James Shelley (Director & Producer) is the owner of Shell Studios, LLC, a San Diego based production company that specializes in award winning documentaries and corporate films. After retiring from a 35 year corporate career, Jim is now pursuing his lifelong passion.  He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, University of California San Diego's video production program and is pursuing an MFA in Film at San Diego State University. American Umpire is his PBS and broadcast debut. 

Elizabeth Cobbs (Writer & Producer) has won literary prizes for both history and fiction. She holds the Melbern G. Glasscock Chair in American History at Texas A&M University and is a fellow at the Hoover Institution. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Jerusalem Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, China Daily News, Washington Independent, San Diego Union, Reuters, and other distinguished publications. She has appeared on the Today Show, Morning Joe Show, and National Public Radio. She is the author of five books on American history, a winner of the Allan Nevins Prize, and holds a PhD in American History from Stanford University.

Joanne Elgart Jennings (Executive Producer)  is an award-winning producer and journalist. As executive producer at KQED, she oversaw production of KQED Newsroom, Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders and several co-productions with the Center for Investigative Reporting, including State of Surveillance and Hunger in the Valley. During a 13-year tenure at the PBS NewsHour, Jennings produced hundreds of documentary-style news features throughout the United States and internationally - including a widely acclaimed series on AIDS in Africa. Her work has been honored by numerous journalistic organizations including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Society of Professional Journalists, CINE and New York Festivals. Jennings lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons

Glenn Takakajian (Editor) has been a filmmaker, editor and storyteller for over three decades. He has edited a wide variety of broadcast, commercial and feature productions for Warner Brothers, Sony and Paramount Pictures, among others. A veteran documentarian, he has edited documentaries and documentary programs, for A&E Biography, VH1 Behind the Scenes, and History Channel’s Modern Marvels and Hidden History series. Glenn has won two Telly Awards for his editing and has received awards for his work on Short Subjects & Web Series.

Elizabeth Lim (Composer) is an award winning composer based in New York, NY. Her work has been performed by orchestras and choirs across the United States, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Symphony Space. Her music has also been featured in dozens of films and video games, including projects by Ubisoft, The Weather Channel, and National Geographic. Elizabeth completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University and recently received her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Juilliard School.

Elizabeth Maddrey (Archival Researcher) is an Emmy-nominated producer, archival researcher, and clearance consultant with a strong background in new and documentary storytelling. A graduate of St. Pauls School and the University of Virginia, she has produced for the Discovery networks, History, National Geographic, CNN, Bloomberg TV, PBS and American Public Media.

"Since the Truman Doctrine of 1947, successive American Presidents have held that the United States must be engaged in the global arena, supporting our allies and challenging our adversaries, acting not as Empire but as an umpire in the post WW II international order. Now, both the current President and a Republican challenger question whether our traditional alliances are still necessary. Is it time for a new doctrine, or should we stay steady on a course charted just after WW II? American Umpire is a major contribution to a national debate that will have long term consequences for our interests and our security."

Ryan Crocker          

Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon

Dean & Executive Professor, George Bush School of Government & Public Service

"American Umpire delivers an intriguing invitation to re-think America's role in the world. President Obama asks, 'Have we not learned the lessons of Vietnam and Iraq?' We clearly have not. This film is a fine place to start."

Donald P. Gregg                   

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea & Chairman, Pacific Century Institute

"Foreign policy has become an important issue in the 2016 American presidential campaign, but the discussion among the candidates is nowhere near as thoughtful as it should be. American Umpire gives everyone access to a deeper debate, showing us where American strategy has come from, where the United States has found strength and security, and where we need to think carefully about what should come next. American Umpire shows the way to a better debate about the future of American security with enduring images and expert commentary."

Eugene Goltz       

Associate Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas

Stanley Kaplan Visiting Professor of American Foreign Policy, Williams College

"Lisa Cobbs has raised profound questions about America's role in the world, questions that demand our thoughtful deliberations"

George C. Edwards III        

University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University as well as the Editor of the Presidential Studies Quarterly.

Please download the attached Discussion Guide and Lesson Plan.

Check Showtimes on your local public television station below