Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro Talks With Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard on Newest Edition of ‘No Boundaries’ on County Cable Montgomery

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 23, 2015—Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro and Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard talked about the unforeseen incidents that turned their lives toward education and public service—and also about aspects of their lives that the public would not normally see—in the newest edition of County Cable Montgomery’s television show, “No Boundaries.” The show, which began running on the cable channel this week, will be viewable on demand and can now be seen on YouTube.

Councilmember Navarro and College President Pollard met at the Ruan Thai restaurant in Wheaton.

Councilmember Navarro chairs the Montgomery Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. Dr. Pollard has been president of the County’s community college since 2010. She is the ninth chief executive officer in the college’s 69-year history.

They talked about similarities that have shaped their lives—including that their early lives hardly set them on the paths they follow today. Councilmember Navarro talked about how she was the only Latina student in her elementary school in Missouri after her family moved there from Venezuela and the school system did not know how to assign someone with her background to classes. Dr. Pollard, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, discussed her early struggles and frustration in college and how she was ready to quit—until a counselor confronted her and challenged her to work harder and reach her potential. That conversation inspired her to become an outstanding student—and an educational leader who cares about the individual situations of students.

The half-hour show can be viewed starting Sunday at numerous times on CCM (Montgomery Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) in July and August. Upcoming viewing times include Sundays at 4:30 p.m.; Mondays at 6 p.m.; Wednesdays at 10 p.m.; Fridays at 11:30 a.m.; and Saturdays at 6 p.m.

The show also will be available for viewing on demand from the Montgomery County web site at: http://cmsinternet.mcgov.org/CCM/noboundaries.html .

It also available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdmL9SH6xjM .

Striving to go beyond the way residents normally hear views of local leaders, “No Boundaries” aims to show not only the views of local leaders on certain issues, but also what has led them to take these positions. Future shows will feature discussions between Montgomery Councilmembers and decision makers from other jurisdictions in the Washington region and from major businesses located in the region.

Previous episodes of “No Boundaries” featured conversations between Montgomery Councilmembers and guests including Congresswoman Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen; Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker; Howard County Executive Ken Ulman; Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner; Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova; Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown; Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake; Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz; former Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio; D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson; D.C. Councilmembers Muriel Bowser and Mary Cheh; Prince George’s Council Chair Mel Franklin and Councilmember Andrea Harrison; and judges Karla Smith and Joseph Quirk.

County Cable Montgomery created the show to allow local leaders to express their views in an informal atmosphere.  New episodes will bring together leaders from around the area as they look for common ground on current and long-term issues that will have impact beyond the geographic boundaries of Montgomery County.

“No Boundaries” producer Barbara Grunbaum said the series strives to offer viewers much more than most discussion shows. It is unique among programs offered on local government cable channels in the Washington region.

“We created ‘No Boundaries’ to be a format where these leaders would not only talk about the issues, but also their personal experiences that have driven them to take positions,” she said. “This is an unscripted show and neither of the participants know where the conversation may go. The viewers have been able to learn things about our guests that they likely could not learn elsewhere—and that is what makes each episode so different from other public cable shows.”

Ms. Grunbaum was the main editor of the show and had assistance from Loren Olson. Mike Springirth was the chief videographer, with assistance from Jorge Nunez. Terry Weisz was the program announcer.

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