WHRO Management
Bert Schmidt
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bert Schmidt joined WHRO as its President and Chief Executive Officer in May of 2007, following five years as President and General Manager of WVPT in Harrisonburg. He is the current chairman of the Virginia Association of Public Television Stations, serves on the board of the National Educational Telecommunications Association and the Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations, and is a past chair of the Public Broadcasting Management Association.
Bert holds a BS in accounting and finance (with honors) from Alfred University, a law degree (with honors) from Syracuse University College of Law and an MBA (with honors) from Syracuse University School of Management. Prior to coming to Virginia, he was Executive Vice President of WCNY-TV/FM in Syracuse, New York, the Vice President of Mark R. Switz, Inc., and a tax attorney with Price Waterhouse.
While at the Harrisonburg station, he developed and served as executive producer of eleven local television productions, including Consider This, recognized as the best public television news program by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters; Virginia Viewpoints, a local panel discussion of regional and national topics; and Miller Center Forums, weekly lectures from the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs, which is directed by former Governor Gerald L. Baliles. He’s the recipient of numerous other awards from the Virginia Association of Broadcasters, a Telly award, the Public Broadcasting Management Association’s Award of Excellence and the Virginia Farm Bureau’s Journalism Award.
Bert welcomes comments and questions from WHRO’s listening and viewing audiences, as well as area educators, and invites them to email him at bert.schmidt@whro.org.
Brian Callahan
Chief Education Officer
Brian Callahan is Chief Education Officer at WHRO-TV in Norfolk, Virginia. Originally from the “Industrial Midwest” -Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago - Brian is a former classroom teacher with more than 23 years experience utilizing technology in education from primary through post-secondary settings. He has made hundreds of presentations nationwide on educational technology issues and innovations and currently makes his home in Virginia Beach.
In his current role, Brian is responsible for a variety of state and regional educational technology products and services, most notably Virginia’s PBS TeacherLine - a statewide online teacher training program featuring more than 150 research-based courses at every grade level in most every subject; the Virtual Virginia Advanced Placement School operations center, serving more than 3,500 students annually across the Commonwealth with dozens of AP and world language courses; the Hampton Roads Virtual Learning Center, providing online core courses to 18 school divisions in southeastern Virginia; and Virginia’s Community of Anytime Knowledge, a statewide, non-commercial, online professional development service.
Brian attended Grove City College and Kent State University and holds Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Education degrees.
Bobbie Fisher
Chief Communications Officer
Bobbie Fisher joined the staff of WHRO in June of 1996. She was named Community Relations Manager in January 2002, Director of Corporate Communications in 2005 and Chief Communications Officer in 2008.
Bobbie was a founding member of the Chrysler Museum Actors Theatre, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Norfolk Little Theatre, the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, the Women’s Center Advisory Group of Tidewater Community College, the Norfolk Host Lions Club and The TOWN Foundation (a philanthropic foundation dedicated to the advancement of education), and the Feldman Chamber Music Society. She is currently a member of the Board of the Virginia Conference for Inclusive Communities (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews).
Bobbie attended Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion College (now ODU). While a student at Old Dominion, Bobbie served on the staff of The Gadfly, the college's literary magazine. She has written for Hampton Roads Newcomer magazine; Hampton Roads Monthly; Connections, the publication of The Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads; and the alumni magazine of Regent University. She has been a reader for the WHRO Voice radio reading service for 23 years.
She is married to Randy Fisher, a violist/music educator.
John J. Heimerl
Chief Enterprise Officer
John Heimerl has spent 4 decades in media, beginning with 5 years in Educational Broadcasting, Radio and Television, at York High School, Yorktown, Virginia, and the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He also worked in historical productions such as “the Lost Colony” where he served as Technical Assistant, Sound Director, and Assistant Lighting Director in the late 1960’s. He was the recipient of the Virginia Association of Broadcasters annual Scholarship award to augment his studies. He then built and programmed radio stations and cable TV systems and produced radio programming for 15 years in diverse markets such as Norfolk, Chattanooga, Richmond, Huntsville, Charleston and Pittsburgh. In 1981 he was one of the founding partners of Video Wizards, a video production company which specialized in early productions for cable including commercial and non-commercial programs and interstitials. In 1984 he launched Fine Tuning Associates, an independent technical services company which maintained and built both radio and TV technical facilities in the Eastern and Central United States.
