Fair Lady Productions honors NCTV17 director
Naperville Community Television’s executive director, Liz Spencer, recently became the first local recipient of Naperville’s Fair Lady Award.
Spencer was honored by Fair Lady Productions, Inc. as a business woman who has made a difference in Naperville through her contribution and commitment to the arts.
Kandiss Hernandez, founder and executive director of Fair Lady Productions Inc., the not-for-profit parent company to Kidz Kabaret, designed the award to acknowledge women deserving recognition for their tireless efforts to support community arts organizations.
With a creative partnership reaching back to 2002 when Hernandez was the host for NCTV17’s show, “Spotlight on Naperville,” she quickly recognized Spencer as a perfect recipient for the honor,
“As I branched away from NCTV17 and developed Kidz Kabaret, Liz continued to professionally guide me from my backyard productions to where we are today with a professional theater and rehearsal facilities,” Hernandez said.
Hosted by Chicago radio personality Kiki Vale, the award evening included keynote speaker Mary Kay Kliest, a CBS 2 meteorologist, who reflected on her career experiences in the media field, as well as several vocal performances by members of Kidz Kabaret.
Naperville Mayor George Pradel praised Spencer for her hard work.
“Through her leadership at Naperville Community Television, she is able to weave arts and technology together in a seamless blend to showcase Naperville’s unique stories. Liz inspires our youth to pursue their dreams in visual storytelling and understands that arts bring a city together and lay the foundation for a strong, cultured community,” he said.
After sharing his perspectives on the importance of supporting community arts, Pradel joined Hernandez in presenting Spencer with the award.
“Kandi and I started out together some 10 years ago at NCTV17. She hadn’t known me very long when she asked if we could tape a performance she was doing in her backyard with a group of kids from her church,” Spencer said.
“As I pulled up to her house with our portable control room gear, I was blown away. Kandi had transformed her patio into a stage, including a Manhattan skyline with the Statue of Liberty peering over the roof line. We added lights and cameras and, when the show began, it was magic. The kids were incredible; anyone there that night will tell you it was electric and I was hooked.”
Spencer has used her Emmy Award-winning knowledge as a director and producer to lead the way for NCTV17 to become a true community television station, featuring diverse programming that educates, informs, preserves, entertains, assists and celebrates the people and places of Naperville.
“In her leadership of NCTV17, Liz Spencer has brought to Naperville a level of community television that stands as a model for the industry,” said Christine Jeffries, president of Naperville Development Partnership.
Spencer also has received the Naperville Jaycees’ award for Distinguished Service and the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Women in Business “Women Who Inspire” award.