Florida Producer Joins Church Center
Episcopal News Service. September 21, 1983 [83173]
NEW YORK (DPS, Sept. 22) -- Whitney W. Smith, an independent audio-visual developer from Tampa, Fla., has been named television and audio-visual producer in the Communication office of the Episcopal Church Center.
Smith will be filling a position created after the retirement of Mrs. Robert (Magee) Andersen and in response to growing demands for visual and electronic communication throughout the Church. He was named to his post by Presiding Bishop John M. Allin after an extensive and nationwide search.
As producer, he will work directly with Sonia Francis, director of the Radio-TV/Audio-visual office and with the program units of the Church Center staff in the production of slide, audio, film, film-strip and video materials to support the educational and advocacy elements of the General Church Program. He will also have primary responsibility for the monthly half-hour video packages that the Office produces for nationwide cable broadcast by satellite in an ecumenical consortium.
Smith, a native of Wisconsin and a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., spent 15 years as a manager in engineering related fields before moving into media development work 12 years ago. He began that career with a stint as audio-visual production manager for a Tampa firm and then organized his own business "WhitComm".
In that business -- and as associate director of the Video Center of the Diocese of Southwest Florida -- he has worked as a "hands-on" producer of video, slide and multi-image programs for the last five years. Much of his work has been with church and community service organizations.
A lifelong Episcopalian, he is active in his local parish and has served on the diocesan standing committee, diocesan council, as a deputy to General Convention and a representative to statewide ecumenical and interfaith boards.