Officers and Executive Board

John Donahue – President

John plays an essential role in NCTV’s history, current operations, and future direction

John began his journey with NCTV in 2009 as a volunteer, initially recording Newington High School performances featuring his son and sharing them with the station. His contributions grew as he consistently submitted footage and, while immersed in event preparations, he expressed interest in more ways to help. 

He was soon asked to take charge of scheduling, a vastly different task years back when the station relied on ten VCRs, requiring multiple tape changes each week. His involvement deepened as he explored studio and field productions, ultimately becoming an Audio Engineer. 

John’s key contributions as an NCTV officer include: 

• Implementing the CASTUS digital broadcasting system 

• Overseeing the transition from the old town hall to the new facility, managing to keep the station off-air for just four hours throughout the entire relocation 

• Led NCTV’s rapid adaptation to remote broadcasting during the COVID pandemic. “We were quick to respond and became one of the first public access stations to resume essential government and community programming,” John noted. 

NCTV serves as a vital connection to the Newington community for John, who often acts as a spokesperson for the organization. As President, he receives both praise and criticism but is eager to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of other volunteers. “Running NCTV is truly a collaborative effort,” John emphasized. Among all that he values about NCTV, John said that the friendships and relationships he’s built over time stand out the most. 

Beyond NCTV, John enjoys spending time with his wife Linda, their dog Kimber, and their cats, Rufus and Jazzy. He takes great pride in his two sons—William, who holds a PhD in Medical Physics and works at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC, and Gavin, a shift leader at Wieland living in Salem, CT.

John also dedicates time to Scout Troop 347 and currently chairs the Republican Town Committee. 

Brendon LaChance – 1^st Vice President/Programming

Brendon loves being part of the community 

Brendon became a member of NCTV as a teenager back in 2000 when the studio was on Welles Drive North. His brother, a dedicated volunteer, encouraged him to join the organization. After taking a break of about four years for college, he has been involved ever since. “Growing up in Newington, I feel lucky to be able to contribute to the community and to NCTV in the town where I spent my childhood,” he shared.

His ongoing involvement is largely due to his fascination with public access programming and the wide array of content that community members create and share with our town, he mentioned. As 1st Vice President/Programming, Brendon has appreciated the opportunities he’s had to help shape the organization’s infrastructure, especially during the early renovations at the Welles Drive North Studio. “It’s rewarding to think about how much this organization has achieved,” he remarked. In his programming role, he enjoys showcasing the content submitted by residents and fostering a strong connection to the community.

Although the world has changed since he first got involved, community television remains vital and relevant. The public access platform serves as a cornerstone for our community, allowing Newington residents to present their independent programs to a wider audience, Brendon explained. Looking ahead, he anticipates a shift toward streaming and on-demand programming. “We’re already seeing signs of this trend, and I think it will become even more significant in the coming years,” he noted.

Brendon’s life is quite busy with his wife and their four children, who range from elementary to high school age, along with four dogs. Yet, in all the chaos, he feels grateful. “With how hectic my work and family life can get, I truly value the moments I get to spend with my wife and kids whenever I can,” he said.

Paul Glotzer – Treasurer

Paul Glotzer is ready for anything as a volunteer

Paul is always ready to jump where he’s needed as a volunteer. He came on board with NCTV right after it kicked off and has been a dedicated member ever since, except for a six-year period when he worked and commuted to Norwalk.  

With a long-standing love for photography and video, joining NCTV was the ideal way for him to explore those interests further. As a Certified Public Accountant, it wasn’t long before he was tapped for the Treasurer’s role, a position he has held for most of his time with Newington Community Television. 

He and his family have been deeply involved in the community, with three kids in the Newington school system keeping them busy with Cub Scouts, sports, band, and many more. Both he and his wife often took on leadership positions—while Paul served as NCTV’s Treasurer, his wife was a Cub Scout den mother and Band Booster President. They both coached their kids’ Little League teams, helped out at football games, and participated in fundraising events for the high school band. Since they were often at these events, Paul decided to merge his interests by volunteering to record them, which sparked his journey into shooting video and editing for broadcast. 

Paul has stayed connected with NCTV over the years because he appreciates the service that community access television provides. “It’s such a great resource for Newington residents to stay informed about what’s going on in town,” he shared. 

Sandy Austin Goldstein – Secretary

Sandy’s interest in NCTV is boundless

Sandy became involved with NCTV in 2014, after a conversation with her son who had asked her randomly about what she had wanted to do when she grew up-and one of her desires was to be involved with broadcasting. This got her thinking about possibilities and she went to an NCTV meeting to see what it was all about and has been an active member ever since and she has served as Secretary for the majority of that time.

One of the things she enjoys doing at NCTV is organizing and planning parties, events, trips and Leadership Summits for NCTV, which led to her interest and producing and directing. One of the highlights of her volunteer career was when a project she produced and directed, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) called, “Alcohol Poisoning: When Drinking Turns Dangerous” won First Place honors from the prestigious Alliance for Community Media (ACM) for the Nor’Easter award (New England) and Hometown Media award (national level). The PSA was a joint effort between Newington Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and NCTV volunteers and it was shown to over 15,000 high school students in their homerooms. It was also a family affair, as her son Jason was a co-writer and her son Jared was a Production Assistant on the set. She went out to the ACM annual meeting in Chicago with fellow NCTV volunteer and co-producer, Scott Allo, to receive the award.  

Sandy also enjoys fundraising for NCTV and has applied for and received grant funding, large and small, for the organization. She really likes working as a part of team and/or on behalf of the team and loves it when a plan comes together 🙂

Sandy also loves Big Sandwiches.

Open Elected Positions

2nd Vice President (Technical Operations)

Appointments

Membership (Open)

Public Relations Director (Open)

Legal Advisor (Open)

Elections are held at the Annual Meeting, typically the last Thursday of June.