“Susan initially considered retiring at the end of 2017. However, after the cascading impact of Hurricane Harvey on KHOU’s operations, her heartfelt sense of obligation and loyalty to the employees of KHOU made her reconsider,” Tegna EVP Peter Diaz told TVNewsCheck. “Orchestrating operations across multiple sites in Houston/Dallas, she continues to work tirelessly to stabilize, restore and advance KHOU’s commitment to the community."
Diaz added that over the next few months, he will interview a successor and have that person work with McEldoon during a transition period.
All you have to do is read my dinky blog to see how busy McEldoon and the future KHOU GM will be. That includes finding a new station location thanks to Hurricane Harvey and opening satellite studios in downtown Houston reportedly this month.
McEldoon joined channel 11 back in 2004 as Director of Sales in the station's Belo days. She was named Vice President/Station Manager in 2006 with another promotion coming the following year upping her to President/General Manager.
Before KHOU, McEldoon was Director of Sales at WBNS Columbus, Ohio and WBBM Chicago according to LinkedIn. She also served as marketing manager at KCNC Denver.
Under her leadership, KHOU has won many prestigious awards including Lone Star Emmys and recently winning another Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.
Some of her other honors:
- Broadcasting & Cable Magazine’s General Manager of the Year 2008
- Houston Women’s Chamber “Breakthrough Woman 2009”
- Houston Women’s Chamber “Hall of Fame” Inductee 2010
- Houston Woman Magazine’s “50 Most Influential Women” in 2012
- “Top 30 Influential Women of Houston” in 2015
- The Media Alliance of Houston awarded her the Star Award for TV Station Manager of the Year in 2010, 2012 and 2015.
Planting roots in the Houston-area, McEldoon has served on the board of the Greater Houston Partnership, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Houston Chapter of the American Red Cross. She has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for United Way Houston.
McEldoon has a BA in Communications from the University of Missouri/Kansas City and an MBA from The Ohio State University.
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