Community Media Center Executive Director Richard Turner receives Lifelong Learner Award from McDaniel College

Richard Turner, executive director of the Community Media Center of Carroll County, is the recipient of the 2023 Delta of Maryland Lifelong Learner Award from the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society at McDaniel College. The award was presented during McDaniel College’s daylong Academic Symposium on Monday, May 1.

The Delta of Maryland Lifelong Learner Award is given to an individual or group from the greater Westminster, Maryland, community who has pursued intellectual inquiry beyond their professional field or fields, thus demonstrating the liberal arts value of lifelong learning.

An award-winning executive producer, producer, and director, Richard Turner currently serves as the executive director of the Community Media Center (CMC), which provides digital media services to county residents, organizations, and eight municipalities, including technical assistance training, production facilitation, and creative services. At the CMC, he is responsible for the development of an emerging award-winning regional sports network (CMSportsNet), serving as executive producer.

Before joining the CMC in 2016, he was regional sales director responsible for business development in the Eastern United States, Eastern Canada, and the Caribbean for Tightrope Media Systems, an industry leader in video servers, automation, and digital signage solutions. He was previously a cable and broadband video engineer and information specialist for Montgomery County, Maryland, and served in a chief executive capacity for Montgomery Community Media, as well as Ōlelo Community Media in Hawaii.

Turner has more than 30 years of experience in business management, business development, strategic communications, marketing, community media, and community engagement and mobilization. He continues to produce, direct, and edit various projects, including documentaries, music videos, and live event coverage, and is president and owner of Communivision, a consulting and services firm focusing on marketing, communications, and information technologies.

He has also been recognized for his leadership locally and nationally and has served on a number of national, regional, and local boards, including the Heart of the Civil Heritage Board and as the national board chair of the Alliance for Community Media.

The Delta of Maryland Lifelong Learner Award was established in 2017 by the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society at McDaniel College to celebrate the liberal arts.

• Learn more about the Honor Societies & Academic Recognition at McDaniel College.