Nancy Tillman is the director of news and studio operations at WJXT in Jacksonville. She has held this position since January 2012, but has been at WJXT since she was hired as art director in March 1995.
During her early years at WJXT, she not only honed her design skills, but gained greater experience in strategic planning and personnel management, leading to her promotion to Manager of Design and Production in 2000. In that new position, Tillman hired, trained, and managed additional staff and supervised the building of new sets as the management team began the planning and execution of WJXT's switch from CBS affiliate to independent local station in 2002.
Changing technology brought more changes to WJXT, and Tillman brought her skills in system management to the team as the station began to plan and execute the upgrade to HD broadcast, Grass Valley Ignite Control Room Automation, and template-based hub graphics in 2009. She scheduled director training, news production rehearsals, and automation launch of different news day-parts while assuring that the station's broadcast operations remained seamless.
As director of news and studio operations, Tillman manages a complex system of people and equipment: news photographers, editors, directors and floor directors as well as freelancers in audio, lighting, photography, gripping, and other production duties. In addition, she leads the coordination of special events (including high profile trials), sports events, and election coverage, designing and executing the plans for special equipment and coverage at remote locations, often for multiple days. She also maintains the fleet of WJXT's cars, streaming vans, microwave trucks, and satellite truck.
Tillman's awards include a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for News Documentary for "Danny's Rolling's Date with Death" in 2007 and an Emmy Nomination for Breaking News for "The Michael Dunn Verdict” in 2014.
Tillman began her career in broadcasting in 1982 as a staff artist at CNN Headline News in Atlanta. and moved over to CNN in Atlanta as a staff artist in May 1984. She then worked as director of on-air graphics at WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1984-87. In 1987, Tillman accepted the position of art director at KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, where she began to expand her design skills to include printed promotional materials and outdoor advertising. She also helped launch the on-air news graphics department, and developed skills in animation, editing, and managing special projects.
A native of Atlanta, Tillman is a graduate of Auburn University and holds a BFA in Graphic Design. She is a member of the 1072 Society at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts in Auburn, Alabama.
