Carla McCabe

What’s your current position?  How long have you been in this position?  Can you give me a brief overview of what it is you do in your work?

I am currently the President and CEO of WVIA, the PBS and NPR affiliate of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. I am coming up on my second anniversary!  I came to the station in June of 2020. Prior to that, I spent seven years at the PBS/NPR affiliate in Kansas City, MO.

As President and CEO of WVIA, it is my job to work with the executive team and lead the organization on all matters including strategic planning, content development, fundraising and development, budget oversight, human relations, technology, and community outreach.

What would you say most motivates you to do the work you do?  What are you most passionate about?

At WVIA, I believe our mission is to improve and enhance the quality of life in our region with education at the heart of our service. WVIA can use the power of media, television, radio, and online to improve lives. We don’t just want to measure how many people watch, listen, or stream our programs, we want to measure our success in how many lives we can impact, and how we can contribute to the quality of life in our region. Working in a field that can directly impact lives and communities is an important part of what motivates me and I am passionate about helping advance the region as a whole.

Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are?  Tell a bit about them and what they did that influenced you.

I am fortunate to have great mentors, Kliff Kuehl, CEO at Kansas City PBS, provided me with many opportunities in the broader public media system. I have many mentors back home in Ireland from my previous career at the BBC and within the independent production market. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me and always reminded me that there is a big world outside of Belfast. That support and belief system provided me the courage to take the leap and move to the States. I always said I would be a CEO before the age of forty and feel so happy to have made that dream a reality here in NEPA.

How did you learn about Leadership Lackawanna? In what class year and program did you participate? Describe your experience. How did the program affect you post-graduation? What has your involvement with leadership Lackawanna been post-graduation?

I participated in the Executive leadership program in 2021. I was referred by a few team members who had previously participated in Leadership Lackawanna courses. This program was particularly beneficial to me because I moved to the area a few months into the pandemic. It was extremely challenging for me to fully immerse myself into the local community during that time as I was unable to meet people in person. This program allowed me the opportunity to meet and engage with community leaders and I learned a great deal about the area as a result. I have since met many of the LL graduates in both a business and personal setting.