In this season of giving, we are reminded there’s perhaps no place on earth better known for its generosity than Palm Beach.
The Palm Beach Civic Association recently received a gift of $50,000 from the estate of Felicia Taylor in honor of Bob Wright, chairman emeritus of the Civic Association and former chairman and CEO of NBC Universal, and his wife, Civic Association director Susan Wright.
The $50,000 will support the communications initiatives of Palm Beach TV, Studio 33480, The Wright News Follow the Story, and The Felicia Taylor Arts Legacy Series. A portion may be used to enhance communications equipment.
Taylor was a longtime Palm Beach resident and television journalist who died in 2023 at age 59.
Peter Gottsegen, who was Taylor’s husband, said he was inspired to donate $50,000 from her estate after learning that Bob and Susan Wright had given $1 million to the Civic Association to finance a new segment on the organization’s award-winning Palm Beach TV.
Gottsegen is a retired business executive who married Taylor in 2021.
Mary Robosson, CEO of the Civic Association, announced the Wrights’ legacy gift at the non-profit organization’s annual Director’s Reception and Luncheon on November 19 at Club Colette.
The $1 million is financing the launch of the PBTV news segment The Wright News Follow the Story which will keep a close eye on news stories as they continue to unfold.
Bob Wright was chairman of the Civic Association from 2010 until 2023. Susan Wright is co-chairman of the organization’s Communications Committee and a director since 2020.
Taylor is perhaps best known for her remarkable 25-year career in television news. She was a weekend anchor for WNBC in New York and a business correspondent for the CNBC and CNN cable networks, covering pivotal moments in history from the Gulf War to the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Gottsegen, a Civic Association director since 2023, said Taylor thought highly of Bob Wright, so a gift from her estate in honor of him seemed fitting.
“When Felicia was at NBC she worked for Bob Wright and she admired him greatly,” Gottsegen said. “I’m always looking for ways to honor Felicia and I knew she would want to support something Bob and Susan were doing.”
Bob Wright said Taylor was a talented journalist and a valuable asset to the news team.
“As reporter and anchor, she was tenacious in her efforts to follow the story,” he said. “Susan and I are honored to have this gift in her memory.”
The $50,000 isn’t the first gift to the Civic Association from the Taylor estate. In December 2024, the Civic Association received a $100,000 donation from the estate that enabled it to launch the Felicia Taylor Arts Legacy Series, which explores the rich tapestry of cultural and artistic offerings available to residents of Palm Beach and the greater community.
The series was designed in honor of Taylor, who was known for her deep appreciation of the arts.
Gottsegen said Taylor loved Palm Beach.
“She was very clear to me that she wanted to give to Palm Beach and to help the community,” he said.
The Felicia Taylor Arts Legacy Series features studio interviews of the leaders of area cultural institutions that have so far included the Society of the Four Arts, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Norton Museum of Art, and more.
Michael Williams, retired co-anchor of WPTV NewsChannel 5, has agreed to host the second season of the series, which will launch in early 2026.
Robosson expressed the Association’s gratitude toward Gottsegen and the Taylor estate for the recent $50,000 gift.
“Peter’s leadership as a director of the Civic Association, and ongoing support of our communications initiatives, is a tribute to how leadership truly begins with our citizens, and is so greatly appreciated,” Robosson said.
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