We build bridges
We build bridges
Bill Shory
Co-Founder/President
A four-time Emmy winner, Bill Shory is the co-founder and President of Fleur de Lis Communications. He spent two decades leading newsrooms in 6 different cities and is passionate about telling stories - especially when they involve people making their communities better.
Bill has a lifelong passion for community service. During his news career, he led numerous public service initiatives, from organizing Thanksgiving dinner for 7500 survivors of Hurricane Katrina to launching the Louisville affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
In 2020, he started FDLC alongside his business partner and friend, Tara Goode, with the goal to get back to human-centered communications. He is an expert on learning an organization’s story quickly and helping it reach target audiences.
When not at work, he can be found spending time with his wife, Dr. Michelle Shory, and their teenage daughter Isabella, already an award-winning journalist in her own right.
linkedin.com/in/billshory/
In 2004, Bill became news director for WBIR-TV in Knoxville, TN. During his tenure, the newsroom was honored with three Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence. Bill was a statewide leader in the fight for government transparency and open records, and his stand for press access during the resignation of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin earned him a National Ethics in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Bill also organized numerous service initiatives for the station, including providing Thanksgiving dinner for 7,500 residents of Bay St. Louis, MS after Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Bureau of Investigation honored his efforts with its Community Leadership Award in 2010.
In 2013, he returned to journalism as the News Director for WAVE-TV in Louisville, KY, and the newsroom won two Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence under his leadership. Each year, he led planning and execution of the station’s coverage surrounding the Kentucky Derby – heading up a team of more than 100 people and 40 hours of live field coverage.
Bill’s love of great food, horse racing and bourbon have made Louisville a perfect fit, and his family is deeply involved in the community. He co-founded Imagination Library of Louisville and still serves on its board, as well as the statewide advisory board for the program. He has also served on the Vestry for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where he helped launch live streaming of services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and where he can still be found switching cameras on some Sundays.
Bill earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and History from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. He lives in Louisville with his wife Michelle, a lifelong educator, and their daughter Isabella.