The WBA Young Professionals Committee recently met in Sheboygan/Manitowoc (big thank you to Terry Stevenson for hosting our semi-annual meeting) with creative minds coming together in a session of brainstorming to solidify programs and events specifically for young broadcast professionals throughout Wisconsin. Here’s a brief overview of great upcoming opportunities for young professionals in your stations:
Toolbox 2019 on Thursday June 13
The Toolbox was created in 2018 thanks to the hard work of Hannah Anderson and Terry Stevenson. It included various sessions at the Summer Conference specifically for young professionals in broadcasting. This year that will continue to an even greater level with Toolbox 2019 at the Summer Conference, on Thursday June 13. Your young employees will learn from seasoned professionals in panel discussions and dynamic seminars, including how to fight “burning out,” using new media to the highest level to improve your stations’ overall reach, and hearing directly from Molly Stentz and her story about the shooting at WORT last year. You can sign up your employees at the WBA website, first come first serve for 50 attendees!
The New YP Facebook Page
Have your young professionals to join our new Young Professionals Facebook Group! We will have articles, videos, and great information available to young broadcasters every week via the page, along with great opportunities for networking with fellow broadcasters all around the state!
YP of the Year Award
Starting this fall and going into 2020, we will be introducing the WBA YP of the Year Award. If you have a young professional who has shown outstanding achievement in your stations and/or community, they should be recognized for their dedication! Be on the lookout for more information to come in the fall as we will be taking nominations and choose six finalists who will receive recognition in our newsletters and be invited to the 2020 Summer Conference where the YP of the Year will be announced!
WBA Mentorship Program
This program began a few years ago as a way for young professionals to interact with experienced broadcasters to help build solid leaders for the future of our industry. We are currently looking for anyone throughout the WBA who would like to mentor a young professional. If you have had success in your career, share some of your wisdom with an up-an-comer. We make sure to pair mentors with young professionals in non-competing situations. You can contact Kyle Geissler at the WBA to sign up as a mentor, and you will be contacted later when we have a “mentee” assigned to you.
If you have anyone that would like to get “in-the-know” for Young Professionals activities and events, please have them contact the WBA office and we will have them added to our young professional list. They will receive e-mails and updates about all kinds of great things to help them throughout their broadcasting career!
