COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has announced the election of Sam Bush, Heather Cohen, Mike McVay and Ernesto Mourelo to its Board of Directors.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Sam, Heather, Mike and Ernesto to the LABF Board of Directors,” said co-chairs Heidi Raphael, Beasley Media Group chief communications officer, and Jack Goodman, a longtime Washington, D.C.-based communications attorney. “Their incredible leadership and vast experience are exactly what we need to continue our mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting radio and television broadcasting’s rich and incredible history.”
Executive Committee members elected to additional two-year terms include Gary Chapman, Mary Collins, Jack Goodman, David Kennedy, and Ginny Hubbard. Additionally, Dave “Chachi” Denes was elected to serve on the Executive Committee.
The following LABF Board members were elected to serve new three-year terms: Heather Birks, Mike Carter, Chandra Clark, Ginny Hubbard, Harry Jessell, Deborah Parenti, Walter Podrazik, Dan Spears, John Taylor, Joyce Tudryn, and Dennis Wharton.
Other current serving LABF board members include Pierre Bouvard, Sally Brown, April Carty-Sipp, Tony Coles, Mike Conway, John Dille, Erica Farber, Dr. Caroline Frick, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Jim Morley, Leo MacCourtney, Brian Phillips, Patsy Smullin, Jeff Smulyan and Julie Talbott.
Sam Bush is the executive vice president, treasurer, and chief financial officer of Saga Communications, a Nasdaq-listed media company dedicated to acquiring, developing and operating broadcast properties. Saga operates 114 stations across 28 U.S. communities with a growing focus on digital, e-commerce, and nontraditional revenue initiatives. Since joining Saga in 1997, Sam has held leadership roles, including vice president and treasurer, and was promoted to executive vice president last year. He also serves as vice chairman and head of the Human Resources Committee at Gleaners Community Food Bank and is a past chair of the Media Financial Management Association. He has degrees from the University of Indianapolis and Purdue University’s Krannert Graduate School of Management.
Heather Cohen is president of The Weiss Agency, a leading broadcast talent agency representing prominent local and syndicated personalities. Her illustrious career includes serving as vice president of programming at Greenstone Media, assistant program director at radio station WOR New York and executive producer of “The Joan Hamburg Show.” Cohen’s accolades include the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award from Talkers Magazine and being named one of Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio annually since 2014. She also co-chairs the Gracie Awards and serves on the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s board of directors. She holds a degree from Hofstra University, where she leads the executive board of its alumni organization.
Mike McVay is the president of McVay Media Consulting, a firm specializing in content creation, programming, syndication, podcasting, talent coaching and media training. With over four decades of experience, McVay has been executive vice president of content and programming for Cumulus Media and Westwood One and has launched numerous successful syndicated programs. A 2021 inductee into the West Virginia Broadcasters Hall of Fame, McVay serves on the boards of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and Country Radio Broadcasters and is a voting member of the Country Music Association and The Academy of Country Music. He was named to the LABF “Giants of Broadcasting” in 2024.
Ernesto Mourelo is vice president of digital news at Hearst Television, where he oversees digital content and distribution strategies across Hearst’s local stations. With a career that spans leadership roles in television and digital news, Mourelo manages Hearst’s national content production and video distribution across digital platforms, contributing significantly to the evolution of news delivery.
The LABF is the philanthropic arm of the Library of American Broadcasting, which houses the nation’s most extensive collection of broadcast history, policy, and tradition. The collection, preserved at the University of Maryland, includes historical documents, professional papers, oral and video histories, books, scripts, and photographs.
