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Zoo Wins UNC-TV Partnership Award
BY: Rod HackneySep. 24, 2010
RELEASED BY UNC-TV
UNC-TV honored three outstanding longtime supporters, including the North Carolina Zoo, at its annual Appreciation Dinner held Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the historic Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. The special guest speaker was Tom Hudson, co-anchor of the PBS series Nightly Business Report, the most watched evening business news program on television.
Receiving the Producers Circle Award for exceptional service and support for UNC-TV was former University executive Wyndham Robertson. In presenting the award, UNC-TV Director and General Manager Tom Howe said, "UNC-TV’s Producers Circle Award was established three years ago to recognize individuals who have been exceptional supporters of UNC-TV. Included among the criteria we established for recipients of this recognition are individuals who have been: active board members and volunteers; consistent in participation in our activities; excellent advocates for UNC-TV in every setting; staunch defenders of our editorial integrity; positive forces in their interaction with our staff; and always there with wise counsel. The individual we are honoring this year meets every criteria I have just listed.”
Previous recipients of the Producers Circle Award are Molly and Bob Broad, Tom and Mary Wagner, and Robb and Susan Teer.
This year UNC-TV added a new award for partnership to the list of honors, and its recipient was Dr. David Jones and the North Carolina Zoo. In presenting the award, Tom Howe said, "The Partner Award is new this year and is meant to recognize an organization or company that has made an outstanding contribution to UNC-TV through creative and valuable collaboration.
"It is only natural that this year's award winner, which has a mission similar to ours, would work with us to serve the citizens of North Carolina. One shining example of this is a program called Making Connections—a multimedia project that draws connections between the environment and our present and future economy. The director of this organization gave freely of his time, enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment and was the host, expert, and driving force behind this wonderful project. We also partner with this organization to bring you segments for North Carolina Now, as well as wonderful events for families. And finally, in addition to all the successful production collaborations between this organization and UNC-TV, our partner supports UNC-TV through program underwriting, both broadcast sponsorships and in-kind contributions."
Receiving the prestigious Corporate Award was longtime supporter Bill Shore, director of U.S. Community Partnerships for GlaxoSmithKline. Shore and the company were recognized for their 22 years of corporate partnership, providing volunteers and sponsorship for many UNC-TV programs and fund-raising campaigns.
In making the presentation, Tom Howe said, "The recipient of the 2010 Corporate Award has been a part of the UNC-TV family for decades. The individual responsible for the connection between UNC-TV and this company is the driving force behind everything good that has happened in this partnership. He signed up the company to be a corporate pledge partner for our annual FESTIVAL pledge drive in 1989, and they have been coming back for the last 22 years.
"The combined total contribution generated from this corporate pledge partnership is more than $146,000, and the total number of volunteers from this corporation who have participated during FESTIVAL over the years exceeds 800.
"Because of the special relationship with this company—and the individual who oversees our partnership—there have been numerous contributions in support of special projects, events, and UNC-TV original productions. Tonight's Corporate Award winner has provided support for: two UNC-TV Foundation capital campaigns; an Institutional Capacity Building Grant; several original productions; events, including screenings and important milestone celebrations; and tens of thousands of dollars in underwriting support and even more in matching gifts to UNC-TV. Tonight's winner has contributed more than one million dollars to UNC-TV and the UNC-TV Foundation.”
Previous winners of the Corporate Award are Wachovia—A Wells Fargo Company—and DTS Software.
UNC-TV is North Carolina's statewide public television network.