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This is the first message to be published since the annual meeting of our Board of Trustees
in June, so it is my first opportunity to welcome new trustees and officers and to explain to you how the governance of
your public television station works.
First of all, welcome to Griffin Hammond from YouTube in Bloomington, John Sanchez from Maui
Jim in Peoria, and Chuck Walker from CEFCU in Peoria. They were elected as At Large Trustees and will join us at our
September meeting.
New officers for FY 2013 are: Chairman - Joe Strupek, Bloomington; President & CEO - Chet
Tomczyk, Peoria; Vice Chairman – John Burklund, Peoria; Secretary – Dr Cynthia Fischer Peoria Heights; Treasurer – Jerry
Kolb, Dunlap; At Large – Wayne Baum, Peoria; Nancy Levenick, Peoria, Joe O’Neill, Peoria; and, Immediate Past Chair -
Andrew Rand, Peoria.
A huge note of thanks to our departing officers and trustees: Andrew Rand who steps down
as Chairman, Marianne Moll who retires from the Board after 16 years of service, Michel McCord and Dr. Sally Parry.
Your dedication and service is greatly appreciated and highly valued. We will miss you.
Now as to governance: the license for public television station WTVP is held for the
community by the Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. This
makes WTVP a community licensee as opposed to a university licensee or a state licensee. WCBU-FM, owned and operated
by Bradley University, is an example of a university licensee; the Iowa Public Network is an example of a state
licensee. As a community licensee with no institutional connections, WTVP depends solely on community support. We
literally operate on behalf of the community and are dependent on our members and supporters for survival. We’ve been
doing this for more than 40 years now, much to the surprise and benefit of the Central Illinois community.
You literally make public television possible in this area. Thank you. It is a privilege
and a pleasure working for you.
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