Nick Simonette - WBTV
By: Jill Santuccio
    
                          
General Manager of WBTV Nick Simonette had double duty of being introduced as a new member and the featured speaker at the Rotary Club of Charlotte on Tuesday. Nick grew up in New Orleans and graduated from the University of New Orleans before serving in the navy as a dental technician. A short stint on Armed Forces Radio while stationed in La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy shifted his career to broadcasting.
 
In 1978, Nick became a television broadcaster working in every aspect of news departments except weather. Prior to coming to Charlotte in April, 2008 he had worked in 11 television markets including San Antonio, Louisville and Baton Rouge, where he was also a Rotarian.
 
After sharing a humorous "coffee video" shot by the morning crew of WBTV, he said that in his more than 30 years of broadcasting he has experienced numerous different leadership styles. The biggest lesson he has taken away from those differing leadership styles is that following the pack will make you a follower.
 
When he came to Charlotte, he was surprised at how little "product" differentiation there was between the major news stations. To him, the content was the same and even the sets looked the same, and he was bothered that there was little support for the brand.
 
He quickly developed five goals for WBTV: 1) get staff to work together, 2) differentiate "the product," 3) plug the station back into the community, 4) live up to the brand of "On Your Side," and 5) adjust to the new financial climate. Taking on a strategic planning initiative immediately upon his arrival, he ensured that rank-and-file employees were engaged in the process as well as top-line leadership.
 
Out of the strategic planning process came five core values (integrity, customer service, competitive, legacy and teamwork), vision and mission statements (too long to list here) and a set of operating principles (accountability, respect, understanding, honesty and candor) to guide the station moving forward.
 
With another strategic planning initiative since that first one, and an upcoming one planned, Simonette feels the station has done a good job of updating its look and refocusing the content. He feels a new sense of energy and he and the staff have sharpened "On Your Side" to "We Live on Your Side." To get more connected to the community, he has developed an advisory board which guides him on subject matter for his on-air editorials.

He learned from his salesman father that no matter what profession one is in, everyone is always selling something. Every person, organization, business and product has a brand.
 
With 21- and 27-year-old daughters, he recognizes the pressure to stay relevant to a generation of people who don't get their news from a screen the size of a television. Simonette feels strongly about having a website rich in content and has the station participating in a pilot-program called "This TV" that will allow people to "watch television" on their cell phones and personal digital assistants.
 
He re-affirmed his dedication to community through Rotary and looks forward to becoming an active member of the club.
   
 
Head Table: Jim Kothe, Mary Lynne Calhoun, John Snyder, Lynn Wheeler, BG Metzler, Wes Clark;
Invocation: Biff Virkler;
Visitors & Guests: David Erdman; Health & Happiness: Tony Zeiss; Song: Paul Wyche; Piano: Thomas Moore; Photos: Bert Voswinkel

• Donations to support Haitian relief efforts must be in the Rotary office by February 28th. Checks are payable to The Rotary Foundation DAF and mailed to the Rotary office.
    
• Welcome new members! Cynthia Marshall introduced Vinny Satchit, senior tax manager with Grant Thornton. Vinny was a member of the Rotary Club of High Point for seven years and can be reached at vinny.satchit@gt.com. Lynn Wheeler introduced Nick Simonette, General Manager, WBTV. Nick is also a former Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and can be reached at nsimonette@wbtv.com.
   
• Steve Meckler was the winner of "You Write the Caption" in Monday's Observer; Bryan Adams was inadvertently omitted from the list of lawyers included in Pat Kelly's presentation last week; Terri DeBoo encouraged the membership to think of ways to include the exchange students, Anna and Leo, in activities. You can invite them to dinner, a movie, ball game - it doesn't have to be anything fancy or extraordinary. Contact Terri, Charlie Bones, Matt Joyner, Ed Wadsworth, Luther Moore or Lee Tabor to arrange a date.
  
• The next Flight of Honor is scheduled for April 10th. For those not familiar, FOH is a District-wide project to fly WW II Veterans to Washington on a day-trip to visit their memorial. Charlotte Rotary was a generous supporter of two previous flights. Anyone wishing to make a personal donation to this project can make their check payable to Rotary Flight of Honor and send to the Rotary office.
       
• ROTARY DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2010 will be held in Wilmington April 23-25. All Rotarians and their families are invited to attend. Reservations can be booked at the Hilton Riverside, 910-763-5900. Prior to March 22, the rate will be $169 per night. Conference registration rates for Rotarians: $175 (by 2/23), $195 (by 3/22) or $225 (by 4/16). Guest registration: $155 (by 2/23), $175 (by 3/22), $195 (by 4/16). The registration covers 4 meals: Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast & dinner, and Sunday breakfast. Registration can be handled on the District database (www.dacdb.com) 

Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, contact the Rotary office by 2/15/2010.

January/February March invoices were mailed January 4th. Payment is due upon receipt and is considered late after 30 days. If you did not receive an invoice, consider it lost and contact the Rotary office for another copy. If payment is not received at the 90 day mark, you will be notified that you have ten days to submit full payment or risk being removed from the club.