Laura Savini VP marketing and communications for WLIW21 New York Public Television Laura Savini is the vice president of marketing and communications for WLIW21 New York Public Television. She manages the marketing, communications, fundraising, outreach, graphics and instructional television departments of the station. She is responsible for raising $6 million each year for WLIW21. Ms. Savini is a familiar face as the host of the station's on-air fundraising campaigns and weekly interview program, "Metro Guide." She has hosted many PBS national pledge events. . In March 2002 she hosted the acclaimed national PBS special "The Best of Sarah Brightman: Classics" from Europe with Ms. Brightman. In June 2002 she spent two weeks in Italy co-hosting a new series on wine. That month she also interviewed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan in Dublin for PBS. Never one to slow down, in September she was in Guadalajara on a Mariachi project for PBS, then on to San Francisco to interview Tony Bennett under the Golden Gate Bridge. In April 2001 she was one of only seven American women invited to participate in Global Forum: Women and Power, held by the Women's Federation for World Peace, as a guest of Taiwan's Vice President Annette Lu. The goal of the conference was to provide inspiring examples to empower the next generation of women in an on-going effort to promote gender equality that transcends national borders. A cum laude graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Ms. Savini has extensive experience in marketing communications having worked with Manhattan agencies Dan Klores and Associates, Fleishman-Hillard, and Pezzano + Company/Dorf & Stanton. Her client list has included Hershey USA, Lever Brothers, Ralston Purina, Pictionary, The Hit Factory and many others. WLIW21's commitment to ethnic programming, with an emphasis on Italian-American productions, has provided the opportunity for her to become closely associated with and involved in the Italian-American community. She was the past president of the National Organization of Italian American Women and is a frequent guest speaker at other service and social organizations in New York City and Long Island. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Italian American Museum. She has been honored with: May 1999 by the National Association of Italian American Women with their Rising Star Award. May 2000 by The Sons of Italy. 2001 Recipient of the ll Leone di San Marco Award from The Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of The Bronx and Westchester. October 2001 as the Grand Marshall of the Westchester County Columbus Day Parade. Grand Marshall in the White Plains Sons of Italy Columbus Day Parade. October 2002 as the Grand Marshall of the Long Island Columbus Day Parade. She was named Women of the Year by the Italian Charities of America, Inc., October 2002. Her hometown of Massapequa has added her to its Hall of Fame in 2002, an honor of which she is very proud. Fieri New York honored Ms. Savini in April 2003. Ms. Savini has served on the community advisory boards of Telicare, the television station of the diocese of Rockville Centre, and Help for the Poor. http://www.wliw.org/ back to our guests ... Print-Version