Profile: Ellyne Lonergan
Senior Producer
Ellyne Lonergan is a producer with over 15 years experience. She has produced documentaries and series for national distribution, as well as client driven marketing and training pieces.
She recently completed post production on Growing the Green Economy, a one-hour program for public television stations, and Fishbone Fred, a half hour children’s pilot for Florida public television.
From 2004 to 2005, she produced a 13 part financial lifestyle series, Ethical Markets, and Leaving a Legacy, an hour long documentary about the environmental legacy of high profile Americans (among them Val Kilmer, Don Henley, Ali MacGraw and Stan Musial). During that time she and a crew also spent time in Nicaragua where they filmed World Food Program volunteers working to feed and educate children in isolated villages.
She has many successful programs to her credit as a national Producer or Executive Producer, including Silent Witnesses: America’s Historic Trees, an American Beach, The Women in Your Life, Success by 6, the pledge special Be Careful Out There with Neil Thackaberry, Today’s Classic Homes, Keeping You in Stitches, Painting with Brenda Harris, GHOSTS, A Class Study in Black and White, The Jacksonville Jazz Festival, and the series Tree Stories.
Ellyne became interested in working in television during her theatre studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. During postgraduate work at the National Theatre Institute in New London, CT, she had the opportunity to translate theatre to television. She enrolled at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, where she received an MS in television, radio and film in 1990.
Ellyne’s first opportunity to produce for broadcast came when she joined WITF in Harrisburg, PA. There she produced full-length programs, including the national pledge special, and assumed the role of Director of Production.
In January 1995, Ellyne moved to WJCT, the public broadcasting station in Jacksonville, FL as the Director of Production. Over the course of her first 3 years there, she managed the production facility, eventually being named Vice President, Television, while maintaining a hand in developing and producing projects.
In 1998, as opportunity expanded at WJCT, Ellyne was given dual responsibility for the production and marketing arms of the station operation. She left the station in April 2000 to start her own production company.
In addition to running her business, she until recently served as the Senior Vice President, Content at WEDU in Tampa, Florida - the public television station in the 13th largest media market – where she developed television programs and multi-platform media.
Ellyne is married to Leo Bottary. They enjoy spending time in Colorado, and have run four marathons together.