Be more local. More inclusive. More interactive. 
It’s a challenge that speaks to the unique role of public media in building an active and healthy society, and it’s a promise that WEDU is delivering on. Just ask the millions of viewers who rely on us for content that celebrates community, embraces diversity, and encourages all of us to join in the conversation. Or the thousands of online users who engage with us daily at wedu.org through our social media sites, or at any number of our special community events. Bringing together people and ideas, fueling imaginations — it’s what WEDU does best.

Contact the WEDU Speakers Bureau to schedule an inspiring speaker to bring a fresh voice of the community to your next meeting - Click Here

About The Speakers:


Jack Conely
 Jack Conely has more than 20 years experience in award-winning program development, production, and facilities management. As Vice President of Content at WEDU, he develops and oversees programming and production in addition to managing a revenue budget of over $1,000,000. He serves as the Executive Producer of the weekly political roundtable Florida This Week, in addition to the monthly programs in WEDU’s schedule: A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins – winner of eight Emmy Awards, Suncoast Business Forum, and Up Close with Cathy Unruh. Jack most recently served as the Executive Producer of the Emmy Award- winning documentaries – The Florida Dream and Heroes from the Bay as well as past Emmy winners Central Avenue Remembered and Dolphin Rescue. National PBS credits have included Andre Rieu, Cartooning with Blitz, H.O.P.E. Formula, and Fiber 35: Nature’s Weight Loss Secret. He is a member of the Digital Media Advisory panels for St. Petersburg College and the Hillsborough County Schools New Media Production program.

Presentation Topics: Television Programming and Production; Florida PBS Station Relations and Public Media Generalist.



Joyce Cotton
 Twice recognized as Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Woman of the Year, Joyce Cotton is a well-respected marketing specialist with an insider’s knowledge of the arts and cultural community as well as children’s programming. Ms. Cotton has worked in the television industry for 35 years, beginning her broadcast television career with Scripps Howard Broadcasting ABC TV station WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio. After 25 years with Scripps Howard Broadcasting and WFTS TV-28, Joyce retired, and then joined the staff of WEDU 10 years ago where she serves as the Director of Marketing & Community Partnerships. Her primary responsibility is to generate awareness and revenues for WEDU whose reach and impact keeps growing to meet our communities evolving needs and interests.

Presentation Topics: Effective marketing opportunities utilizing the strengths of Public Media; Benefits of building brand recognition through events and cause related marketing strategies; Educational outreach initiatives available through PBS kids programming; Seizing partnerships through arts and culture; Public Media generalist.



Laura Fage
 Laura Fage has more than 25 years of professional expertise in the public relations and communications industry and is the recipient of many professional honors, by both national and international organizations, which have included more than 20 awards for successful public relations and communications campaigns, as well as named a finalist for the Tampa Bay Business Woman of the Year and being selected as a member of Who’s Who Worldwide for public relations excellence. Ms. Fage has served as lead public relations counsel for several Fortune 500 companies, and currently holds the position of Vice President of Communications for WEDU where she is responsible for public and media relations, and internal/external communications activities that enhance awareness of the station and strengthen its position in the market, build upon established brand and cultivate station culture. Laura creates, implements and oversees multi-media communications programs from brand development and promotion, to the station’s monthly magazine, interactive website and online initiatives as well as special events that effectively describe and promote WEDU.

Presentation Topics: Effective Communications Strategies; the Importance of Brand Consistency; Corporate Sponsorship Support; Media and Public Relations; Results through Event Marketing; Public Media Generalist.



