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WMHT Public Media Welcomes New Institutional Advancement Leaders Amid Changing Public Media Landscape

Pictured: Lynn Valentino, Vice President, Institutional Advancement; Amber Bowman, Director, Corporate Partnerships; Caroline Brown, Grants Manager.

WMHT Public Media, the premier multichannel public broadcasting provider serving Eastern New York and Western New England, is proud to announce the promotion of Lynn Valentino to Vice President, Institutional Advancement, and the appointments of Amber Bowman as Director, Corporate Partnerships and Caroline Brown as Grants Manager.

Lynn Valentino steps into the Vice President role in her 25th year at the organization. “I am truly thrilled to have the opportunity to lead WMHT’s Institutional Advancement efforts,” said Valentino. “This organization means so much to me, and taking on this opportunity feels both exciting and deeply meaningful. I believe in the mission of public media, in the power of storytelling, and in the importance of building strong relationships with our donors, corporate partners, and our community.”

Amber Bowman joins the station with 13 years of sales leadership experience. A Guilderland High School graduate and University at Albany alumna, public media has long been a part of her life; her father had strong connections to educational broadcasting, including hosting a jazz program on WDCB. “As the daughter of distinguished educators, I believe in fostering the growth of those around me,” said Bowman. “My leadership philosophy is simple: show up for your team the way you want them to show up for the mission.” Known as a servant leader, Bowman recently built a staff development program that created structured advancement pathways for emerging professionals.

Bowman succeeds Kathy Beam, the former Director, Corporate Support, who recently retired after 19 years of dedicated service to the organization.

WMHT also recently welcomed Caroline Brown as Grants Manager. Her career in the nonprofit arts and cultural sector has spanned executive leadership, development, strategic planning, public programming, and organizational administration. She previously served as the inaugural Executive Director of Musicians of Ma’alwyck, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, and Director of Development at the Schenectady County Historical Society. In her role at WMHT, Brown will focus on researching, writing, and securing grant funding.

Public media’s structural foundation changed forever last January when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) dissolved following the total elimination of federal funding, wiping $1,600,000 from WMHT’s annual operating budget. Now more than ever, sustained financial partnerships and community support are essential to ensure WMHT can continue offering the crucial educational programming, local news, and cultural entertainment our communities rely on.

“Lynn is a seasoned fundraising professional whose leadership, combined with the expertise of Amber, Caroline, and our existing staff, make up an exceptional team. Together, they bring the energy, grit, resilience, determination, and strategy needed to tackle our funding challenges head-on,” said President and CEO Anthony V. Hayes.

For more information about career opportunities within the growing Institutional Advancement team, visit wmht.org/careers.

To learn more about partnerships with WMHT Public Media, contact Lynn, Amber, or Caroline at the information below:

Lynn Valentino, Vice President, Institutional Advancement

518-880-3414 | [email protected]

Amber Bowman, Director, Corporate Partnerships

518-880-3464 | [email protected]

Caroline Brown, Grants Manager

518-880-3446 | [email protected]