PBS Fort Wayne has named veteran nonprofit fundraising leader Carolyn Bean as its new Director of Development.
PBS Fort Wayne news release:
PBS Fort Wayne Names Carolyn Bean Director of Development
Fort Wayne, Indiana (June 9, 2026) – PBS Fort Wayne has named veteran nonprofit fundraising leader Carolyn Bean as its new Director of Development, a key leadership position responsible for advancing the station’s philanthropic fundraising efforts and strengthening relationships with donors across Northeast Indiana.
In her new role, Bean will oversee all fundraising initiatives for PBS Fort Wayne, including membership programs, major gifts, foundation support, corporate partnerships, capital campaigns, and planned giving.
Bean brings more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience to PBS Fort Wayne. Throughout her career, she has held development and executive leadership positions with some of the region’s most respected organizations, including Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Camp Red Cedar, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Her expertise spans annual giving, major donor cultivation, grant writing, sponsorship development, strategic planning, and donor stewardship.
“We are thrilled to welcome a leader of Carolyn’s caliber to the PBS Fort Wayne team,” said Ed Leon, President and CEO of PBS Fort Wayne. “Her local experience, leadership, and passion for community impact make her the ideal person to amplify our development efforts; work that is more important than ever now that PBS Fort Wayne is 100 percent community funded.”
The appointment comes at a pivotal time for PBS Fort Wayne as the organization continues to expand its local programming and community engagement efforts.
“I’m incredibly excited to join PBS Fort Wayne and return to a fundraising role focused on building relationships and connecting people to a mission that truly speaks to my heart,” said Bean. “Public media enriches lives through education, storytelling, and community engagement. I look forward to helping ensure that PBS Fort Wayne continues to serve and inspire Northeast Indiana for generations to come.”
Bean holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Art History from Indiana University Bloomington.
About PBS Fort Wayne
PBS Fort Wayne is the northeast Indiana region’s only locally owned and operated full power television service and its only public television resource. Totally locally funded, PBS Fort Wayne broadcasts six channels, 24 hours a day: Its main channel on 39.1; PBS KIDS on channel 39.2; Create TV on channel 39.3; The WORLD Channel on channel 39.4 (Documentaries, international news, public affairs, arts and culture programming), PBSFWx on channel 39.5, providing our region’s only freely broadcast National Weather Service Doppler radar, weather warnings and National Weather Service audio, and finally, channel 39.6, providing a live broadcast of the Allen County Public Library’s Audio Reading Service. In addition, PBS Fort Wayne live streams its main channel (39.1), channel 39.2-PBS KIDS, channel 39.3/CreateTV, and now, 39.5/PBSFWx and the NHK network in the northeast Indiana region on its website,
