Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LIZ BRUNNER (POPE); KEN RICHARDSON (EMMY); WHITE HOUSE (OBAMA) letters to his staff," she says of her eight-minute interview with the President last winter. "Everyone kept saying he wouldn't answer, and [his staff ] finally did." Brunner's grace and professionalism took root during a childhood spent on the stage. Her father, Galen E. Russell Jr., was a minister, and she sang in his church for many years. (Since then, she has sung the national anthem for the Patriots and the Celtics, toured Europe with the Park Forest Singers, and sung for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.) She taught music to high schoolers in Illinois in the early 1980s, but felt that "there was more I was supposed to do in the world" and decided to pursue a career in television. She had some experience, having appeared in a Pontiac commercial as part of her package for winning Miss Illinois in 1979. She contacted CBS and NBC affiliates in her area, and after six months accepted a position as the community relations coordinator with WCIA-TV in Champaign-Urbana. At the same time she worked on segments, hosted a charity-focused talk show, and was part of a weather team. "It was a unique situation to be in a management position but also doing on-air pieces," says Brunner. "It was some of my best training in television." After three years at WCIA she moved to Tampa Bay to work for WTVT-TV as director of community relations, then as coanchor of the morning news. Five years later, WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston offered her a position at Chronicle—a dream job for Brunner. Within the year, she was also anchoring the EyeOpener newscast and doing health and local stories. A decade later she began doing the news full time, working alongside David Muir, now the coanchor of ABC's 20/20. "She tackled each assignment as if it were her first," Muir says. "That's rare among veteran broadcasters, and if she can share the secrets of that trait with her clients, they will greatly benefit." Why, then, would one of Boston's most recognizable women step down from the spotlight to work behind the scenes? Because it was time to take on a new challenge—and to give back. "People know me and trust me," Brunner explains, "and it is important to take risks in order to grow. I talk a lot about the next chapter, and for me that is equipping people with the skills to be effective communicators and leaders." She works with each individual or company to assess their needs and leads intensive seminars for one to five people, teaching how to project confidence, interact with groups, and deliver a message clearly. Her growing client roster includes cor- porate heavy-hitters like Deloitte, New York Life Insurance, and HMS Financial Group. "Most people don't know how to maximize their time in front of an audience, whether it is an athlete speaking with reporters or a CEO with their employees," says Brunner. "Everyone has something different to offer, and my role is to access that. This new job is really an extension of what I've been doing my entire career." BC FROM TOP: Liz Brunner's Emmy for reportage; Brunner (FAR LEFT) and her choir sang for Pope John Paul II in 1979. Liz Brunner scored an interview with President Barack Obama for Boston's WCVB in February 2013. Eight minutes with President Obama: "We talked about the economy, John Kerry's recent appointment as secretary of state, and our shared love of Hawaii. I stumped him a bit when I asked which was harder—running the country or raising two young daughters." Advice for the next generation: "Most people are living much longer now, and they are not staying with the same company or job for 20 or 30 years as was the case in previous generations. My advice is to continually learn and grow, and be thinking about your next chapters. Have many skills and hobbies that you enjoy, because you never know when you will need or want to call upon them." Favorite place in the city: "I love strolling through the Public Garden or along the Charles River." Motivation: "Always challenging myself to learn, grow, and understand life more deeply. Living life to the fullest and with a purpose!" Words to live by: "The goal of living is to be able to absorb all of the pain of life and lose none of the joy." LEGENDARY LIZ The veteran news anchor talks about what inspires her. continued from page 43 44 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM VIEW FROM THE TOP 043-044_BC_SP_VFT_Spring14.indd 44 2/6/14 4:52 PM