For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Marty Fischhoff
248-305-3729
mfischhoff@dptv.org
Hannan Lis Elected Chair of Detroit Public TV’s Board of Trustees
DETROIT (Feb. 21, 2019) – Detroit Public TV’s (DPTV) Board of Trustees has elected Hannan Lis, principal and chief operating officer of The WW Group, Inc., as its new chair. He replaces Arthur Horwitz, president and publisher of The Detroit Jewish News, who served two years and will remain on the board as a trustee.
Timothy Nicholson, chief operating officer of PVS Chemicals, becomes chair-elect.
“Hannan and Arthur were a great team, and I know Hannan and Tim will continue the progress we have made to build one of the most dynamic and community-focused public television stations in America,” said Rich Homberg, Detroit Public TV’s president and CEO. “We cannot thank Arthur enough for his years of service, and we are delighted he will continue to serve on the board.
“Under Hannan’s leadership, we will make great strides in our mission of telling the authentic story of Detroit, which we truly believe is the most important city in America.”
Lis has been a member of the DPTV Board since 2011 and helped to guide governance, strategies and financial support for the station through its committees and as a charter member of the station’s Smith Leadership Circle. He knows the importance of public media at this moment in our nation and region’s history.
“In a world with fake news, questionable journalistic standards and a changing media landscape, DPTV stands out as a unique source for quality information, news, music, arts, education, science and high-impact community relevance,” Lis said.
“As a board member of DPTV, I have an opportunity to safeguard and strengthen this incredibly important community asset. Working with a first-class board and our amazing team of dedicated professionals has been a great learning experience for me and a true privilege.”
Besides his work at the WW Group, which operates Weight Watchers for Michigan and Ontario, Lis is founder and CEO of Lis Ventures LLC, a venture fund investing in emerging technologies and companies.
He has been an active member of many nonprofit and community organizations, in addition to Detroit Public TV, including the Jewish Community Centers of Metropolitan Detroit, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, American Technion Society, Michigan Israel Business Bridge and Forgotten Harvest.
A native of Haifa, Israel, Lis is married to Lisa Lis, who is also involved in many community organizations. The couple lives in Farmington Hills and has four children and two granddaughters.
Chair-Elect Timothy Nicholson is the chief operating officer of PVS Chemicals Inc., where his responsibilities include management over the firm’s U.S., Canadian and European business units. Headquartered in Detroit, the 73-year-old company has approximately 1,200 employees and 30 facilities in North America, Asia and Europe.
In addition to his service to DPTV, Nicholson is active in the Detroit Downtown Partnership and the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. He lives in the Detroit area with his wife of 13 years and their three children
About Detroit Public Television
Detroit Public Television (DPTV) is Michigan's only community-licensed public television station, operating entirely independent of any educational institution or governmental entity. Its funding comes from the community it serves. With more than 2 million weekly viewers across its four channels, DPTV is the state's largest and most watched public television station, as well as having the most diverse public television audience in America. In addition, another 90,000 visit its website dptv.org each week for videos, blogs, photo galleries and other content. DPTV also manages WRCJ 90.9 FM, Detroit's classical and jazz radio station, which reaches nearly 200,000 listeners each week over the air or on digital devices. DPTV is licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation and governed by a volunteer board of trustees from the local business, civic and cultural communities.
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