Dax Tejera, executive producer of ABC News’ Sunday public affairs show “This Week,” died of a heart attack on Friday, Dec. 23. He was 37.
Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, announced the news in a memo sent to staff on Saturday.
Tejera was twice Emmy-nominated for his work on “This Week,” led by George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz, and he landed another nod in 2013 for executive producing MSNBC’s “Now With Alex Wagner.”
Joining ABC News in 2017 as a senior producer based in Washington, D.C., Tejera went on to lead “This Week” in early 2020, just before the pandemic. Throughout his run at the network, he covered then-President Donald Trump’s summits with North Korean leader Kim Jeong-Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as COVID-19 and the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Previously, he executive produced “America With Jorge Ramos,” which aired on the ABC-Univision joint venture Fusion, as well as the TV special “Soul of the Nation Presents: Corazón de América – Celebrating Hispanic Culture.” He also produced Ramos’ TV special “Hate Rising,” which focused on hate groups and the 2016 presidential election.
Godwin wrote in the memo, “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.”
Godwin added, “On this Christmas Eve, hug your loved ones a little tighter. And please lean on each another.”
Tejera is survived by his wife, Veronica, and two daughters.