When Ellen Nussbaum took a tour several years ago of the GBH
headquarters, she recalled, “My head exploded—I had no idea about all the content that GBH creates. I had always thought of GBH as just a broadcaster.”
In that moment, she made a decision. “I was all in—I wanted to support all of GBH’s programs, like the ones that reach people with disabilities and children in underprivileged areas.”
Her husband Al Grusby was all in as well. “I’m a huge fan of FRONTLINE. I think I have seen every episode. Whenever it comes on, I get really excited.”
Ellen, a Beacon Circle patron, starts most of her mornings with Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel on GBH’s Morning Edition.
“I hear different perspectives that I might not find elsewhere,” she said. “I like their willingness to ask lots of questions. I feel like they’re learning in the same way that I am.”
Public media has a special role in today’s world, she said. “It’s one of the most balanced media sources and it widens my lens. That’s the job of public media—to not just spoon-feed to listeners what we want to hear.”
Their sons Daniel and David, now in high school, were avid GBH viewers when they were children. “I’m always looking for ways to bring them back in,” said Ellen. “How can we engage teenagers and get them started on a lifetime of public media consumption?”
Al, who owns a home improvement company, said he appreciates the diversity of events that are available to donors. “We get something back,” he said. “We feel like we’re getting a return on our investment in GBH.”
Ellen, who has worked at tech companies and is now a leadership development consultant, became a member of the GBH Board of Advisors in 2018 and loves the insider access it affords her.
“It’s given me a deeper appreciation of the thoughtfulness that goes into GBH content. GBH people care deeply about telling important stories and making them fair and accurate, meaningful and impactful,” she said. “There’s pride in being connected to an organization like GBH that is making a huge difference.”
Contact Senior Development Officer Anne Standley at anne_standley@wgbh.org for more information about joining the Beacon Circle and learn more here.
