Catesby Commemorative Trust
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Production Team

The CCT has engaged Marsh Elder Productions LLC (MEP), a specialized production firm based in Nashville, Tennessee, to produce and direct “The Curious Mister Catesby.” The production team includes:

  • Cynthia Neal, our Producer and Director, is a 30-year veteran of the production and broadcast industries. Her commercial and non-broadcast productions have won multiple Emmy's and other national and international awards, including the New York Film Festival and the Houston Film Festival. Ms. Neal has produced a significant body of work devoted to coastal preservation and conservation in South Carolina's Lowcountry. She is recognized by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the finest creator of conservation films in the country. Ms. Neal brings to her productions a background in the Fine Arts and Performance. She was educated at West Virginia University and Carnegie Institute in Theatre and Stage as well as broadcast communications.  

  • Michael Purswell, Scriptwriter, is a professional writer, with an academic background in 18th and 19th century English literature that makes him well acquainted with the world in which Mark Catesby lived and worked. After serving as a graduate teaching fellow at Vanderbilt University and as public information officer for the university’s extensive library system, Mr. Purswell was an advertising copywriter and creative director for agencies in Nashville, Tennessee, where he created award winning campaigns for regional, national, and international clients. Currently, he has his own company as a freelance writer and radio commercial director and is developing a series of children’s books on historical themes to accompany a new line of educational toys.

  • Chris Conder, Director of Photography has nineteen years of broadcast, cable and private organization experience with Beta, HDTV and film in studio and on location. He has worked with Cynthia Neal in all her filming in South Carolina. His other experiences include a prime time special for ABC, Oprah Winfrey’s Hurricane Katrina special, the David Letterman Show, CBS Sunday Morning & Evening News, A&E, ESPN, the Hallmark Channel, HGTV and Nashville Public Television. His work has been recognized in numerous regional Emmy’s, Telly’s and other awards, including the 2000 Communicator Award of Excellence for Best Cinematography for “The Legacy of Kiawah Island” produced and directed by Ms. Neal.

  • Kurt Poole joins us as our Editor. With 25 years of experience, Kurt has had shows broadcast on all major outlets including, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, HBO, Showtime, Discovery Channel, ESPN, History Channel and CMT. Kurt also served as editor with us on two award winning Kiawah Island projects on which Cindy Neal was Producer/Director and David Elliot was Executive Producer. He has years of other documentary editing under his belt, including Grammy nominated Music Videos and award winning commercials with clients such as McDonalds, Valvoline and Procter & Gamble he has worked from New York to Los Angeles and now in Music City, Nashville Tennessee.

  • David Elliott, president of MEP Mr. Elliott was executive producer of two films – “The Legacy of Kiawah” and “Kiawah – The Wild Side” – produced for the Kiawah Island Natural Conservancy by Ms. Neal. He founded this non-profit organization and is its past chairman and honorary trustee. He retired from The Procter & Gamble Company as director of international trade. While on leave of absence from the company, he served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce. He also was an adjunct fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.