There’s a new Emmy Award winner in the neighborhood.

Paul Siefken, president & CEO of Fred Rogers Productions, was inducted into the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards Silver Circle earlier this year. Siefken, Woodland Drive, was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at Lincoln Center in New York.

The Silver Circle honor is awarded to television professionals with 25 or more years of service. Siefken’s contribution to the industry includes his role managing the media company founded by Fred Rogers in 1971, which produces Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Alma’s Way and Odd Squad, among other shows. It was originally created as a nonprofit organization that produced Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Siefken has worked at Fred Rogers Productions since 2013. Prior to that he was Associate Director of Children’s Programming at PBS.

“It’s really nice to be recognized and a great time to look back at the content I’ve been in some way associated with for the last 30 years,” he said. “To know that you can be part of this formative experience for young people that they carry throughout their lives is meaningful and feels good.”

Siefken has always gravitated toward working with and for children. His time in the children’s television industry began at Cartoon Network in 1996, where he contributed to marketing, production, and copywriting. Before that he was a high school English teacher and a wrestling coach. In 2024 he wrote a juvenile fiction novel titled, Vernon Poche & The Ghosts of New Orleans.

“Children are the best audience in the world,” said Siefken. “They deserve our respect, and they deserve the highest quality content we can give them.”

Siefken and his wife, Anna, are parents to daughters, Ella, 23, and Ruby, 21. During his time at PBS, when he helped launch shows like Curious George and Wild Kratts, Siefken’s own children were the age of the target audience. Watching the shows alongside his daughters allowed him to witness the positive results of his work firsthand, and like Fred Rogers, he was aware of the power that television had over young viewers.

When Siefken moved his family to Pittsburgh to begin his role at Fred Rogers Productions, he knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. But realizing he was going to be the president of an organization formed by a beloved figure who meant so much to Pittsburgh and people all over the country gave him a lot to consider.

“It has allowed me to think about the why and the how of the work rather than focusing on who Fred Rogers was or what he made,” Siefken said. “I tell my team we need to make sure we are inspired and informed by the work that Fred Rogers did, but we can’t be haunted by it.”

Siefken is proud of the team that has been built at Fred Rogers Productions during his tenure, including a new generation of contributors to the work.

“We have a lot of young people working for us who are all still following the same mission,” Siefken said. “To have inspired a lot of people to want to come work with us and do the things we do is really gratifying.”

He and the entire staff at Fred Rogers Productions pay close attention to every detail and are constantly working to be more inclusive and more accessible through intentional choices. For better representation, the media company has introduced characters with autism and mobility issues, and programming now allows for language and sign interpretation. Advisors, writers and voice actors are chosen with representation and authenticity in mind. The shows also serve to provide children with the tools to handle their feelings and different situations.

“As issues around children emerge, we find ways to make sure we’re being as inclusive in possible in our storytelling and the characters we create,” Siefken said. “There are plenty of places they can catch the wrong attitudes in the world but we’re hoping they’ll be able to catch some positive attitudes from our shows.”

The opportunity to see children interact with community members and work alongside nonprofit groups is another rewarding part of Siefken’s job. The media company plans community events and involvement opportunities for children and families, which Siefken said teaches children about members of their community, like police officers, veterans and firefighters, and involves them in cleanups and food and clothing drives.

“It’s a way for children to share empathy and share neighborliness,” Siefken said. “We can take television content and turn it into something much bigger.”

After being honored for his achievements, Siefken is looking ahead to the future. He is excited to produce new content over the next few years and find new ways to engage children. He said Fred Rogers Productions and its mission to showcase the importance of being a caring neighbor is as relevant as ever and he is grateful to play a part in it.

“I like to remind my colleagues that we’re lucky to work at a place where it’s impossible to be too earnest. It’s freeing to be able to make the best choice, and not what’s the most lucrative or manipulative,” Siefken said. “That certainly gives you a satisfied feeling when you go home every day.”