JEFFREY STONE

An involved community leader with a history of philanthropy, Jeffrey began his involvement with Houston Public Television in 1992 as a donor and ‘on-air talent’ during pledge drives, where he thrived in the positive and creative atmosphere.

Joining the board of The Association for Community Television in 1999, he moved quickly into a leadership position, creating ‘Break for 8’ for HoustonPBS in 2002, and chairing the event in 2002 and 2004. The successful Sporting Clays fundraiser has become one of Houston’s finest events of its type, growing from $41,000 at inception to $144,000 in 2011.

Elected President of ACT in 2003, Jeffrey saw the need for stable long-term funding for Houston Public Television, and was instrumental in securing permission from its dual licensee, the University of Houston, for the creation of a ground breaking independent endowment for Houston Public Broadcasting.

While Chairing the Leadership Team and member of the Core planning Team of Houston Public Broadcasting’s two year Strategic Planning Process, Jeffrey used his vision and leadership skills in conjunction with key decision makers, to complete the seamless integration of the two distinct entities of HoustonPBS TV and Houston Public Radio for the purpose of fundraising.

He led the process for renaming ACT, the 35 year old support organization, and initiated the search for and hiring of companies for creation of its new logo, Board communications strategy, and training process.

As Chair of the new Association for Community Broadcasting (ACB), he revamped and restated Board development goals, and recruitment/retention procedures, and in the process, reorganized, repopulated, and reinvigorated his Board from an inactive Community Advisory group to a Fundraising Organization capable of launching and sustaining an endowment campaign and ongoing fundraising activities.

Completing his Executive Officer service in 2007 as Chair, Jeffrey presided over the successful organization of, and steering committee selection for, the new independent ACB endowment benefiting programming for Houston Public Broadcasting.

He has led numerous Board delegations to Washington, D.C. to lobby for continued CPB funding, and has initiated a local dialogue to maintain close contact with their U.S. Senate and Congressional delegations, also serving the Association for Public Television Stations as a member of the Advisory Committee for Capitol Hill Day 2008 and 2009.

Jeffrey is currently employing his knowledge and experience serving APTS as a Lay Trustee, and as a speaker to nonprofit fund raising boards.