PBS Reno Grants Officer Shannon Strickland
Named 2024 Rising Star in Public Media

 

RENO, NV (AUG 12, 2024) — PBS Reno Grants Officer Shannon Strickland has been named a 2024 Rising Star in Public Media by Current, the nonprofit news organization covering public media in the U.S. for professionals in the industry. The honorees are aged 36 and under and work in a variety of roles at public media stations and national organizations. Each was nominated by colleagues or supervisors for their exceptional contributions to their workplaces, communities and public media at large.

Current, the trade publication for public media, launched Rising Stars in 2023 to celebrate younger employees who are making a difference in public media – on air and behind the scenes – by producing content, raising funds, engaging audiences, and maintaining technical operations. 

“Being selected as a 2024 Rising Star in Public Media is an honor,” said Strickland. “I’m so lucky to be a part of PBS Reno’s team, whose dedication to our community inspires me to improve and grow every day. Public Media plays an essential role for viewers from all walks of life, especially for the urban, rural, and tribal residents across our 75,000 square mile service area. Securing funding for the station’s impactful programming and innovative services is a responsibility I am proud to have.”

Strickland joined PBS Reno in 2023 after teaching multiple entry-level English composition courses at the University of Nevada, where she graduated in December 2022 with her Master of Arts in English with Public Engagement Emphasis. Strickland works within the robust Development arm of PBS Reno that acquires the necessary funding to keep the nonprofit public television station on the air. The PBS Reno Development team also strengthens PBS Reno Education Services which delivers thousands of Curiosity Classroom workshops to children in eight school districts across northern and central Nevada and one school district in northeastern California.

“I am incredibly proud that Shannon was selected as one of Current’s 2024 Rising Stars,” said Emma Glenn, PBS Reno Vice President of Development. “Since joining PBS Reno, Shannon has shown great dedication and creativity, significantly advancing our mission. This well-deserved recognition highlights her impactful contributions not only to our organization but also to the broader community PBS Reno serves. Shannon’s passion and commitment are truly inspiring, and we look forward to witnessing her continued growth and success in the field of public media.”

Current received 171 nominations in the Spring of 2024 for consideration as Rising Stars. Thirty-five winners were chosen by Current staff and five judges who work in and around public media: Aishah Rashied-Hyman of Public Media Women in Leadership; Eric Marsh of WHYY; news and journalism strategist Vinnee Tong; journalist April Simpson, formerly with Center for Public Integrity; and Deema Zein of PBS News Hour, herself a 2023 Rising Star.

“Public media is so fortunate that these outstanding young professionals have chosen to bring their passions, talents and incredible work ethic to our field,” said Julie Drizin, Current Executive Director. “Current’s Rising Stars project is popular, but it’s also very important right now. Recognizing and rewarding diverse, younger talent helps support their career growth and helps public media expand its service to more diverse and younger audiences.”  

About PBS Reno

As of February 2024, PBS Reno is enjoyed by more than 288,000 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube Channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom Workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since September 29, 1983.

About Current

Current is a nonprofit news organization covering public media in the U.S for professionals in the industry. For over 40 years, leaders and staff at NPR, PBS, CPB, public radio and TV stations, and independent producers have relied on Current for information, inspiration and insights to help them fulfill public media’s mission. Current’s career portal publicmediajobs.org is the leading site for employment and recruitment opportunities in public media. Current, a journalism center of the American University School of Communication, is funded in part by the Wyncote Foundation of Philadelphia. 

Contact us:

Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org

Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503