Susan Howarth
 Ms. Howarth, a 35-year veteran of public broadcasting, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of WEDU; joining the staff in May of 2010. Susan has been an integral part of the ongoing transition of public broadcasting to public media delivered across a variety of platforms. Most recently, she served as president and chief executive officer of WCET – the first-licensed educational television station in the nation serving the Cincinnati, Ohio area. During her tenure with CET, Susan led the charge to launch the nation’s first public media website to prominently feature on-demand video. In addition to driving the growth of planned giving and major donor initiatives, Susan led the creation of “Common Ground,” the area’s multi-year effort to address race relations in Greater Cincinnati. Prior to her work at CET, she held executive posts with the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) and the AETN Foundation, where she launched several new services and established an endowment for the network. Susan Howarth’s public media experience also includes programming responsibilities at WNED/WNEQ-Western New York Public Broadcasting; WUFT-TV in Gainesville, Florida; KOZK-TV in Springfield, Missouri and Connecticut Public Television (CPTV). Ms. Howarth has served in leadership positions with numerous regional and national public broadcasting organizations including the PBS Board of Directors where she served as Vice Chair for three years.

Presentation Topics: The Transition of Public Broadcasting to Public Media; The Power of Public Media; Educational Programming and Tools for Educators and Caregivers; Building Relationships with the Community.



Larry Jopek
 With more than 25 years of executive level commercial television sales and marketing experience, Mr. Jopek started representing WEDU in 2002. As WEDU’s Vice President of Marketing and Community partnerships, Larry shows for-profit companies, as well as nonprofit and other community organizations, how to build brand awareness by joining forces with PBS programs and WEDU station initiatives. His success is based from his passion to help these corporations, nonprofits and community coalitions create and implement effective marketing campaigns to bring awareness for their organizations. Under Larry’s leadership, the support in sponsorship for WEDU has more than doubled; it has grown from just program sponsors to now include print, events, and online. His recent successes cover everything from bringing coalitions together for broadcasting Town Hall Meetings to multi-media concepts for programs like World War II.

Presentation Topics: The Business of Public Media; News and Public Affairs; Nonprofit Collation Building; Creative Marketing Concepts; Public Media Generalist.



Susan Rosner
 With more than two decades of experience as a graphics professional, Susan Rosner has vast knowledge of product development; illustration; publications; brand strategies and general graphic design. Ms. Rosner has worked for industrial, corporate and nonprofit companies creating lasting identity to a variety of brands. As Creative Services Manager for WEDU, Susan designs, develops and distributes promotional and marketing materials for the purpose of communicating all station programming and promotional endeavors, major station initiatives and events. An inquisitive mind that never rests, Susan sees herself as an instrument to bring ideas to visual fruition. She is the team leader for the station’s social media initiatives and regularly contributes content and graphics for the other online projects.

Presentation Topics: Branding; Social Media; The Importance and Benefits of PBS Educational Programming in the Early Development of Children; Public Media Generalist.



Geoff Simon
 Geoff Simon is Senior Vice President with Simon Johnson Stanger Wealth Advisors of Raymond James & Associates, and provides comprehensive financial planning and investment counseling for individual, corporate and institutional clients. Mr. Simon is also a WEDU staff alumnus. From 1983 -1990 he produced and hosted Suncoast Business Journal, an award-winning, weekly, regional business TV program. In addition to playing an active role on the station’s Board of Directors, and various committees, Geoff now hosts WEDU’s Suncoast Business Forum where he interviews the area’s most engaging businessmen and women about the triumphs and inspirations that shaped them into the successes they are today.

Presentation Topics: Building Better Boards; Financial Strength of Corporations, Foundations and Nonprofit Organizations; Executive Recruitment; The Business of Public Media; Collaborative Community Partnerships for Organizational Growth.



Marion Yongue
 A member of the Association of Fundraising Board of Directors, and active community volunteer, Marion Yongue is Vice President of Development for WEDU and responsible for building relationships with individual WEDU donors and community partners; as well as fundraising through major gifts, planned giving and ensuring the future of the station through endowment. Prior to joining WEDU in 2006, Marion had a 13-year career at Moffitt Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, where he worked with faculty/staff to raise nearly $1.7M for the Capital Campaign and coordinated the Grateful Patient Program securing several $100,000+ gifts.

Presentation Topics: Fundraising; Board of Directors Development; Public Media Generalist.