Staff profile: Nora Montana

By Sarah Oven

Nora Montana, a longtime staff member (and generally acknowledged as our “office mom”) says that her students’ success is the most memorable part of her job. For many years, Nora mentored student assistants who helped at the reception desk.

“It is so rewarding to watch them grow and eventually leave the station to begin their careers after college,” Nora said. “I keep in touch with many of our former students who are now doing amazing things!”

In her 26 years at Arizona PBS, Nora has helped the station through several major changes.

When the station transitioned from analog to digital broadcast in 2001, the transition garnered over 10,000 calls from viewers who asked for help during the transition, Nora said. Another major change was the 2008-09 move from Tempe to a brand new, state of the art building on ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus.

“Through these challenges, and the ones we face today, one thing that hasn’t changed is our incredible staff support for one another,” Nora said.

Nora said that from time to time, people call the station with inquiries about shows that aired years or even decades ago, with only a snippet of information, she said. “More often than not, we are able to answer their question!”

After years at the front desk, Nora is currently executive coordinator for the donor relations team, where she focuses on projects that thank Arizona PBS members for their continued support and lay the groundwork for more effective communication.

For herself, Nora said she likes learning about local artists and experiencing their work in the Arizona PBS-produced series “Art in the 48,” and also enjoys “Nature.” “It’s a wonderful program to enjoy with your family,” she said.

This story was originally published in the Winter 2020 issue of Arizona PBS magazine.