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Christine Zuba, a broadcast industry veteran, is retiring after a 49-year career. Michael Sharpstene, who joined Dielectric in January, will officially step into Zuba’s role as Dielectric’s regional sales manager on July 1.
Zuba began her career as a college intern at WVIA-TV, a PBS member station in Pennsylvania, in the United States. She later transferred to Penn State University as an electrical engineering major. Upon graduating, she joined RCA’s antenna division. After gaining experience in cellular radio and broadcast consulting, she rejoined RCA, which Dielectric acquired in 1986. Zuba held various engineering and product management roles before becoming director of sales and marketing in 1989 and then national sales manager in 1994.
“I never really wanted to be in sales,” said Zuba. “Yet it is one of the best decisions I have made. I always enjoyed the challenge of listening to customers, learning the unique parameters of their projects, and developing concepts with our engineers that solve problems and address their needs. The triple-stack antenna we produced for installation atop the Sears Tower in Chicago during the US DTV conversion is a prime example.”
Innovation and inspiration
Zuba expressed confidence in Sharpstene’s ability to take over her responsibilities. “I am really excited about all the people we have at Dielectric today,” she said. “Dielectric has many long-time employees with years of experience who continue to innovate, and they are finding new inspiration in the many young, talented engineers who have joined Dielectric over the last 10 years.”
Dielectric recently celebrated Zuba’s retirement with a company-wide event in Maine. Zuba looks forward to spending more time with her family, including her grandson and her partner, and pursuing hobbies such as golf, travel and relaxing by the pool. “I thank Dielectric and my customers for the support they’ve shown me during professional and personal changes in my life,” she added.
“We have had the luxury of calling many industry leaders and influencers longtime employees at Dielectric, and we are grateful that a true broadcast lifer such as Christine elected to spend nearly her entire broadcast career with us,” said Dielectric President Keith Pelletier. “Our customers are grateful too. We will all miss her contributions and her dynamic presence at our NAB booth, industry events, in-person business meetings, and conference calls. She may be signing off the air, but her station isn’t going dark; it’s just being repacked to a new channel assignment in the retirement spectrum. We wish her the best.”
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