There are few words as fitting to describe the first Black executive producer of a DC-based show as “trailblazer.” Atkinson took on the role in October of 2019, first starting as an associate producer of “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” over a decade ago. In her first year as an EP, she’s led the team through a global pandemic and a national conversation on the racial tensions sweeping the country. Through it all, the Situation Room reached its highest quarterly total viewership (1.744 million) and A25-54 (465K) in its history.