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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City-based media and marketing giant Bonneville International is gearing up for a leadership change and announced Thursday that media veteran and company president Darrell Brown is set to retire at the end of the summer and longtime Bonneville executive Tanya Vea will step into a new role as Bonneville's president and chief operating officer effective Aug. 1.
Brown has served as the company's president since 2013 and led Bonneville through a period of robust growth, including adding more than a dozen new television and radio broadcast stations during his tenure while expanding digital content and advertising capabilities. Brown's leadership was also instrumental in navigating the company through myriad challenges that arose amid the COVID-19 pandemic and he successfully avoided the staff reductions that occurred among many broadcast operators during that time.
Keith McMullin, president and CEO of Bonneville's parent company, Deseret Management Corporation, lauded Brown's work over the past decade and noted his leadership skills had impacts far beyond Bonneville's operations across six Western states.
"I would first like to express my gratitude for Darrell's deep personal investment in his role as president of Bonneville," McMullin wrote in a note to Bonneville staffers on Thursday. "He has spoken often about the principles of stewardship, how each of us has a responsibility to leave things better than we found them, whatever our role. I can state with confidence that Darrell has made Bonneville a better company. He has shown insight and courage in navigating complex challenges. He has demonstrated the highest integrity in the business dealings of the company. He has also shown deep care and concern for Bonneville's employees over the years.
"His positive influence extends beyond Bonneville, as he has been a leader of note in the broadcasting industry. He has represented Bonneville well."
Prior to his time at Bonneville, Brown was president of McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company. His career with McGraw-Hill spanned 28 years where he served in various sales and management roles for ABC and Azteca America television stations, including vice president and general manager roles in San Diego and Denver. During that time Brown also served on the ABC Affiliate Board, including as board chairman.
Vea will step into her new leadership role from her current position as Bonneville's executive vice president of content and media operations.
Vea began with Bonneville in 2010 as vice president of program development and was later promoted to senior vice president and general manager overseeing the Salt Lake City market, comprised of radio, digital and TV platforms. Vea helped local platforms transition into an emerging digital realm, including leading the development of an industry-leading streaming app for KSL-TV, negotiating an exclusive streaming deal with Major League Soccer franchise Real Salt Lake and landing an exclusive podcast deal with Amazon Music.
Vea said she's grateful for having had the opportunity to work with, and learn from, Brown and is looking forward to leading Bonneville into its future endeavors.
"Darrell (Brown) has been an incredible mentor, and I'm so grateful for all that he's done for Bonneville," Vea said in a press release. "He has led by example as a steward of the company and its resources. I will miss working with him, and I feel incredibly fortunate to take on this role knowing that he has put the company in a position of strength."
"Bonneville is a special company. I'm committed to building on the foundation of those who have come before me and am focused on fulfilling our mission to be trusted voices in our communities. Our greatest strength is our team of talented people, and I am honored to be able to work with them to grow Bonneville for the future."
Founded in 1964, Bonneville currently operates radio and TV stations, local websites, podcasts and other digital distribution assets in six Western U.S. markets.