After the sale of both companies, in 1993 John returned to educational broadcasting at WHRO, where his roles have included Chief Transmission Engineer, Chief Technical Officer, General Manager, and Chief Enterprise Officer. He was awarded the Jerry Freeman Award for Technical Excellence in 1997 by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. His executive production credits at WHRO include the Emmy-nominated “Civil War in Hampton Roads- 1861”, “Jamestown 2007- Founding of America” to be released nationwide in October, and live local TV remote specials such as “After BRAC: What Now for Ft. Monroe?”. He serves on the Board of the Tidewater Chapter 54 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
Barbara Hamm Lee
Chief Community Engagement Officer
Barbara Hamm Lee has served as WHRO’s Chief Community Engagement Officer since January, 2008. She is responsible for local television productions and programming. She is the executive producer and host of Another View, a program that examines issues of particular interest to the African- American community in Hampton Roads, and airs on WHRO-TV 15/digital 15.1. She also serves as back-up host for HearSay, the award winning noon talk show heard on 89.5WHRV-FM.
Barbara joined WHRO as Chief Communications Officer in March, 2006. In that capacity, she was responsible for all aspects of station communications, and had charge of television programming and community outreach as well.
Prior to joining WHRO, Barbara served as Director of Corporate Communications for Communications Technologies, Inc., Chantilly, Virginia. She has also directed the Office of Communications of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and was owner of Hamm & Fox Communications, Inc., a media relations firm based in Norfolk specializing in crisis media management, media training, marketing and community outreach. Throughout her career, she has been a media consultant to commercial institutions, military and non-profit organizations in and around Hampton Roads. She is a former Director of Station Relations and News Director for WTKR TV, the CBS affiliate in the Hampton Roads area. Barbara began her media career with the NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. She also served in management positions for television stations in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA.
Barbara is very active in the community, currently serving as a board member for the Hermitage Museum and Samaritan House. She was appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Fire Services Board (2007-2009); and is a former board member of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia, Youth Entertainment Studios and the Governor’s School for the Arts Foundation. Barbara was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the YWCA in 2010.
Barbara proudly received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Bennett College in 1978 (summa cum laude). She is a member of Queen Street Baptist Church in Norfolk, is married to Maxie A. Lee, and has two daughters and a granddaughter. She enjoys reading, public speaking, and spending time with family and friends.
Virginia Thumm
Chief Development Officer
Virginia has been with WHRO since August 2004 and has a strong history of experience as a senior manager in non-profit organizations, including extensive fundraising experience.
Prior to joining WHRO, Virginia served as Director of Development of the Virginia Symphony. She served nearly seven years as Executive Director of the Governor’s School for the Arts Foundation; and as Senior Executive Consultant for the Kellogg Organization, where she was resident consultant on the Virginia Zoo’s capital campaign. In addition, she is a past Director of Development for both the Virginia Opera and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York.
A native of Norfolk, she has served on many area non-profit boards, including the Governor’s School for the Arts Foundation, where she currently serves as President. She is an alumnus of the CIVIC Leadership Institute and a member of the vestry of St. Andrew’s Church in Norfolk.
WHRO Boards of Directors
Governing Board | Honorary Directors | Community Advisory Group
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Barry Pollara, Chair
Kirkland M. Kelley, Vice Chair
Conway H. Sheild, Secretary
David Brashear, Treasurer
Bert Schmidt, President
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Dr. Carol S. Beers
Nancy Branch
Colin G. Campbell
Arthur L. Collins
Kathryn Copeland
Gerald S. Divaris
Jack L. Ezzell
Michael Green
Cassandra Greene
Philip Hatchett
Phyllis Henry
David Iwans
Barbara Johnsen
Ernest Lendman
Henry D. Light
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Dr. Milton Liverman
Dr. Gary Mathews
Rondra J. Matthews
Peter M. Meredith, Jr.
Dr. James Merrill
Tom Mountjoy
Charles W. Moorman
Charles E. Penn
Anita O. Poston
Ronald K. Ritter
Dr. Robert M. Rubin
Dr. S. Keith Sutton
Dr. William E. Ward
Michael W. Wendel
Dr. Elizabeth L. Young
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Patsy C. Blackwell
Raymond B. Bottom, Jr.
Harrol A. Brauer
Jean C. Bruce
Joshua P. Darden
John A. Fahey
William M. Grace |
Lois S. Hornsby
W. MacKenzie Jenkins, Jr.
Frederick V. Martin
Dr. McKinley Price
Joyce H. Strelitz
Vincent J Thomas
Dr. G. William Whitehurst |
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Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander
Bev Sell
Rabbi Michael Panitz
Dr. S. Dawn Goldstine
Betty Wade Coyle
Richard E. Hoehlein
Joanna K. Schlabaugh
Denise Goode
Christine Royster Jones
Bruce Ebert
Missy Schmidt
Shelia Barber
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The WHRO Board of Directors represents the broadest possible spectrum of the geographically and demographically diverse region of Hampton Roads. We welcome nominations from the public to fill vacancies on the board as they occur. Please forward nominations to Bobbie Fisher, WHRO’s Chief Communications Officer, at bobbie.fisher@whro.org, including a brief resume of the nominee and contact information. All nominations will be presented to the Chairman of the Governance/Nominating Committee.