaulin, and 1000 Ways to Die. Jackson has lit the featured stars of the Fox International feature films: Wolverine, Bride Wars, Mirrors, and What Happens in Vegas for their latest press junkets. Jackson has shot commercials for several video game companies, including THQ and Jaxx Pacific, and has also photographed for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Warner Brothers. Jackson brings to ESCAPESEEKER a proven ability to work with speed and efficiency utilizing extremely advanced equipment. Jackson also possesses a real talent for assessing the importance of using light to tell the story!
Lastly, since our ESCAPESEEKER team travels to some of the most remote tropical destinations, we must add that Jackson has proven to be a real mosquito magnet. If you want to make sure you don’t get bit, just hang near Jackson. They’ll be congregating around him for sure!
Christina Tucker — Producer
As a writer and producer for the last 5 years, Christina has demonstrated the unique ability to visualize a story from its early inception, to the working script, down to the final product. She began her television career as an associate producer in live action sports, traveling from Mexico to Las Vegas, to cover Boxing for ESPN. The thrill of live television redirected her from sports genre into TV celebrity entertainment. Christina has since worked on all the major ‘Red Carpet’ Award shows–from the Emmy’s, to the Grammy’s, to Hollywood’s biggest night, the Oscars, and has worked with numerous talents such as Joan and Melissa Rivers, Joey Fatone, Lisa Rinna, Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini. Christina even held the highly coveted role of ’Slime Coordinator’ for Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards in Park City, Utah. She has written and produced many of Hollywood’s breaking news stories from celebrity marriages to celebrity divorces to famous sudden deaths, i.e. the recent tragic passing of Michael Jackson.
As a field producer she has also worked on many film premieres such as Oceans 13, Mission Impossible 3, Enchanted, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Since joining TV Guide Network, Christina has produced many of their “Big Movie Premiere” shows on films such as Sex in the City, Twilight, Transformers, Watchman and Hannah Montana: The Movie. She has a passion for traveling the world and brings her seasoned ability to work efficiently in developing a story as it is transpiring—definitely a valuable skill to bring to our ESCAPESEEKER team.
Bennett E. Wise — Sound Engineer
Bennett’s start in film and video began while a young sponsored skateboarder.
Dissatisfied with the current approach of the 
photographic art in his sport, he began collaborating on methods to film the sport in new and innovative ways. Bennett soon found himself shooting amateurs and professional skaters throughout the United States and Canada. He served as one of the photography editing team members for the skate videos: A Darker Side of Black and No Regrets. Bennett studied film at the University of Toledo with an emphasis on camera and sound work. Bennett recently served as a sound technician and camera operator in the upcoming feature documentary on Master Wine Sommeliers, directed by Jason Wise. Bennett’s main focus is adventure photography and whether he is on skis, a sailboat, or in the air – he brings athleticism, energy and creative ideas to his work. ESCAPESEEKER provides the many unique challenges and exciting opportunities he enthusiastically accepts with sheer, youthful gusto.
Jaimee Miller – Director of Marketing
Jaimee’s professional career in the marketing industry spans a decade and a half of experience serving marquee brands such as BMW, Volvo Cars, Ford Motor Company and Chevron Corporation. She is an expert strategist, writer and tactician—bringing powerful results via her well-honed skills in strategic communications (B2B, B2C, corporate), social media, brand marketing, incentive travel and public relations. She has led numerous Fortune 500 clients in positioning brands, launching new products and initiatives, and managing a wide variety of communication campaigns with her own unique blend of creativity, leadership and accountability.
Jaimee’s passion for travel took root during her time studying European art history and political science at the Institute of European Studies in Madrid, Spain. Since her days abroad, Jaimee’s marketing career has afforded her the opportunity to organize numerous high-end incentive travel trips around the globe—from the Great Barrier Reef to Europe and Scandinavia and beyond. Combining her enthusiasm for travel and generating exposure for great global brands, Jaimee lends further perspective and direction to ESCAPESEEKER’s marketing efforts.
