Community Advisory Board

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) originated with the passing of the Public Telecommunications Financing Act of 1978, which mandates the establishment of a council “broadly representative of the communities served by WVIA. The CAB is composed of citizens who represent the diverse interests of the communities served. The CAB advises WVIA management on a wide variety of programming and outreach issues relating to our communities served. Through its work, the CAB strives to develop stronger connections between WVIA and the communities it serves.

Community Advisory Board Policies

The Community Advisory Board (CAB) shall assist WVIA in fulfilling its mission to inform and educate its audience by providing programming for northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley. The CAB shall be representative of the diverse constituencies within northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley, monitoring and evaluating programs, giving voice to underserved segments of the community, serving as a sounding board for ideas presented by WVIA staff and bringing issues of community concern to the attention of the station management.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Communications Act governing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the CAB shall advise the WVIA Board of Trustees with respect to whether the programming and other policies of WVIA meet the specialized educational and cultural needs of northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley, and may make such recommendations as it considers appropriate to meet such needs. As part of this advisement, the CAB shall be permitted to review and assess the WVIA programming goals, the community service activities, and the impact on the community of significant policy decisions rendered by WVIA. The CAB deliberates independently of station management and the Board of Directors, determining its own agenda and electing its own leadership. The CAB is an advisory body only, and is not authorized to exercise any control over WVIA daily management or operations. The CAB conveys its findings and recommendations based on public input to the Board of Directors on an annual basis.

Community Advisory Board Members

Arthur Breese	Wilkes-Barre, PA
Tony Brooks	Wilkes-Barre, PA
Nell Donnelly-O'Boyle	Scranton, PA
Jenny Gonzalez Monge	Scranton, PA
William Hudon, Ph.D. (chair)	Bloomsburg, PA
Della Hutchison	Milton, PA
Linda Keene	Scranton, PA
Michele Kushmeder	Hazleton, PA
Stephen Lindenmuth	Lewisburg, PA
Ron Mackley	Sunbury, PA
Maureen McGuigan	Scranton, PA
Ursula & Doug Myers	Stroudsburg, PA
Erica Rogler & Omar Camacho	Tunkhannock, PA
Robert Savakinus	Carbondale, PA
Jeanie Sluck	Taylor, PA
Francisco Torres-Aranda	Hazleton, PA
Tonyehn Verkitus (co-chair)	Blakely, PA

Community Advisory Board Meetings

A full schedule of Community Advisory Board Meetings can be found on the Open Meetings page.

Community Advisory Board Chair Report to the Board of Directors

This report was presented to the WVIA Board of Directors during the June 2023 meeting.

CAB Minutes

View the minutes from past WVIA Community Advisory Board Meetings