Image Credit: Diana Velasquez-munoz
Tony Pagnotti has been in the communications field since he graduating from college, dabbling in reporting, weather and teaching. You can still find him doing weather in Baltimore on Fox45’s morning show on Saturday and Sunday. While broadcasting is still a part of his career, Tony truly enjoys teaching and finds it very satisfying. Before joining the IAA faculty, he taught public speaking classes at the Community College of Baltimore County and Stevenson University for 10 years. The IAA is proud to have Tony as one of our new oral communications lecturers. Here’s Tony:
1. What brought you to wanting to do something with agriculture?
I wasn’t looking for a teaching position in agriculture. When I saw the IAA was advertising for lecturers of oral communication I sent in my resume, thinking I might be teaching all ag students. But during my interview I found out that I would be conducting four oral communication classes with students from various majors.
2. What’s your favorite type of public speaking to teach?
My theory is whether you’re speaking to 1,000 people or in an interpersonal setting with two people, psychologically it’s the same. It’s a matter of managing the anxiety. I always tell my students this fact – that more people are afraid of public speaking than dying.
I enjoy teaching across the board.
3. What was the craziest story you had to report on when you were a Television reporter?
I was working at a local NY station, WNBC, back in the mid-1980s. In the first couple of days I was sent to do a live story at the United Nations (UN). I went over there, gathered some notes, and had 20 minutes before I was going live on air. I hopped an elevator that ended up in this dark basement of the UN . No one was down there and when I tried to use the elevator again, it didn’t work. So I was running around trying to find someone. Finally, I found a security guard who told me how to get to the front of the building. I made it outside with a minute before I’m supposed to go live. I found my station’s news truck, a block away, and ran to it. They were putting the mike on me with 30 seconds to go. Luckily, I made it through.
4. If you could give someone only one interview tip, what would it be?
Be real, but be real with passion. It’s the first 15 seconds that determine whether you’re hired, whether they like you, etc.
5. Why did you make the move to Maryland?
I wanted to stay at WNBC and take a promotion from reporter to weathercaster. But amid that transition I was informed that they were going to hire an up and coming forecaster from Cleveland, Ohio. His name- Al Roker. The rest as they say is history. I went on to enjoy a long run for many years in Baltimore television. But I decided teaching communications would be very rewarding and that’s the direction I would go. . So two years ago I went back and earned a Masters degree. Soon thereafter I landed this great job at the UMD.
6. What’s your favorite part of the IAA so far?
The people. I am so impressed that my colleagues are so welcoming and down-to-earth.
7. What are you looking forward to most as a new semester starts?
I was impressed first semester by the wide variety of students I had and watching the progress they made throughout the semester. I’m excited for a whole new batch and starting it up all over again.
8. What’s your favorite speech you’ve ever given?
This may sound a little strange, but I felt this was my most passionate speech and it’s the best I’ve ever felt after a speech. It was my mom’s eulogy 20 years ago. I put together all the ways she touched family and friends. It was the toughest thing I ever had to do. But once I got up there and felt the love from those in the church, I knew my mom was looking down very proud of the job her son had done.
9. Do you have any funny stories from being a weather anchor?
I’ve been in hurricanes, blizzards and all that good stuff. But about 20 years ago I was the host of the John’s Hopkins Miracle Network Telethon and before I had to do that I had to give the weather report. My daughters, Annie, 7, and Alee, 9, had never come to work with me, so I brought them. I put them up on the news desk where I was being introduced and thought I’d introduce them. So I did. When I went over to do the 3 minute live weather report, I saw out of the corner of my eye Annie walking toward me. I could see on the monitor Annie behind me waving her arms and saying “Go Daddy.” Finally we were able to get her off screen just to have Alee go behind me and make faces and poses at the camera. Fifteen years later, people still talk about that show.
10. If you had a day off and you could do anything, what would you do and why?
I would get on a private super jet and fly to Italy. I’m 100 percent Italian, but I’ve never been to Italy. I think I’d eat, drink and try and find my ancestral roots there before I had to head back home.
