elizabeth laval
professional experience
FRESNO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Fresno, California April 2019 to Present President
Promoted from Strategic Planning Specialist in September 2019. Leading 100-year-old organization with staff of eight into a new century. Provide critical leadership in fulfilling the organizational mission to collect, preserve and share the history of Fresno County. Oversee the historic site at Kearney Ranch including the Kearney Mansion. Direct all Archives Management, Fundraising and Educational Services. Provide vision for organizational growth and an innovative approach to delivering the mission and service to the community. Act as the face of the organization. Meet all budget requirements annually.
VALLEYPBS, Fresno, California January 2012 to March 2019 Senior Vice President for Development & Content
Promoted from Chief Development Officer in 2014. Oversees all development and production activity for ValleyPBS. Manage staff of 15 in two departments. Provide strategic direction for the station. Develop and maintain station production and fundraising budgets. Modernized departments to encompass changing technologies and audiences.
Development
Supervises all fundraising activities including: underwriting, major giving, membership/pledge, direct mail, renewals, and production funding. Oversees all web and digital operations including social media. Guarantees grant deliverables for projects involving on-air and/or online components as well as budget adherence and reporting.
Content
Responsible to secure all production funding for local content development both through sponsorship, individual giving and grant funds. Act as the primary grant-writer for production and development projects for the station. Responsible for overseeing content on four channels including on-air production and development activities. Works with consultant to develop monthly programming schedule. Personally, works to develop and produce new specials/series for ValleyPBS annually.
Pop Laval Foundation, Fresno, CA 2005 to Present Chairman of the Board/Curator/Photographic Historian
Responsible for overseeing the restoration of the Pop Laval Photographic and Film Archive, the largest Collection of its kind in the United States. Personally devised methodology for scanning, restoring and archiving the Collection. Supervise volunteer staff. Secured grant awards from the Fresno Regional Foundation, the Fresno Arts Council and the California State Library. Initiate d and organized fundraising activities and events. Designed and oversaw production of Foundation merchandise and orders for photographs. Oversee website. Manage Pop Laval Foundation Facebook page. Created DVD and television content including: visuals, scripts and production.
Made public appearances and speeches on behalf of the Foundation. Appeared in weekly segment on KMPH TV over five years.
elizabeth laval
grant awards
• National Parks Service Grant (2015); $373,000 award for Documentary Production
• WETA Community Engagement Grant—The Vietnam War (2016):
$10,000 award for Engagement Events
• WGBH Local Content Grant—RARE: Creatures of the Photo Ark (2017): $10,000 award for local production
• CPB Outreach Grant—Brown Buffalo (2017):$10,000 award to support community outreach
• California State Library—CA Civil Liberties Public Information Program; $100,000 award to conduct and air three Civil Liberty Community Conversations on Japanese Internment and modern-day issues
• Central Valley Community Foundation (2017); $35,000 award for Stories of Service highlighting Veterans
• Central Valley Community Foundation (2018); $27,500 award for public awareness program to prevent child abuse
• WNET Local Content Grant —Nature: Spring LIVE (2018); $25,000 award to train citizen scientist in the Central Valley and produce companion film for broadcast on ValleyPBS
• PBS Local Content Grant —Native America (2018); $10,000 award to conduct community engagement activity in the Native American Community.
production funding awards
• Funding for Tapped Out: The History & Battle over Water in the San Joaquin Valley; $140,000 raised from individual donors • Funding for four seasons of Valley’s Gold; $175,000 per year • Funding for Silent Sacrifice: The Story of Japanese American Incarceration in California’s Central Valley and Beyond; $300,000 raised in local matching funds
professional and volunteer organizations
• Member (2019 – present) Greater Fresno Alliance of Museums and Educational Sites
• Member (2019 – present) Italian American Museum Committee • Member (2019 – present) Clovis 101 Musuem Committee
• Member (2013 – 2017) PBS Revenue Innovation Council
• Member (2016 – present) PBS National Veterans Advisory Council • Board Member (2013 – 2019) Community Media Access
Collaborative
• Committee Member (2008–2011) Fresno Assembly Center
Memorial & Pinedale Assembly Center Remembrance Plaza
• Working Member (2005 – 2006) Fresno County Sesquicentennial Committee
producing credits
Executive Producer, Long Form
Documentaries
• Silent Sacrifice, The Story of Japanese
American Incarceration in California’s
Central Valley and Beyond
• Valley of Hope, The Armenian Journey from
Terror to Triumph
• As Pop Saw It
Executive Producer, On-Going Series
• Valley’s Gold (five seasons)
• ValleyPBS Community Conversations
Co-Executive Producer, Mini Series
• Outside with Greg Aiello
• Tapped Out: This History and Battel Over
Water in the San Joaquin Valley
on-air talent credits
Fundraising Talent
Pledge Host for numerous fundraising
programs on ValleyPBS
Valley’s Gold Talent
On-camera historian/expert for Valley’s Gold
(four seasons)
KMPH News
Hosted weekly segments for morning show
(five years)
publishing credits
Authored five books including:
Early Valley Treasures, The Fresno Fair,
Sunnyside Country Club at 100 Years, Fresno
Athletic Hall of Fame’s 50th Anniversary
Edition and Celebrating the Journey
awards & recognitions
• Native Daughters of the Golden West
California Image Award—2008
• PBS Development Award for incorporation
of new engagement activities resulting in
increased giving—2015
• TELLY Award: Lighting Craft, Promotional—
2017
• EMMY Award: Silent Sacrifice – 2019
• EMMY Award: Outside with Greg Aiello –
2019
• EMMY Award: Outside: Beyond the Lens –
2020