Charles Lewis Is Selected As CC:Media’s Next Executive Director

The Board is pleased to announce that Charles Lewis will be Capital Community Media’s permanent executive director, effective immediately. The CC:Media Board is grateful for Charles’ willingness to step in as interim executive director for nearly a year, and have been impressed with his leadership and management of the organization, its resources, and relationships.  

“Charles has demonstrated the commitment and passion necessary to lead CC:Media at a crucial time, where access to local information and diverse community voices, is vital to our democracy, and community well-being.”
— CC:Media Board President Salam Noor

Charles is the exact leader CC:Media needs to fulfill its mission and vision for serving our community. His deep knowledge of CC:Media, and clear understanding of its purpose and role, has steadied the organization through two significant transitions in its history. His relationships with key partners and community organizations, depth of understanding of how CC:Media works to advance civic engagement, and access to public information are vital to the success of CC:Media and our partners.

Charles Lewis is a life long Salem-Keizer resident, and brings more than 30 years of community media experience to CC:Media. Charles has been involved with CC:Media since 1992, starting as a volunteer, and later joining the staff full-time as Facilities Coordinator in 2006. For 15 years, he managed CC:Media's equipment, provided production and editing assistance, and connected Salem's musicians and filmmakers to CC:Media's resources. In 2021, Charles took on the new role of Media Operations Manager, overseeing daily operations and managing capital projects such as the recently completed Multimedia Studio. In addition to his experience in community media, Charles owned and operated a local video production business for many years. This venture allowed him to closely collaborate with key community members including local unions, police and fire departments, and non-profits. Through these partnerships, Charles deepened his understanding of the unique needs and stories within our community.

His video production experience encompasses a diverse range of production formats from news stories, documentaries, and feature films to music videos, animation, and multi-camera live events. He has won awards for short films, music productions, and non-profit programs throughout his years at CC:Media. With a strong commitment and passion for non-profit work and civic engagement, Charles is particularly energized by the organization’s efforts to build and expand access to community news and information.

“Charles Lewis is uniquely poised to take CC:Media into the future. The organization is committed to serving the changing needs of the community; with Charles’ solid background and drive to achieve this goal we know he will be a great success,” added long-time board member Cara Fischer.

The Board is thrilled to have Charles Lewis leading CC:Media, and the stability and continuity his leadership will provide. CC:Media is currently engaged in a strategic planning process. We feel fortunate to have a leader that not only understands where we need to go but clearly knows and appreciates where we have been and greatly values what CC:Media means to our partners and community.

Please join us in welcoming Charles as Executive Director!