Mary Mazur
President and General Manager
Vegas PBS Leadership
Vegas PBS Leadership
Dr. Niki Bates
Education Services and Business Development Director
Natalie Cullen
Program Development, Acquisitions and Scheduling Director
Brandon Merrill
Fiscal Management Director
Debra Solt
Workforce Training and Economic Development Director
John Turner
Chief of Broadcast Operations and
Emergency Response
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER | May 2024
Warm Welcome
In the National Mall, there’s a simple yet poignant message inlaid with silver on the Korean War Memorial’s granite structure: “Freedom Is Not Free.”
It’s a phrase that has matriculated into the American lexicon, from poets to pundits. At its core, it expresses the sentiment that the sacrifices made by those who answered the call of duty should not be forgotten nor taken for granted. PBS takes great pride in recognizing our nation’s armed forces and the importance and bravery of their service.
"From history to science, arts to lifestyle, Vegas PBS is your home for quality shows, engaging community events, and reliable public service. It’s all possible thanks to you." |
Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, acclaimed actors and longtime supporters of our troops and veterans, return to co-host the 2024 National Memorial Day Concert on Sunday, May 26 at 8 p.m. They’re joined by actress Mary McCormack and the National Symphony Orchestra, led by renowned pops conductor Jack Everly. Viewers can expect another moving and inspiring television and digital event to mark one of our nation’s most sacred national holidays. Be sure to take a look at some of our other Stories of Service as well.
This month, we have several programs highlighting AAPI stories. Full listings can be found at vegaspbs.org/schedules, but one series that I’m particularly looking forward to is Lucky Chow, airing Saturdays at 3 p.m. LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder Danielle Chang travels across America exploring the Asian food landscape, featuring many of the country’s most renowned chefs and culinary personalities.
I’d also like to congratulate the winners of the 2024 Vegas PBS KIDS Writers Contest Presented by Janice Allen! Out of over 600 submissions, a panel of judges selected 30 stories to be recognized at this year’s celebration. The annual competition is open to children grades K-5, giving them a wonderful opportunity to express their creativity and imagination. To learn more, visit vegaspbs.org/writers-contest
Next month, be sure to join us for the next installment of the Nevada Democracy Project listening sessions. As we get closer and closer to the general election, this is your chance to make your voice heard on what issues you think elected officials should know about.
From history to science, arts to lifestyle, Vegas PBS is your home for quality shows, engaging community events, and reliable public service. It’s all possible thanks to you. We deeply treasure and appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you.
All the best,
Mary Mazur
Vegas PBS Leadership | Bios
Mary Mazur
President and General Manager
contactus@vegaspbs.org
Mary Mazur is President and General Manager of Vegas PBS and the first woman to lead the station in its 53-year history. In her position she oversees Vegas PBS’ overall strategic direction and the management of day-to-day affairs across all business units. She also serves as the executive director of the Southern Nevada Public Television (SNPT) Board of Directors. An award-winning television executive, Mazur was previously general manager of Arizona PBS. Under her leadership, Arizona PBS produced 120 hours of news content annually, and launched two new local programs, receiving multiple regional Emmy nominations and awards.
Prior to joining Arizona PBS, Mazur was executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based KCETLink Media Group. There, she oversaw KCET’s move to a new state-of-the-art facility and was a member of the executive team that guided the successful merger between KCET and LinkTV to form the KCETLink Media Group.
Mazur was the executive producer for KCET’s nationally distributed programs A Place of Our Own and its Spanish language companion Los Niños en SuCasa. Under her direction as chief content officer for KCET, the station received more than 380 awards for programming, including four George Foster Peabody Awards and three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. Mazur herself is the recipient of two Peabody Awards, a duPont Award and a regional Emmy Award. Prior to joining KCETLink Media Group, Mazur was senior vice president of series development at Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, and prior to that served in a similar role at Patchett Kaufman Entertainment. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Mazur also has worked in program development for both the NBC and CBS networks.
Dr. Niki Bates
Education Services and Business Development Director
emsinfo@vegaspbs.org
Dr. Niki Bates is the Director of Education Services and Business Development. In her position, Dr. Bates provides supervision, strategic direction and innovative leadership for the station’s educational outreach beyond the broadcast and unique services that have been developed to assist Nevada’s public, private, charter and home schools, such as: a media library for families with special needs; early learning parent engagement workshops; teacher training and online classroom materials; K-12 programs and initiatives; and more. With more than 28 years of experience, Dr. Bates’ passion is education, and she is unwavering in her commitment to serving schools and the community. She holds a Master of Special Education degree and a Doctoral Educational Leadership degree with a minor in curriculum development. Dr. Bates also holds an executive certificate in leadership and management.
Natalie Cullen
Program Development, Acquisitions and Scheduling Director
ncullen@vegaspbs.org
Natalie Cullen is the Director of Program Development, Acquisitions and Scheduling. She is responsible for content development and production across all platforms. She also oversees the broadcast schedule and acquisitions. Previously, Cullen was the executive producer for “Nevada Week.” Before working at Vegas PBS, she spent several years as the online editor for Nevada Public Radio. Prior to that, she spent 20 years at KLAS-TV Channel 8 in Las Vegas. While there, she produced almost every newscast at the station, along with special projects, and served as the morning show executive producer.
Cullen received her degree in broadcast journalism from Brigham Young University.
Brandon Merrill
Fiscal Management Director
contactus@vegaspbs.org
Brandon Merrill is the Fiscal Management Director. Merrill is responsible for all aspects of fiscal management including budgeting, financial reporting, grant management and compliance with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). He has worked in both the private and public sector with a significant understanding of both GASB and FASB reporting. Merrill graduated from Southern Utah University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and continued his education at Arizona State University, receiving his Master of Business Administration. He has been with Vegas PBS since 2011 and with the Clark County School District since 2005. Merrill and his wife are the lucky parents to six beautiful daughters and one son. He enjoys spending time with his family, being in the outdoors, being actively involved with his community and church, and seems to always be working on a home improvement project.
Debra Solt
Workforce Training and Economic Development Director
workforce@vegaspbs.org
Debra Solt is the Director of Workforce Training and Economic Development. In her position, Solt manages the station’s high stakes testing center which proctors exams for licensed occupations, high school completion and job qualifications. As part of the station’s workforce initiative, her department’s programs add capacity to Vegas PBS’ existing workforce system by offering candidates the choice to complete online programs. Solt is known nationally and internationally as a specialist in partnering with business and industry for the development and implementation of customized workforce programs that produce measurable results for clients and the community-at-large. Prior to joining Vegas PBS, Solt spent over fourteen years in higher education in Nevada and Washington State.
John Turner
Chief of Broadcast Operations and Emergency Response
engineering@vegaspbs.org
John Turner is the Chief of Broadcast Operations and Emergency Response systems. Turner supervises all informational technology, engineering and emergency response functions. He also directs technical planning and the direction of Vegas PBS’ broadcast systems. Turner is an Emmy award winning television manager with over 30 years in commercial television news. Turner has received Emmy and Telly awards for his news coverage during the Persian Gulf War, Los Angeles riots, Northridge Earthquake, trial of O.J. Simpson and Hurricane Katrina. He previously worked at KLAS-TV as the Assistant Chief Engineer and Director of News Operations, as well as for KVVU-TV as the Assistant Chief Engineer. Turner holds a Master of Forensic Psychology degree from the University of Southern California. He sits on the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) as the media representative and co-chairs the PIO position. He has also served as a Reserve Police Officer for the Boulder City Police, staff at Disney Parks, and Technical Director for the Rams football team and Angels baseball team.