Ilene "Beany" Tomber

Retired WKAR Public Media Education Coordinator Ilene “Beany” Tomber passed away July 16 at her Arizona home at the age of 97. During her time at the Michigan State University-based public broadcasting station, Tomber created and led the corporate development division and launched and led numerous education and community engagement programs that continue to impact Michigan’s capital region community today. She retired from WKAR in 2017.

As Director of Corporate Development at WKAR beginning in 1982, Beany formed partnerships with businesses and agencies to help ensure mid-Michigan's public broadcasting television and radio stations could provide trusted news, educational, and entertainment programming for the community.

Following her passion for children and education, Beany launched WKAR’s Ready to Learn service in 1996, providing training and resources to educators and families across mid-Michigan. In the years that followed, she expanded WKAR’s education and outreach efforts to include PBS Teacherline, PBS LearningMedia and the Community Cinema and Indie Lens Pop-Up film series.

Beany’s underwriting experience and grant writing ability led to CPB, PNC and numerous other grants in support of Head Start, Impression 5 Science Center, and other early education services for mid-Michigan.

In 2000, Beany founded the Early Childhood Literacy Coalition, made up of area libraries and the Great Start Readiness program.

Beany also had a key role in creating the WKAR original television series “Curious Crew,” hosted by award-winning science educator Dr. Rob Stephenson. In six seasons on the air, the science show for kids has won numerous regional and national awards and is seen on PBS stations across the country.

In 2020, Tomber was honored with the Michigan Association of Public Broadcaster's Public Media Impact award.

Tomber was preceded in death by her husband Marvin, daughter Roberta, sister Dot Feldman, brother Robert Welber. She is survived by her daughter Susan.