Press Contact: Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO/Channel 10
(901) 325-6518
tlsullivan@wkno.org
July 2, 2008
For Immediate Release
WKNO WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
WKNO Public Broadcasting is pleased to announce new Board members and officers, as well as acknowledge the service of outgoing Board members.
The officers for the 2008-2009 WKNO Board are: William L. Taylor, Chairman; Chuck Hughes, Vice-Chairman; Dr. Craig Esrael, Secretary; and Michael LaBonia, Treasurer.
New Board members are:
Calvin Anderson is the Vice-President of Community and Federal Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN. He has served as field director for U.S. Senator Jim Sasser and served on the State Election Commission. He also served as a Political Analyst and commentator for WMC-TV and Fox News, and was a commentator for WKNO’s Informed Sources. He also served on the WKNO Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2007. Among the many honors he has received are WPTY Channel 24’s Editorial Board Appreciation Award, the Leadership Memphis Service to Alumni Award, the Boy Scouts of America Whitney Young Service Award, 2007 General Campaign Chair for the United Way of the Mid South, and the 2007 JA McDaniels Community Leadership Award from the Memphis Urban League.
Anderson is proud to work with WKNO because “I strongly believe in the role of public broadcasting and in the quality of the programming produced and presented to our community.”
Rick Ascolese is President and Chief Operating Officer of TruGreen LandCare, where he oversees the operational and strategic direction of the company. He has played many roles in the service industry for more than 20 years under various business models, such as mechanical services (appliances, HVAC, and plumbing), home warranty, and landscape maintenance. He is an active volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America and his local church. He lives in the Memphis area with his wife Robin and their two children Joshua and Nicholas.
“At ServiceMaster, giving back to the communities we serve is more than just a responsibility and a commitment—it’s a privilege,” said Ascolese. “I’m honored to be a part of an organization like WKNO that is constantly working to further educate our community while showcasing the best Memphis has to offer on a local and national level.”
Deanie Parker, a member of the WKNO Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1994, was President and CEO of Soulsville and was President of the Soulsville Foundation when she retired at the end of 2007. She led the nonprofit organization founded to build and manage the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy and Performing Arts Center in an area dubbed Soulsville, U.S.A. in the 1960’s. Among the many honors she has been awarded are the Women of Achievement award for Initiative, The University of Memphis Distinguished Alumni Award, PRSA Memphis’s Communicator of the Year, and the Diversity Memphis Humanitarian of the Year Award.
“Singlehandedly, WKNO brings to Memphis and the region more bright ideas, timely information and quality entertainment than all local media combined,” Parker said. “I am honored to serve on its Board again and to be a part of WKNO’s relocation and exciting future.”
Reelected to the WKNO Board this year are Lenore Binswanger, Chris Brubaker, and Chuck Hughes.
WKNO acknowledges Chip Grayson, who has completed his nine-year term as of June 30th.
The Mid-South Public Communications Foundation operates WKNO-TV/Channel 10, WKNO-DT – which includes WKNO-HD and WKNO2, and WKNO-FM 91.1 Memphis and WKNO-FM 90.1 Jackson. WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire.
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