Where Your Joy and the World's Needs Meet
Richard Bland, MTS '03, executive VP and chief development/communications officer at WETA/PBS News Hour, encourages students searching for a vocation to pay attention to where their joy and the needs of the world meet.
Richard Bland, MTS '03
Executive Vice President, Chief Development and Communications Officer, WETA/PBS News Hour (Washington DC)
View more stories on HDS alumni and their career paths.
Describe the work you do today:
I lead all external functions of the second largest PBS station in the nation. This includes raising $140M per year, and overseeing all Communications.
A little background: PBS stations produce all of the content seen on the 330 stations. Therefore, WETA is proud to be the second largest producer in in the nation. We produce or co-produce the NewsHour, all Ken Burns films, Prof. Henry Louis Gates films/series, and many others -- all of which comprises our national productions.
Locally we run five TV stations and WETA Classical, the number one Classical NPR station in the country.
How has your HDS degree influenced your career journey?
My time at HDS was most influenced by Rev. Peter Gomes, Diana Eck, Harvey Cox, David Little, and David Carrasco. My effort to stay in touch and help HDS grads is a very small part of thanking them!
What career advice would you offer to current HDS students?
Use Frederick Buechner's definition to find your vocation: "Where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I did. And it has served me well.