Hicksville High School alum nabs Emmy wins

When Roman Feeser was a television-obsessed kid, news made its way into his viewing diet and one of his favorite people to watch was Jane Pauley on the Today Show. Feeser’s devotion to Pauley was such that he set the VCR to record so “…I could catch it when I got home from school.” Fast forward decades later and the Hicksville High School Class of ‘92 alum is working as a producer for CBS This Morning with Jane Pauley.
Work Zoom calls from the home he shares with his partner Steve in Nashville find him regularly discussing work with the veteran journalist. It’s quite a surreal moment for Feeser, especially after winning his second Daytime Emmy Award.
“When I’m sitting in a room with her having a conversation, I have to literally pinch myself,” he said. “I’m still amazed that that little boy who sat home in his living room in Hicksville can pick up a phone and call her anytime. She is a wonderful person and such a professional.”

The son of veteran Grumman Aerospace employees Joseph and Arleen, Feeser started down his career path growing up in Hicksville after his parents moved out to Long Island from Queens in 1975 when he was only one along with sister Kerri.
“At Hicksville High School I was heavily involved in the arts,” he recalled. “Chuck Arnold, Billy Joel’s music teacher became my music teacher. I was very involved in the theater arts with Judith Paseltiner—who taught me so much about myself. The arts are so important in transforming a student’s creativity. Without the performing arts at Hicksville I would have been lost.”

Currently in his third year at CBS This Morning, Feeser got his foot in the door at the network following a post-high school path that found him studying acting, landing gigs in national tours along with a few TV and film roles and eventually shifting into producing events that included the Olympics. Having landed a job at a major children’s publishing house creating original digital content and storytelling, Feeser lost his job. Sage advice from a mentor found him making a major career pivot that included becoming a digital producer, producing for broadcasts and managing a social platform.
“My boss, who had worked as a news producer for many years suggested I look at a job at producing digitally for the CBS Evening News,” Feeser said. “I spent three years there working very hard and was fortunate enough to eventually land my dream job at Sunday Morning.”

Feeser’s move to Tennessee coincided with the pandemic, which hit just as East Nashville was recovering from a devastating tornado that knocked out power and devastated the community. The initial move to help out his partner Steve evolved into a decision to leave Manhattan after residing there for 20 years (“Love will do that to you.”) Currently living on two acres of land with their two dogs Bo and Charlie and offices on separate floors of their home, Feeser and Steve are making the remote job model work. No mean feat considering what goes into being a producer on CBS This Morning, particularly while going back to school for law part-time.
“There are many challenges to working as a producer for a weekly morning show,” Feeser said. “The pandemic has made it even more challenging. When we were working in the same office it was easier to come together as a team and work through issues. Now that involves lots of emails and communication. Finding the right story to pitch that works in the context of the show is not an easy task. Sunday Morning has a very specific storytelling style unmatched anywhere on television. Digitally, I have to keep our specific brand going for the six other days the show is not on the air. Creating original content everyday for our specific brand, finding the right flow to keep viewers engaged can be challenging. That said, the phrase ‘When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.’ is so true when it comes to working on CBS Sunday Morning. I love every aspect of my job and I look forward to every day I work. Even the hard parts.”

Currently living his best professional and personal life while working his dream job, Feeser has fond memories of Hicksville and how it shaped him and his career aspirations.
“High school was an interesting time,” he said. “As a gay kid growing up in the early 90’s in high school, there were no role models or clubs to identify with. I found my tribe in the performing arts department. The teachers there like Judith Paseltiner, Darren Lougee and others were supportive and nurturing. I took full advantage of Hicksville’s after-school activities including the school paper, yearbook committee, Madrigals, SADD and theater. I have always been fascinated with our successful alum. Lorraine Bracco. There was a display case with a Hall of Fame in our lobby and I would pass it every day and think, ‘I too am destined to do big things.’ It sounds corny but it’s true. I knew there was something bigger out there for me, I just had to work hard to achieve it and let nothing stand in my way. It has not been easy and there have been plenty of mistakes along the way, but I kept my eye on the prize and allowed obstacles to be lessons, not setbacks. So I never went down this career path, I climbed up it.”