Megan Beyer
Encyclopedia
Megan Beyer is an American journalist, commentator and civic leader, and is a regular panelist on To the Contrary, a weekly news-analysis program airing on more than 251 public television stations in the United States, in Canada, and internationally on Worldnet Television.
, Megan Beyer graduated magna cum laude in 1979 from the University of Richmond, majoring in Journalism. Since 1984, she has worked as a reporter and anchor for various local and national television news programs. She began her career as a local reporter for News Channel 8, covering education and politics. She later worked as reporter and anchor for Nation's Business Today on ESPN
; for WTVR-TV news, the CBS
affiliate in Richmond; and for HealthWeek on PBS
. She went on to anchor The Business Channel, a PBS satellite news service featuring best-selling authors and CEOs of Fortune 500
companies.
; and on the national board of Reading Is Fundamental
. She is active on numerous charitable organizations and political campaigns, and holds leadership positions with the Barack Obama presidential campaign
, including as Mid Atlantic finance chair for Women for Obama; as a member of the leadership committee of Women for Obama in Virginia; as a member of the National Finance Committee; and as co-chair of the National Women's Leadership Initiative Conference.
She is a partner in several real estate ventures and holds an interest in the Beyer Automotive Group with dealerships in Alexandria, Falls Church and Dulles.
award for her work at WTVR in Richmond. In May 2008, she was commencement speaker at Blue Ridge Community College
. Her lifelong involvement in civic affairs includes service on the boards of the Virginia-Israel Commission; the Woodlawn Plantation
; the Athenaeum, an historic property in Alexandria, Virginia; Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic; the Medical Care for Children Partnership, a project in Fairfax County, Virginia; the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
; the Richmond Ballet; and Theatre IV, a stage production company in Richmond. In 1996, Beyer co-chaired, with Lynda Johnson Robb
, Every Child by Two, a project to immunize children in Virginia. She has been active in NARAL at the state and national levels, and in 2006 was honorary co-chair of NARAL's national fundraiser.
, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia who served from 1989–1997 and currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland
and Liechtenstein
. She and her husband have two children, Clara and Grace.
Early life and career
Born and raised in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Megan Beyer graduated magna cum laude in 1979 from the University of Richmond, majoring in Journalism. Since 1984, she has worked as a reporter and anchor for various local and national television news programs. She began her career as a local reporter for News Channel 8, covering education and politics. She later worked as reporter and anchor for Nation's Business Today on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
; for WTVR-TV news, the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate in Richmond; and for HealthWeek on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. She went on to anchor The Business Channel, a PBS satellite news service featuring best-selling authors and CEOs of Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies.
Current activities
In 2003, Beyer began working as a panelist with PBS' To the Contrary, a weekly forum for women to discuss national and international issues and policies. She is a frequent columnist to various publications, including the Alexandria Times and Times Community Newspapers, a chain in Northern Virginia. She serves on the Virginia State Board for Community Colleges; on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education; as a trustee of Washington's public television station, WETA-TVWETA-TV
WETA-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public televisionstation for the Washington, D.C., area. Its studios are in nearby Arlington, Virginia...
; and on the national board of Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. is the oldest and largest nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. Founded in 1966, it is based in Washington, D. C.. RIF's community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory provide 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy...
. She is active on numerous charitable organizations and political campaigns, and holds leadership positions with the Barack Obama presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
, including as Mid Atlantic finance chair for Women for Obama; as a member of the leadership committee of Women for Obama in Virginia; as a member of the National Finance Committee; and as co-chair of the National Women's Leadership Initiative Conference.
She is a partner in several real estate ventures and holds an interest in the Beyer Automotive Group with dealerships in Alexandria, Falls Church and Dulles.
Awards and past community service
Beyer received two Emmy nominations and a Virginia Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
award for her work at WTVR in Richmond. In May 2008, she was commencement speaker at Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College is a community college located in Weyers Cave, Virginia in Augusta County. The campus is located between Interstate 81 and US Route 11 just outside Weyers Cave...
. Her lifelong involvement in civic affairs includes service on the boards of the Virginia-Israel Commission; the Woodlawn Plantation
Woodlawn Plantation
Woodlawn Plantation is a historic home located in Fairfax County, Virginia, and was originally a part of Mount Vernon, George Washington's historic plantation estate....
; the Athenaeum, an historic property in Alexandria, Virginia; Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic; the Medical Care for Children Partnership, a project in Fairfax County, Virginia; the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
; the Richmond Ballet; and Theatre IV, a stage production company in Richmond. In 1996, Beyer co-chaired, with Lynda Johnson Robb
Lynda Bird Johnson Robb
Lynda Bird Johnson Robb is the elder of the two daughters of United States President Lyndon Baines Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson...
, Every Child by Two, a project to immunize children in Virginia. She has been active in NARAL at the state and national levels, and in 2006 was honorary co-chair of NARAL's national fundraiser.
Personal and family
Beyer resides in Bern, Switzerland, with her husband, Don BeyerDon Beyer
Donald Sternoff "Don" Beyer, Jr. is the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In addition, he owns automobile dealerships in Virginia, and has a long record involved in community, political and philanthropic work....
, a former lieutenant governor of Virginia who served from 1989–1997 and currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
. She and her husband have two children, Clara and Grace.