I recently sat down with one of our newest team members, Annual Giving Director Veronica Taylor. In her role, Veronica oversees donors giving up to $249 annually, including GEMs (Giving Every Month donors), and project-manages Idaho Public Television’s on-air pledge drives, including DecemberFest and Festival.
A native of the West, Veronica is a third-generation Las Vegan. “It’s pretty rare,” she says. “My family was one of the founding families of Las Vegas. They owned the city’s first business, a lumber store.” Thanks to her father’s love of fly-fishing, Idaho became a familiar summer destination. “We spent a lot of time in Ketchum, and I always loved it here.” When it came time to choose a college, Boise State stood out. Veronica moved to Boise in 2006 to pursue a degree in theater and performing arts and never left. Next September, she’ll celebrate 20 years in Idaho.
An artist at heart, Veronica still acts occasionally and remains deeply connected to the arts. She enjoys attending performances by Ballet Idaho, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Boise Contemporary Theater, along with any live performing arts she can find. When she’s not in a theater, she’s often outdoors. “I have a one-year-old rescue pup named Pepper. She’s part Australian shepherd, part German shepherd, and full of energy,” Veronica laughs. “So we spend a lot of time hiking in the Boise Foothills or strolling along the Greenbelt. We’re lucky to live somewhere so beautiful.”
Choosing a favorite place in Idaho is no easy task. “I toured the entire state for six years as an actor with Idaho Shakespeare Festival, performing in all 44 counties,” she says. “We brought theater to elementary, junior high, and high schools, often in very small towns. Performing in places like Elk City gave me the chance to truly fall in love with Idaho and how unique every community is.” Along the way, she developed a soft spot for towns like Challis, Wallace, Salmon, and Sandpoint. “I even married someone from Sandpoint. We got married in Clark Fork.” What stands out most to her is the individuality of each town and the shared pride Idahoans have in where they live. “We’d perform at 7:00 a.m. and then drive four hours to the next show. You really get to know the state that way.”
That deep connection to Idaho is what drew Veronica to Idaho Public Television. “I spent years traveling the state, bringing professional theater to rural communities and meeting people everywhere I went,” she explains. “What spoke to me about IdahoPTV’s mission is that same commitment to access. Providing programming like Outdoor Idaho or Great Performances to every corner of the state matters. I saw firsthand how important access to the arts, news, and educational opportunities can be, especially for kids in small schools who may not realize what’s possible.”
Outside of work, Veronica’s current snack obsession is La Esperanza Bakery in Nampa. “Their conchas are incredible,” she says. And when she thinks back to her favorite PBS Kids program, The Magic School Bus tops the list. “I loved Ms. Frizzle. She was unapologetically herself. ‘Be messy, make mistakes,’ she’d say. I remember watching it in school and pretending the sleeves of my hoodie were a seat belt and I would tie them around my waist when she said, ‘Buckle up.’ Apparently, PBS and the propensity to pretend really stuck with me.”