ARLINGTON, VA; May 17, 2023 – Today, PBS named Maryland Public Television Vice President of Development Linda Taggart as the recipient of the 2023 C. Scott Elliott Development Professional of the Year Award. The award was established in 1990 in memory of Scott Elliott, who raised more than $100 million for PBS member stations in Detroit, Buffalo, and Cincinnati over the course of his career.
“We are delighted to present Linda with this award that represents the highest level of professional achievement in the public broadcasting development community,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. “Throughout her extraordinary career, Linda’s dedicated passion and leadership has made a lasting impact on her station and the entire public media system.”
Linda Taggart has served multiple public television stations during her more than 40-year career. She joined MPT as an assistant producer in 1981 and quickly worked her way to becoming a producer. After an 8-year turn as Senior Director, On-Air Fundraising at WQED, she returned to MPT and was eventually promoted to her current leadership position overseeing all institutional fundraising efforts. Linda works tirelessly to make MPT successful and raise the fortunes of all in public TV through her dynamic leadership, passion, generosity, and innovation. Her commitment to evolving fundraising initiatives, honing and sharing best practices, and cultivating new public media leaders has been integral to the success of the industry and will have a lasting impact.
The C. Scott Elliott Award is part of the PBS Development Awards, which recognizes member stations for outstanding corporate support, membership, and philanthropy efforts in local communities. Among the previous winners of the C. Scott Elliott Award are Tom Karlo, Jon Abbott, Tom Axtell, Don Derheim, Glenn Fisher, Kent Geist, Paula Kerger, Paige Meriwether, Dan Metziga, Russ Peotter, David Preston, Lisa Tait, Mel Waggoner, Earl Blauner, Sue Ellen Stuebing, Rob Hilbert, Becky Magura, Maura Daly Phinney, and Winifred Lenihan – who was last year’s winner.
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