Dax Tejera, executive producer of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” died suddenly at 37.
Tejera died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, December 23 according to a statement sent out to employees on Saturday by ABC News president Kim Godwin.
Heartbroken to learn that my friend @DaxTejera, the executive producer of @ThisWeekABC, died from a heart attack. I first met Dax 15 years ago when he worked for me at the @TODAYshow. He accomplished so much since then. His wife Veronica and daughters are in my thoughts tonight. pic.twitter.com/KJOhOS8vZr
— Javi Morgado (@javimorgado) December 24, 2022
I asked my husband this am, How many 37 yrs old have you seen die of a heart attack in 25 yrs as a cardiologist? He said “ none”. It’s important to Pay attention to the n of 1 before you become the 1. ABC News' 'This Week' producer Dax Tejera dead at 37 https://t.co/Q3EIOovYv4
— sabine hazan md (@SabinehazanMD) December 25, 2022
Mediaite obtained this memo:
ABC News Family,
It’s with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share that our friend and colleague, Dax Tejera passed away suddenly of a heart attack last night.
As EP of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Dax’s energy, passion and love for that show, ABC News, and you, shined every Sunday morning. That same love was extended to his precious girls.
Our thoughts are with his wife, Veronica, the couple’s two young daughters, and the entire Tejera family.
If you need immediate support, please call our 24/7EAP support line.
We will share more details in the coming days.
On this Christmas Eve, hug your loved ones a little tighter. And please lean on each another.
#oneabcnews
Kim
Senior editor of Adweek’s TVNewser blog, A.J. Katz noted Tejara’s career:
Some very, very sad news to report on Christmas Eve. Dax Tejera, the executive producer of ABC This Week with George Stephanopoulos, died from a heart attack Friday night.
He was a few weeks shy of his 38th birthday.
Tejera was named executive producer of This Week in February 2020 at the age of 35, just weeks before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. With Tejera leading the way, the newscast quickly climbed to No. 1 among Adults 25-54.
Tejera joined ABC News as a senior producer in the Washington Bureau in 2017 producing remote-anchored broadcasts from across the country and specials from the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore and Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki. Prior to overseeing This Week as its executive producer, Tejera managed newsmaker interviews and covered major breaking news, including the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
In addition, Tejera worked on numerous broadcast and streaming special events for ABC News. In September 2021 he co-executive produced Corazón de América – Celebrating Hispanic Culture, a primetime special for ABC that honored the contributions and achievements of the more than 60 million people who claim Latino and Hispanic heritage in the US.. He also served as the ep for primetime streaming election specials leading up to the 2018 midterms and launched shows designed to expand ABC News’ streaming programming, including The Briefing Room, an instant analysis of notable moments in the White House press briefing room.
World News Tonight paid tribute to Tejera on its Saturday episode.
WATCH:
.@RachelvScott reports on the sudden passing of Dax Tejera, the Executive Producer of @ABCThisWeek. In a memo to employees, @ABC President Kim Godwin said that Dax's passion and love for the show shined every Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/Cl7P5EJ1O5
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 25, 2022
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