DECEMBER 10, 2024
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA
WEEKLY DISPATCH
By Leslie Fields-Cruz
Voluntary nonprofit board service is not for everyone. It requires a willingness to attend meetings that can often go on for hours and sometimes take place on weekends. It demands a financial commitment. It requires sharing your expertise and network, sometimes making phone calls on behalf of the organization. It means showing up at events, sometimes on short notice. It requires reading quarterly progress reports. And it requires making difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. In return, you get the gratification of knowing that you’re helping the organization achieve its goals and stay on mission. Black Public Media’s board members do all of this and more. They are AWESOME!
Over the course of my career, I have served on a few boards, so I know what this type of service means. When first tapped to serve as BPM’s executive director, I had never been in that position before. Over the years, this board has not only helped me grow in my role, they’ve helped me grow their role. Our board members have expertise in media management and financial services, strategic communication, media making, law, and corporate leadership. They are not only generous with their time and expertise, they are eager to share our story with others in their networks.
Awesome Service
The board members who’ve served this year include Samantha Abrams, Antonia Carew-Watts, Deniese Davis (chair), Guy-Max Delphine, Adrena Ifill, Eva Marie Malone, Travis Mitchell, Allison Simmons, Janis Smith-Gomez, Jon Walls, and Dr. Valerie Williams-Sanchez.
It is a pleasure working with these extraordinary professionals. I look forward to leaning on their wisdom in the years ahead. In less than five years, BPM will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Our board will actively participate in the planning for that celebration. It is a milestone we would not be closing in on without the dedication of past and present board members. As we race to the end of 2024, Please join me in thanking all of them for their loyal and enthusiastic service. We would not be where we are without them.
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BPM is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with further funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. BPM is the only nonprofit that offers training, funding and distribution for projects solely about the Black experience. We welcome foundations, corporations and individuals to help with our work. For more information about underwriting and contributions, contact Delynda Lindsey (delynda@blackpublicmedia.org).