We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about the folks who work at Idaho Public Television. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe you’ve only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce you to IdahoPTV’s Buyer, Michelle Koehler.
Our Carol Beres sat down with Michelle to find out what roles she fills here at the station. “I have many duties that go beyond Buyer. I purchase everything for the agency. I also deal with the Friends of Idaho Public Television accounts having to do with receivables and payables. I’m the go-to person for transactions and questions,” Michelle says. She does some other accounting department functions too. When you see Michelle in the office, suffice it to say she’s moving at lightning speed.
Michelle grew up all over the country. “I was born in Las Vegas. But then my family mainly lived in Ohio,” she says. “I went to elementary school and part of junior high in Ohio. Then part of junior high and high school in the Detroit area. Then we moved to Cincinnati and I finished out high school and graduated in Ohio.” Her family moved again to Indianapolis. “Then I moved to Boise when I got married to my husband. We moved out here with my husband’s family so we could save money for my husband to go to school [for music] in Boston.” A couple more moves led to a summer in Los Angeles, which she really enjoyed. But, they decided to move back to the Gem State for Michelle to go to Boise State (she and all three of her daughters have attended Boise State), and they’ve been here ever since…well, except for that time they moved to the Detroit area for Michelle to work with the Detroit Red Wings for a couple of years. “That was actually a very exciting job. But [my husband] didn’t like Michigan at all. He worked for the ski industry there, but there wasn’t much of one, and he didn’t like it. We literally skied on a dump that was covered in snow,” Michelle laughs.
Once back in Boise, they decided to settle down and buy a home. “I was temping in different places. I came in here and there was a whole different atmosphere and I felt it immediately. And I said ‘I could work there,’ because for me, working is all about the people you work with and being happy in your environment.” And Michelle has been a part of the IdahoPTV family for more than 25 years now.
If you ask Michelle, her favorite hobby is anything to do with the Korean music group BTS. “That is my biggest hobby…going to their concerts, going to anything they put out.” She loves to go skiing every weekend in the winter and water-skiing in the summer. “I don’t get to [water-ski] very often, because I don’t own a boat.” You can also find her biking around town in the summer. Michelle loves to trip the light fantastic to boot. “I love to dance. I grew up being a dancer. I was a competitive dancer when I was really young…I was a dancer in high school on dance teams. And now I go to every event in town with a band and I dance.” Roller-skating and in-line skating are also high up on her hobby list. Michelle also likes watching Lifetime movies and Korean dramas, and also likes traveling — road-trip style.
When it comes to snacks, Michelle likes a wide variety. Chips, salsa and guacamole, cheese dip, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (or just a chocolate bar dipped in peanut butter), French fries and junk food in general. Her favorite parts of Idaho include Boise, Sun Valley and McCall. As for her favorite PBS Kids shows, she remembers watching The Electric Company and Zoom growing up.