“New Orleans has become a real home
for me and my family,” Joel said. “Both
of my children are New Orleanians. It’s
been an amazing journey to get here and
a great experience for now 13 years.” A
native of Washington, DC who entered
the University of Maryland as a music
major, he added. “I get to enjoy all the
wonderful musical talent there is in this
city, and it’s amazing that my career would
bring me here of all places.”
Joel’s circuitous route to the Crescent
City began in Washington, DC and New
York City in various sales and media
management positions with the Gannett
media organization before being transferred
to the company’s ABC-TV affiliate
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From there
it was on to the Hearst Television’s ABC
affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska and, after
four years there as President and G.M., he
was offered his current position at WDSU.
Coming on board at the Hearst-owned
NBC affiliate on Channel 6 less than two
years after Hurricane Katrina, Joel was
immediately confronted by a massive
amount of work to do there. New Orleans
COVER STORY
was still in the process of
rebuilding from the disaster
and the station was
facing multiple issues,
including the destruction
of its transmitter and
the decimation of the
station’s staff.
“Our transmitting facility
in Chalmette was
completely submerged and
destroyed,” Joel explained.
“All of that had to be
rebuilt and so that was part
of the worst of what I faced
when I arrived here. The station was on
the air but we were only transmitting at
50 percent of our power. It was not until
2008 that we went back up to full power.”
Also, in the aftermath of the storm,
roughly 75 percent of the station’s 120
pre-Katrina staff members had been
forced by the circumstances to leave the
station and most of those slots had to be
filled. Thanks to the efforts of Joel and
others, they eventually were filled but the
process took a good bit of time, he noted.
So how did a former music major who
played trumpet in college end up in the
business of managing television stations?
“In my sophomore year (of college) I got
exposed to more career options,” Joel
replied. “I had a friend and mentor who
worked in television; NBC at the time,
and so that piqued my interest. I took a
few courses and then I realized that I had
found my passion. I continued to perform
around town for many years and I loved
music but, as a career, I really wanted to
be in television.
“What I liked about television was - and
continues to be - the ability to reach so
many people and serve a community by
delivering a message and bringing awareness
Margaret Orr, Norman Robinson, Joel Vilmenay & Heath Allen
to things that are affecting that
community,” he continued. “I’ve really
enjoyed doing that kind of work.”
With two Emmy Awards to his credit,
plus the honor of being named 2018
Louisiana Broadcaster of the Year, Joel
has been instrumental in elevating
WDSU’s community profile and media
presence. During his tenure, the station
introduced the region’s first hour-long
newscast at 4:00 p.m. and brought back
the hour-long “News at Noon” program
on weekdays. And, through his own
personal involvement in many local charitable
organizations, the station has been
promoting the services those nonprofit
groups offer to the community, often with
the station’s direct sponsorship.
Among the organizations in which Joel
actively participates are Kingsley House,
Second Harvest Food Bank, the New
Orleans Chamber of Commerce and the
Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orleans
(Bilingual School of New Orleans) which
promotes the French language and the
cultures of France and – especially - Haiti
where his parents were from.
In leadership capacities he has served
as Board Chairman for the NOCCA
Institute and he co-chaired the United
Negro College Fund’s Mayor’s Masked
Ball for five years, helping to raise more
than $8 million for students attending
Dillard and Xavier Universities. He
currently serves as treasurer of the board
for the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
and is a major contributor to local arts
organizations. He is also Chair-elect of
the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.
For his efforts, he was recognized by
The New Orleans Council for Community
and Justice with the 2019 Weiss Award for
distinguished community service.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE WAGNER
Vilmenay Family
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL VILMENAY
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