Heath Racela

A seasoned media professional, Heath brings experience in television production, digital video, podcasting, and social media to every project.

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Heath produces and hosts the podcast Willoughby Hills, and also publishes a twice-weekly newsletter under the same name.  Willoughby Hills digs into our evolving relationship to community, the natural world, our built environments, nostalgia, our health, and the food we grow and eat.  The show has featured interviews with Nick Offerman, Scott Foley, Roy Wood Jr, Desi Lydic, Ginger Zee and many more.

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Prior to podcasting, Heath spent 15 years at This Old House Productions in a variety of production roles, serving most recently for five years as Senior Producer and Director of Ask This Old House.  In that position, he set the strategy and creative direction for the long-running PBS show.  Heath managed and coordinated all areas of production: casting, story selection and development, production crew, post-production, promotions, and digital.

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In 2019, Heath was on the team that earned the first Emmy award for Ask This Old House as “Outstanding Lifestyle Program” for an episode that featured the clean up and rebuilding efforts in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.  He has earned a total of ten nominations and two wins in his career.

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Heath graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in TV/Video, but his work in video began at an early age.  In high school, he produced and hosted Neighborhood Freak Show with his friends, a cable access show that aired throughout Northeast Ohio.  He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two young children.