Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/94526
Brian Williams and Brett Holey Nightly News NBC Director credits CMU BY DARCY ORLIK, '92 M.A. '95 Brett Holey graduated from CMU's broadcast and cinematic arts program on a picture perfect Mount Pleasant afternoon in May 1982. He celebrated briefl y with family and friends, then jumped in his VW Rabbit and drove to Indianapolis for a temporary job working with ABC Sports on the Indy 500. While he often jokes that he still hasn't fi gured out what he wants to be when he grows up, he's been in network television ever since. "Working at this level of the business," Holey says, "it's not unusual to be on a team or a panel where everyone is an Ivy Leaguer or from 'top' schools. I've always been proud to say I'm from CMU, even though I usually have to explain where it is." 16 centralight winter '12 Throughout his career Holey has met the powerful and famous, worked with leading media fi gures and directed coverage of some of the time's most signifi cant news events. For the past 16 years, his primary focus has been directing NBC Nightly News, fi rst with anchor Tom Brokaw and today with Brian Williams. "Brett's style of directing brings calm amid chaos," Williams says. "He's like that seasoned airline pilot that comes on the intercom to say, 'Don't worry, it's all going to be OK,' just after you hit major turbulence. We fl y through turbulence every night. The fact that our viewers don't sense it is 100 percent attributable to Brett." PHOTO BY ANTHONY QUINTANO/NBC NEWS