Program Producers

Below meet Carroll McKenney Public Media program producers – Desta L. Horner and Stephen McKenney Steck. These are the people who bring you the issues and voices you hear

CMF is eager to include additional producers to its roster of those willing and capable of advancing CMF’s program mission. At the moment CMF is not able to financially compensate any of its producers, including those profiled below. In time, though, we hope to gain the revenue necessary to first offer a reasonable stipend for your work on a feature-by-feature basis. Later, CMF intends to contract with or employ producers on a more full-time basis.

Click here to learn more about producing for CMF.

Desta L. Horner

Desta Horner
In addition to serving as a co-founder of Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media, Inc., and as an inaugural trustee on the CMF board, Horner is a former high school teacher who served 31 years in Seminole County Public Schools. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Central Florida. During her teaching career Horner traveled extensively, visiting every continent. These trips included educational research in Nigeria and Israel made possible by Fulbright scholarship seminars. She eagerly embraces her role as grandmother and volunteers in early childhood literacy and at the Hope Foundation for the homeless. Horner brings skills in writing, editing and research and a strong background in public issues to the foundation in its mission to illuminate those issues through public media. Horner, age 65, is a native of Florida and has lived in Oviedo, FL since 1988. She is married to CMF’s founder, Stephen McKenney Steck. They have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren.
Stephen McKenney Steck

Stephen McKenney Steck
A 50-year broadcasting veteran, Steck founded Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media, Inc., the week after he retired in 2008 after 35 consecutive years as president and CEO of WMFE-TV and radio – Central Florida’s public broadcasting stations. Upon his retirement, he was ranked as the most tenured CEO in the nation’s public broadcasting field and the “dean” of Central Florida’s broadcasting executives. Steck’s recognized skills as a leader in a community based non-profit media organization like WMFE give credence and standing to the public media vision and mission he is establishing for the foundation. In his pro bono role as foundation president and CEO, Steck’s depth of experience in non-profit media administration, programming, production, fundraising and community relations are a significant asset for the foundation’s role in public media and in community credibility. Steck, age 66, is a native of Orlando, FL and has lived in Oviedo, FL since 1980. He is married to CMF’s co-founder, Desta L. Horner. They have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. When not producing for CMF and helping lead its advancement, Steck is one-fourth of the way through riding his bicycle across the country (in stages). Between 1995 and 2006 he ran in and completed a marathon (a 26.2 mile foot race) in every state of the United States and in every continent, including Antarctica.