Jill Geisler
One of Wisconsin’s preeminent broadcast news directors, she began her journalism career at WISC-TV in Madison while still a student at the UW-Madison in 1971. After receiving her journalism degree in 1972, she served two years there as a news and sports reporter before shifting to WITI-TV in Milwaukee, where she served 5 years as a news reporter. In 1978, WITI-TV made her to be among the first female news directors at a major market television station in the country and she served in that capacity for twenty years. In 1998, she joined the faculty of the Poynter Institute, the renowned news and news management training entity, serving over fifteen years there. She has authored two books on news leadership and general management. Among the honors she received were the Oldfield Distinguished Service Award from the Radio and Television Digital News Association, the Silver Circle Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Distinguished Service in Journalism Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She was an awesome news anchor and person. I always enjoyed watching her on the news. And when she became news director she added an important element that all appreciated. I kind of lost touch with where she went from there. I wish her the best.
I went to the same high school as Jill. Nice girl, very popular, winning smile.