Career
He was the senior producer and director for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. He was a producer on Face To Face with Connie Chung (Columbia Broadcasting System News), Street Stories with Editor Bradley (Columbia Broadcasting System News) and Day One (American Broadcasting Company News) before becoming the executive producer of the Saturday edition of The Early Show on Columbia Broadcasting System from 1997 to 2002. Gessner is the creator of the Chef on a Shoestring segment which was turned into a best-selling cookbook.
He is the creator and producer of Stunt Junkies and "FutureCar" on The Discovery Channel and other network shows developed by Columbia Broadcasting System Eye Too Productions.
Gessner has collaborated on two documentary films covering the September 11 Attacks. He was the executive editor of 9/11, shot by the Naudet brothers and narrated by Robert De Niro.
In 2006, Gessner executive produced Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11, which documented the respiratory problems of 9/11 rescue workers. The film aired on the Sundance Channel and was narrated by actor Steve Buscemi, a former New York City firefighter.
