Lisa Colbert used hands-on experience from Ohio University, WOUB and Scalia Lab to follow her passion

As Public Information Manager for the Supreme Court of Ohio, Lisa Colbert provides important information about the court’s opinions, decisions, and announcements to the public. Colbert’s job is to share the work of the judiciary and how courts across the state are impacting families and communities. It’s very similar to the role she had when she was a meteorologist for ABC 6/Fox 28 in Columbus. Except in that case, she provided important information about weather events that were going to impact people in the region.

“The common thread in all the things I’ve done is storytelling,” said Colbert. “I learned the art of storytelling at Ohio University and WOUB.”

Colbert knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a television news reporter, so attending college at Ohio University and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism was the perfect fit. What she didn’t know was that she would also become interested in meteorology and weather reporting.

“I started working at WOUB to get the hands-on experience. WOUB was the chance to learn the craft. I learned to produce, to write, and I learned an outline of a good story. It’s where I learned broadcast and acquired the skills I needed for my first TV news job and beyond,” said Colbert. “Then, there was also this happy accident that I got involved working at Ohio University’s Scalia Lab.”

Scalia Lab serves southeast Ohio and provides undergraduate students the opportunity to gain real-time weather forecasting experience. Colbert ended up graduating with a broadcast journalism major and a meteorology minor and started down the path of pursuing a career in TV news.

“My first job was at WBOY Clarksburg, WV. I was a news anchor and reporter, and I also did the weather.”

After Clarksburg, Colbert landed a job in Portland, Maine and then went on to Columbus, Ohio where she was a reporter, meteorologist, and host for 11 years. Colbert enjoyed working in Columbus TV, but in 2013, she decided to try something new.

“I have three children,” said Colbert. “I loved what I did, but I was at a crossroads and needed a change in lifestyle to raise my family. So, it was time to start a new adventure.”

Colbert became a public information officer for the Ohio Department of Development promoting and encouraging economic development in communities across Ohio while showcasing the work of Third Frontier and Ohio's technology economy. Then in 2022, she started working for the Supreme Court of Ohio.

“It’s my honor and privilege to work for the Supreme Court of Ohio,” said Colbert. “It’s an important role to tell the story of the court and communicate the decisions that are being made in a way the public can understand.”

While she is no longer a TV meteorologist, Colbert says she uses the same skills she learned at Ohio University, WOUB and Scalia Lab to do her work today.

“As a meteorologist I learned that there is a good story in the numbers,” said Colbert. “And at the Supreme Court of Ohio, I use the data, information and numbers to communicate the story. I fell in love with storytelling in Athens. WOUB honed my storytelling skills. Everyone has a story and to give someone the opportunity to present their best selves to the world by telling their story, it’s an incredible privilege.”

About WOUB Public Media

As a member station of both NPR and PBS, WOUB Public Media is a trusted source of news, local content and educational resources that have proven to be worthy of the time, effort and support of our users. WOUB, an experiential-learning unit of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University, is a non-profit, community-supported multimedia organization which provides online and broadcast services, along with non-broadcast educational services and student professional development. WOUB serves 55 counties throughout southeastern Ohio, western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky with its broadcast signals. WOUB Radio’s FM Network has transmitters in Athens, Chillicothe, Ironton, Zanesville and Cambridge, while WOUB AM serves the immediate Athens area. WOUB TV is made up of seven television channels (WOUB HD, WOUB Classic, WOUB World, WOUB Create, WOUB Ohio, WOUB Kids and WOUB Voicecorps Reading Service) which are broadcast from two transmitters.

Through its support of public service, teaching, research and administrative missions, along with its high-quality local content and programming, WOUB enriches, enhances and expands the lives and horizons of the people in the communities it serves, as well as Ohio University faculty, staff and students.