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WOUB Member Spotlight: Barbara Thorniley
< < Back to woub-member-spotlight-barbara-thornileyATHENS, OH – Barbara Thorniley lives in the home she grew up in and is a descendant of an Ohio pioneer. She is deeply connected to the Marietta community.
“The Thorniley name can be found in the pages of Marietta history going all the way back to some of the earliest settlers,” said Thorniley. Marietta was the first organized American community in the Northwest Territory (named because it was north and west of the Ohio River) and served as a gateway into further westward expansion throughout the United States.
So, when Thorniley thinks about what organizations and causes she wants to financially support, she chooses by looking at what would most help people in her community.
“I support five to eight causes per year, and I prefer to support local,” said Thorniley. “I think PBS is worthwhile, and WOUB is local.”
Thorniley retired from her position as vice president of 0perations for a franchisee of a major restaurant chain in 2020. She loves to travel internationally with her sister, who is her best friend, and some of her favorite programs on PBS transport her to parts of the world she hopes to visit again.
“I like a lot of the shows that are produced in England and Europe,” said Thorniley. “I like All Creatures Great and Small on MASTERPIECE. I also enjoy Finding Your Roots, Antiques Roadshow and NOVA. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are WOUB days.”
Thorniley also turns to PBS for news and information.
“I watch PBS NewsHour a lot,” said Thorniley. “I just think public TV is a different viewpoint, a more balanced viewpoint.”
Thorniley also enjoys learning about local history and culture through WOUB. She has watched several episodes of WOUB’s Our Town series, which chronicles the history of local communities in the region.
“The programs on WOUB are just good. They are educational, interesting, and informative.”