ARLINGTON – PBS has named WCTE PBS CEO Becky Magura and PBS SoCal/KCET Vice President of Membership Maura Daly Phinney as the recipients of the 2021 C. Scott Elliott Development Professional of the Year Award. The award was established in 1990 in memory of Scott Elliott, who raised more than $100 million for PBS member stations in Detroit, Buffalo and Cincinnati over the course of his career and was a standard bearer for integrity and professionalism in public media development.
“We applaud Becky and Maura for their extraordinary dedication, passion and leadership to their stations and communities,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. “This award represents the highest level of professional achievement in the public broadcasting development community, and we are thrilled to recognize their contributions.”
For 39 years, Magura has served as an inspirational leader and critical member of the WCTE team. She has held various roles within WCTE working across the areas of production, educational outreach and management. Magura launched a fundraiser in 1983 that helped to keep WCTE on air. The fundraiser is still held each year and brings in about $100,000 annually—the station’s largest single fundraising event.
In 2006, she became the station general manager and CEO. Magura continues to give back to the public media and has served two terms on the PBS Board of Directors, where she was chair of the PBS Interconnection Committee. She also served as chair of the NETA Board of Directors.
Phinney has spent her entire career in public television, working for various stations including KQED, WETA, KPBS and PBS SoCal/KCET. She is currently overseeing all membership fundraising efforts for PBS SoCal and KCET— on-air, online and direct mail. Under Phinney’s leadership, the organization has seen tremendous growth helping solidify the financial health and sustainability of her organization.
Since joining PBS SoCal, she has increased unique donors by 51%, increased the percentage of sustainers from 10% to 47% and has contributed to a membership revenue increase of 42%—from $11.5 million to $16.5 million. Daly Phinney launched the station’s successful Sustaining Member and Producer’s Club programs as well as transformed the membership fundraising team into one of the top performers in the country. She has contributed across various departments over the years, as a content producer, pledge program producer and development leader, among others.
The C. Scott Elliott Award is part of the PBS Development Awards, which recognizes member stations for outstanding corporate support, membership and philanthropy efforts in local communities. Among the previous winners of the C. Scott Elliott Award are Tom Karlo, Jon Abbott, Tom Axtell, Don Derheim, Glenn Fisher, Kent Geist, Paula Kerger, Paige Meriwether, Dan Metziga, Russ Peotter, David Preston, Lisa Tait, Mel Waggoner, Earl Blauner, Sue Ellen Stuebing and Rob Hilbert.
