Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • April 6, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 37 WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS 2020 Neves leads WFSB through growth, crisis By Susan Danseyar Special to the Hartford Business Journal W hen Dana Neves began her career at WFSB TV as an intern 25 years ago, viewers were not watch- ing the news on their smartphones, and podcasts didn't exist. Now, as vice president and general man- ager of the station, Neves oversees every form of news delivery. "We used to say most watched but now it's most consumed," she said. "Our goal is to make sure content is on air and online where consumers can always find it." To that end, Neves has helped expand Channel 3's coverage with the addition of Eyewitness News at 4:30 p.m., which was rated the No. 1 source of breaking news in the state as soon as the half-hour newscast launched in September and has remained in that spot. Work had just started on a new live- streaming news app at the station when Neves became general manager two years ago. She said the launch in early March re- quired constant work on a daily basis, includ- ing retrofitting the station's transmission tower in Avon, so viewers can now watch Rocky Hill-based Channel 3 live on their digi- tal devices without cable connection. During Neves' tenure as general man- ager, the station also initiated several podcasts such as Kara's Cures, Something's Brewing and The Joe Zone. Part of her job as general manager is developing relationships with the station's key clients. Having been at Channel 3 since 1995, Neves said she already knew most of them but, in her new role, went from content relationships to business partner- ships, which she maintains and strength- ens "the old-fashioned way," such as meet- ing in person to talk and playing golf. Neves, 47, said her goal for Channel 3 moving forward is simple: Remaining Con- necticut's No. 1 station. That requires con- tinuous monitoring of viewers' changing tastes and their reactions to programming. She and colleagues pay close attention to feedback, which includes calls to the sta- tion, emails, tweets and Facebook posts. Although Neves is responsible for the station's 124 employees, she doesn't refer to herself when talking about Channel 3's successes. "I'm part of something bigger," she said. "Being a leader means curating other peoples' ideas." Neves said she rarely uses the word "I," but rather "we," which means her team of four department heads: Greg Thomas, creative services director; Bill Whittle, director of sales; Victor Zarrilli, director of engineering; and Keith Connors, executive director of news. The strong bond this team shares has helped Channel 3 remain the best station in Connecticut, Neves said. "We've been together for decades," she said. "Relationships have matured over time. There are no barriers of figuring each other out." It was as a group that the entire organiza- tion dealt with the sudden death of news an- chor Denise D'Ascenzo in December. In times of crisis, staff would look to her, the epitome of grace under pressure, Neves said. "But when the crisis was about Denise, we didn't have her to look to," Neves said. "People asked what Denise would do. She went from being a fixture to an absence and we knew no day would ever be the same again." PHOTO | J. FIERECK PHOTOGRPHY

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