North Panhandle Times

The Bethany College Communications and Media Arts Department added three distinguished alumni to its Wall of Fame during Homecoming 2022.  

Amy Coulter ‘98 currently works for WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pa., as their managing editor. She runs the newsroom, alongside only one other. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Coulter was the executive producer at WFTV in Orlando, Fl. She has produced countless stories over the years, such as the Steelers win during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, but her “claim to fame” was covering the Casey Anthony trial, live from the courthouse. While at Bethany, Coulter was heavily involved in TV3, WVBC, the National Broadcasting Society, and she was also awarded the Sarah M. Cannon Award as a sophomore. 

“I definitely feel like my time at Bethany prepared me for my career,” said Coulter. “I was involved in campus media from the very beginning, and that experience was invaluable for helping me get my feet running in my career.” 

Les Jacoby ‘68 has worked in radio for over 50 years. While at Bethany College, he was very active in campus media, including WVBC-88.1 FM. Jacoby went on to work in Wheeling, W.Va., at WKWK, and later for the American Forces Vietnam Network. Jacoby created ratings-winning radio stations in markets such as Albuquerque, Memphis, West Palm Beach, and Miami. He has received several awards throughout his career, including Billboard Magazine’s National Adult Contemporary Program Director of the Year. Although Jacoby could not make the induction, Dr. Patrick Sutherland, chair of communications, read a letter from him.  

“I’m thrilled and honored to be included on the Bethany Communications and Media Arts Wall of Fame,” said Jacoby. “I’ve won many radio industry awards during my 50-year career, but none of them can compare with the honor you’re bestowing on me today as I join the notables already present on the wall.” 

Jody Handley ‘97 is an information systems architect at Gensler, headquartered in San Francisco, Ca. She combines communication, marketing, and solution design to support the firm’s unique entrepreneurial culture. After ghostwriting nonfiction in San Francisco, Ca., Handley picked up a job in software development where she began coding in several computer languages, and by 2015, Handley led Gensler’s products team for firmwide operations. Handley received her B.A. in communications from Bethany College, and her master’s in public management in 2022 from Carnegie Mellon University. 

“The beauty of having a communications degree like the one I received from Bethany is that even though I feel like sometimes I fell backward into software development, the skills that I learned here have been so beneficial to me,” said Handley. “They have elevated my career in ways that they would not have if I took this route right out of the gate” 

Established in 2010, the Wall of Fame has been a staple of the Bethany College Communications Department. It now includes more than 40 graduates, including Jhamal Robinson, the senior vice president for Netflix Global, and Ashley Dougherty, morning meteorologist at WTAE in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

BETHANY, W.Va. — The Bethany College Communications and Media Arts Department added three distinguished alumni to its Wall of Fame during Homecoming 2022.  

Amy Coulter ‘98 currently works for WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pa., as their managing editor. She runs the newsroom, alongside only one other. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Coulter was the executive producer at WFTV in Orlando, Fl. She has produced countless stories over the years, such as the Steelers win during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, but her “claim to fame” was covering the Casey Anthony trial, live from the courthouse. While at Bethany, Coulter was heavily involved in TV3, WVBC, the National Broadcasting Society, and she was also awarded the Sarah M. Cannon Award as a sophomore. 

“I definitely feel like my time at Bethany prepared me for my career,” said Coulter. “I was involved in campus media from the very beginning, and that experience was invaluable for helping me get my feet running in my career.” 

Les Jacoby ‘68 has worked in radio for over 50 years. While at Bethany College, he was very active in campus media, including WVBC-88.1 FM. Jacoby went on to work in Wheeling, W.Va., at WKWK, and later for the American Forces Vietnam Network. Jacoby created ratings-winning radio stations in markets such as Albuquerque, Memphis, West Palm Beach, and Miami. He has received several awards throughout his career, including Billboard Magazine’s National Adult Contemporary Program Director of the Year. Although Jacoby could not make the induction, Dr. Patrick Sutherland, chair of communications, read a letter from him.  

“I’m thrilled and honored to be included on the Bethany Communications and Media Arts Wall of Fame,” said Jacoby. “I’ve won many radio industry awards during my 50-year career, but none of them can compare with the honor you’re bestowing on me today as I join the notables already present on the wall.” 

Jody Handley ‘97 is an information systems architect at Gensler, headquartered in San Francisco, Ca. She combines communication, marketing, and solution design to support the firm’s unique entrepreneurial culture. After ghostwriting nonfiction in San Francisco, Ca., Handley picked up a job in software development where she began coding in several computer languages, and by 2015, Handley led Gensler’s products team for firmwide operations. Handley received her B.A. in communications from Bethany College, and her master’s in public management in 2022 from Carnegie Mellon University. 

“The beauty of having a communications degree like the one I received from Bethany is that even though I feel like sometimes I fell backward into software development, the skills that I learned here have been so beneficial to me,” said Handley. “They have elevated my career in ways that they would not have if I took this route right out of the gate” 

Established in 2010, the Wall of Fame has been a staple of the Bethany College Communications Department. It now includes more than 40 graduates, including Jhamal Robinson, the senior vice president for Netflix Global, and Ashley Dougherty, morning meteorologist at WTAE in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Original source can be found here