2022 Staff Picks

We’ve reached the end of the year, and what a year it has been! There’s so much to look back on and smile about. That’s why we asked the staff at ThinkTV and CET to share their favorite moments from 2022 with all of you!
Kitty Lensman, President and CEO of ThinkTV and CET
We had many amazing moments in 2022, but my personal favorite is having a quiet moment at home to enjoy our great programming. Here I am enjoying All Creatures Great and Small with my small – and great – creature.

Ann Rotolante, Producer
My favorite PBS moment of 2022 was July 28, 2022. That’s the day Rodney recorded the pilot for “Rodney Veal’s Inspired By” podcast with DCDC dancer and choreographer Countess V. Winfrey. I sat in on the Zencastr recording and was super nervous going into it. I should have known better! As we recorded, I was impressed with how well it went, how easily the conversation flowed, and how compelling it all was to listen to. I was like: wow – this could actually be a thing! It’s always incredible as a creative to see something actually come together like that, flowy, easy, with everyone in the zone. It was a total joy! I can’t wait to share our new podcast with everyone next week!
Diane Kroplin, Manager of Education and Engagement (ThinkTV)
My favorite PBS moment was our October staff outing at Jungle Jim’s. It was great to have CET and TTV staff meet up for some fun together-time instead of work!
Lisa Sensale Yazdian, Manager of Education and Engagement (CET)
One of my 2022 highlights was being a part of the Ezzard Charles statue dedication committee and the celebration honoring his life and legacy.
Shelby Orr, Human Resource Manager
Mine would have to be the staff outing! With the first one being canceled and having to redo a large amount of things for the second try of it I was so excited for it to finally happen and be able to see everyone be together. It was such a fun experience seeing the staff be together and meet all the new staff that they might not have been able to meet the last two years from COVID.
Kellie May, Manager of Communications and Digital Initiatives
My team has the wonderful opportunity to be connected with every other department and be involved in most of our events and outings. I’m also so thankful to have the opportunity to be involved in the Adopt a Class at Hays-Porter School in the West End. I’m one of a small group of staff members who visits with first grade and kindergarten students once a month. We read stories, we do educational crafts, we play games and we talk about how each of our jobs all require the skills we’ve learned throughout our educational journey. It’s humbling to see the challenges these kids are facing and inspiring to watch their eyes light up when I talk about our YouTube channel!

Mike Shea, Communications Specialist
Cliché as it might be, my favorite moment of 2022 is probably my first day on the job. I got hired in February as a Master Control Operator, and worked there for nine months before moving over to my current position. I’ve worked in broadcasting for over a decade and this has quickly proven to be my favorite place to work. I’ve met some wonderful people and worked with two incredible teams and I couldn’t be happier with how my career has developed in such a short time.
