Terry Dugas, GM for WyomingPBS, will retire from the state network this fall.
Dugas’ last day with the organization, which is licensed to Central Wyoming College in Riverton, is Sept. 1. WyomingPBS has begun its search for a CEO as successor.
“Terry has been an exceptional leader for Wyoming PBS,” said Central Wyoming College President Brad Tyndall in a news release. “I’ve admired his servant leadership and his dedication to creating quality programming, coverage and educational content that helps bring the people of Wyoming together. For Central Wyoming College, the location host for WPBS, Terry has been a valued member of my President’s Cabinet. He has contributed much wisdom and I’m personally grateful to him.”
Dugas joined WyomingPBS in 2015 when he succeeded Ruby Calvert, who retired and now serves as vice chair of the CPB board of directors. Dugas led the organization through job cuts triggered by state funding decreases in 2016 and 2020.
Dugas previously worked as manager of content distribution for NET Television in Lincoln, Neb., now known as Nebraska Public Media. He joined the Nebraska network in 2001 as manager of learning services.
Earlier in his career he was associate director of WGCU-TV, the Fort Myers PBS affiliate. He also spent 10 years in commercial television management in South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Virginia.
Dugas became a board member of the Small Station Association in 2020.
“The local and national programs produced by Wyoming PBS’ talented staff, the hundreds of hours of debates and legislative hearings, the many, many learning objects and lesson plans created for our teachers have made a difference in the lives of the people of Wyoming,” said Dugas in the news release. “It has been an honor to work with the staff over the past eight years telling Wyoming’s stories.”
Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously reported that Dugas oversaw WyomingPBS’ acquisition via donation of KGWC-TV, a commercial station in Casper, in 2018. The license transfer was not completed, Dugas said, and the station “was eventually sold to a different company with no duopoly issues.”