We recently said goodbye to several colleagues in the WV Public Broadcasting newsroom. Former News Director, Greg Collard; Assistant News Director, Anna Sale; and our Wheeling News Bureau Reporter, Keri Brown, left WV PBS this summer for exciting career opportunities. We thought we’d use this space to recognize their contributions to WV PBS.
Greg Collard was news director at WV PBS from 2004 until last month. As such, Greg's voice isn't the one you would hear most often on the radio or the face you would see on TV, but his dedication to telling accurate, impactful stories with keen analysis and creative writing were part of everything we produced. While his managerial position took him away from daily reporting and production duties, he always relished the opportunity to go out in the field to cover hard news stories and the quirky ones too. We thank Greg for his leadership in our news room. Greg is now news director at WFAE, a public radio station Charlotte, NC.
Anna Sale came to WV PBS in 2005. She was new to reporting but proved to be a quick learner. In no time, Anna was producing stories that explained complex policy issues through the prism of everyday people. Anna’s stories resonated with listeners, and a recent story sparked debate around the state. Anna went to the town of Man before the primary election last spring to talk to residents about the democratic presidential candidates. Her story showed a snapshot of how race and gender influence some voters. Anna will start work this month at WNPR in Hartford, CT, where she will be a statehouse reporter, an appropriate fit, we think.
Keri Brown was our Wheeling reporter for more than six years. She covered the many steel company buyouts and labor issues affecting this region, and she produced touching human interest stories. For example, Keri followed the story of a missing airman who was killed in a plane crash in California during WWII. Last year, his body was found, frozen in the ice on the side of a mountain, and he was returned home for burial this spring. Keri produced a story that captured the emotion of this homecoming in a thoughtful and considerate way. Keri will work at Wheeling Jesuit University as a technical writer for a NASA publication.
Thank you, Greg, Anna, and Keri for your dedication to telling stories that had a lasting impact and helped make who we are and where and how we live better.