Our Crew

Alexa Score

Host

Alexa Score grew up in small-town Spicer, Minnesota where her love for the outdoors began. At age 17, she left Minnesota to pursue wakeboarding, after which she spent 10 years in Orlando, Florida competing and traveling the world as a professional. During that time she represented numerous global brands including SPY Optic, Liquid Force, Body Glove, Hard Rock Cafe, and others, and appeared on Travel Channel, MTV, SyFy, PBS, ESPN, and numerous other TV and print outlets. After retiring from competition and returning to Minnesota in 2018, she began hosting Made for the Outdoors (Bally Sports Networks, Sportsman Channel) as well as Destination Polaris (Bally Sports Networks). She is also a TV personality for the Minnesota Vikings and The CW Twin Cities. Through these outlets, Alexa uses her worldly experiences to better understand people of all walks of life and share their stories with the world. 

Alexa is also a blood cancer survivor and is deeply rooted in the philanthropic community. She uses her story and platform to give back to the community and encourage others to pursue their passions despite setbacks. Despite all she’s done, her love for the outdoors continues to grow; whether it’s hunting elk in Idaho, hiking across the Grand Canyon, surfing in Bali, or ice fishing on a bucket in her small home town, Alexa loves the outdoors and is passionate about learning about the people she meets along the way. 

Pete Franzen

Photographer, Editor

Pete grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and started his career in Duluth, MN as a production assistant at KDLH. A short while later, he became a photojournalist, and worked in news for 18 years, including the markets of Madison, WI and Portland, OR. While in news he won a “Best Hard News Story” award from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and “Best Single News Story” award from the Oregon Broadcasters Association. In late 2017, he moved back to Minnesota and joined the crew at Ron Schara Productions. In his time at RSP, he has worked on all of the shows and a number of commercials. Since joining the Ron Schara team, Pete has received multiple Emmy nominations and received a 2019 Emmy Award for the Minnesota Bound segment, “Hunting the Alleys.”   In his spare time, Pete enjoys bicycling, cooking, going to baseball games, traveling and spending time with his wife, Colleen and dog, Marigold.

Kyle Heidenreich

Photographer, Editor

Kyle Heidenreich is an Emmy Award-winning Editor, Producer, and Photojournalist who grew up in Minnesota. From snowboarding and rock climbing to hiking and camping, he enjoys spending his leisure time exploring the great outdoors with a camera never far from hand. In 2013, he joined his new work family at Ron Schara Productions and has been involved in nearly every aspect of television production.
Catch him indoors building PC's, consuming films, and climbing the ranks of Rocket League.

Aaron Achtenberg

Photographer, Editor

Aaron, like all the photojournalists at RSP, does it all in the field: shooting, audio, lighting, producing, interviewing, and whatever else can make a story better. He has filmed everything from winter camping in the BWCA, to an African safari, to a search for China's Bigfoot. He has won many Outdoor Writer Association awards including two President's Choice Awards for "Kyle's Safari" and "Amos Garrett".

Aaron grew up in rural North Dakota, but now makes his home in the Twin Cities along with his amazing girl Tijah and their kids Christian, Gus, and Elise. They love to camp, canoe, hike, fish, and do just about anything else outdoors in their free time.

Ben Elling

Photographer, Editor

Ben Elling is an outdoor television producer, cinematographer, and editor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon graduating with dual degrees in film and creative communication from the University of Minnesota, he joined Ron Schara Productions as a photojournalist. Ben currently produces Made For The Outdoors, where he documents and shares the stories behind some of today’s top outdoor products and gear. His work can be found on several regional and national television networks. Ben’s producing talents won multiple Emmy awards for his show Made for the Outdoors.

Troy Knechtel

Photographer, Editor

Originally a native of Denver, Colorado, Troy studied Digital Video Production at the Art Institute of Colorado before spending 8 years working for numerous companies both big and small. Troy’s experience includes work with corporate training and communications, local commercial spots, national television shows, as well as digital media production for his favorite NHL hockey team. A self-proclaimed jack of all trades Troy ultimately enjoys the technical side of media creation. Whether it’s shooting, editing, designing motion graphics, or tinkering around with new visual effects, he’s constantly learning and trying out new techniques, always aware that trends can change as quick as the Colorado weather.

 At the end of 2019, Troy traded mountains for lakes and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to join Ron Schara Productions and continue his mastery of “the story.” He enjoys meeting new characters while developing segments for Ron Schara’s flagship show, Minnesota Bound, adding his own looks and style to Fox Sports North’s Destination Polaris, but most importantly, Troy is grateful he gets to spend his days doing what he loves outside, while exploring the wilderness.

When Troy isn’t focused on a shoot or cutting up a story, you’ll typically find him at the hockey rink, either attending NHL games, or between the pipes as a beer-league goaltender.

Scott Stankiewicz

Photographer, Editor

Scott is a Minnesota native, hailing from the White Bear Lake area. He got his start in the industry as an audio engineer, working in a music studio in North East Minneapolis called River Rock Studios. His work spans all genres, and his list of clients includes Sting, Shaggy, Migos, and Gucci Mane. In 2018 his path became video focused and he began work in the action sports world as a videographer at The House Outdoor Gear. Filming different sports year-round led him all over the state of Minnesota and to some remote locations around the country. Scott began working at Ron Schara Productions in the fall of 2022 and is beyond excited to share his passion for nature and the outdoors.