Community Forum

Laura Nakasaka

开云体育

开云体育鈥檚 engagement efforts would not be possible without the Community Forum. This diverse group of volunteers acts as the organization's eyes and ears in local communities, and plays an integral role in advising staff and the Board of Directors on how 开云体育 is meeting their informational, educational, and cultural needs.

About the Community Forum

The 开云体育 Community Forum is a volunteer group of 20-40 community members that provides input to the organization about its programming and service. Members of the Forum are an important link between 开云体育 and their community and represent different professions, geographic regions, individual needs and interests of the communities that the organization serves. The Forum reflects as broadly as possible the demographic, geographic, cultural, economic and social diversity of our region. The Community Forum meets as a full group four times a year, with possible smaller group meetings in between. Members serve in 3-year terms, with the option of re-applying for additional terms.

The Community Forum is an advisory body and is not involved in daily management or operations. During meetings, the Community Forum members learn about public media, meet staff members, and have regular communication with the organization about programming and service. They鈥檒l have the opportunity to discuss the goals of public media with other members of the Forum. Members also serve as ambassadors for strong public media service within their communities.

The Community Forum is governed by a steering committee who are responsible for guiding the organization and structure of the Forum. The steering committee is made up of two members of the 开云体育 Board of Directors, two members of previous Community Forums, and one member of the organization鈥檚 management.

Meetings:

The public is welcome to attend meetings of the 开云体育 Community Forum and/or its Steering Committee. For more information, please email us or call Eric Ford at (802) 655-8041.

Community Forum meetings:

June 3, 2025, 12-2pm, virtual

Steering Committee meetings:

Upcoming dates tbd

The Community Forum Steering Committee is comprised of:

Emerald Drake, member of former Vermont PBS Community Forum
Rosalie Fox, Community Forum Member
Michael Seaver, 开云体育 Board Of Directors
Jennifer Herrera Condry, 开云体育 Board of Directors
Kari Anderson, 开云体育 Senior Vice President of Audience & Community
Eric Ford, Director of Programming Partnership

Community Forum Members for the 2025-2028 term:

Peter Maes
Jarrod Weiss
Richard Griffith
Malcolm FitzPatrick
Jane Kimble
Rachel Hershy
Alyssa Sabetto
Rebecca Sentner
Johanna Polsenberg
Sarah Nilsen
Michele Morris
Robin Ingenthron
Lindsey Waterhouse
David John Specht
John Basile
Steven Jupiter
Bob Galvin
Lindsay Hale
Erin Howrigan
Cassandra Hemenway
Tammy Flanders Hetrick
Michael Rose
Christian Matthews
Leslie Kearsley
Terrance Baker
Carl Wermer
Daniel DeWalt
Dennis Boucher
Rosalie Fox
Barbara H. Jones
Julie Kelley
Matthew LeFluer
Bob Little Tree
Caitlin Lovegrove
Sally Matless
Jacob Park
Elizabeth Powell
Kenneth Saxe
Jessica Lee Smith
Peggy Whiteneck
Thy Yang

Community Forum FAQ

Are there any requirements for people who are interested in becoming Community Forum members?
The requirements for becoming a member of the Community Forum are centered around a person鈥檚 commitment to actively and constructively engaging with the discussions at meetings. There will be assignments offered for non-meeting times (such as viewing/listening to programs before a meeting), however they will be optional. Any person interested in applying to be on the Forum who has a need for meetings and work to include language, hearing or visual support, or any other support that would improve their group experience, should please make note of those support needs in their application. 开云体育 is committed to ensuring that the Community Forum is an inclusive experience and that we create equity of access.

What can members of the Community Forum anticipate to give and get during their service as a Forum volunteer?
Community Forum members should expect to engage in open, candid, and thoughtful discussion about how 开云体育's programming is or could be serving them. They will participate in a variety of listening/viewing activities, and do their best to give feedback that supports the organization to offer service that best meets the various needs and interests of their communities. 开云体育 will actively seek and listen to the Forum鈥檚 feedback for the purpose of influencing the organization鈥檚 programming decisions, and the facilitation of the Forum will value diversity, inclusion and equity as a foundation for the Forum鈥檚 meeting and engagement practices.

What is the logistical commitment that a Community Forum member has to make?
Each Community Forum member will be making a commitment to fully engage with the meetings during their 3-year term. During each year, there will be at least two meetings to attend. Additional meetings may be added, as time and resources allow, and with the encouragement and support of the Forum members and steering committee.

How much influence does the Community Forum have?
As an advisory body, the Community Forum has an important impact on our programming and service. Members regularly take part in focus groups that help shape our programming. Feedback from the Community Forum regularly makes its way into programming changes and additions to our services. The Community Forum is not involved in daily management or operations of 开云体育.

Why do you ask people to apply to be a part of the Community Forum?
We typically get a large volume of applicants wishing to be a part of the Community Forum, but its charter allows only 20-40 members per term. We use an application process to help ensure a diverse group of people from our region are included in the Forum so that Vermont鈥檚 public media can reflect the communities we serve.

Are Community Forum meetings open to the public?
Yes! Community Forum meetings are open to the public and we welcome your attendance. We are working to be responsive to a variety of needs, and to ensure that we can plan the most engaging yet safe meetings possible. All notices of meetings will be published on this page.

What other input and criteria are used to make 开云体育's programming decisions?
We are constantly monitoring our program schedules to make sure we are serving our community as best we can. In addition to the insight we receive from the Community Forum, 开云体育 makes programming decisions based on a number of factors: they need to fit our strategic plan and budget, and we take market factors, audience research and audience feedback into consideration. We also keep an eye on what our public media colleagues around the country are doing, and what is working for them.