Remembering Jon Huberth: A Legacy of Impact-Driven Storytelling

Jon Huberth died at the age of 78 on Sunday, November 27th, 2022. The cause was pancreatic cancer, although Jon liked to joke that he had “been in decline ever since 1957, the year of the Great Betrayal when the Brooklyn Dodgers were banished to LA.” This sense of humor was just one part of what made Jon such a special addition to our Tribe.

Jon’s work with Tribe began over three decades ago when Jon and Tribe founder, Vern Oakley, partnered to create a college admissions video— an emerging format that Jon helped to pioneer. Throughout his time with Tribe, Jon served as a trusted advisor, notably on the Tribe-produced feature film A Modern Affair. Throughout the creative process, Jon provided story notes, participated in table reads, offered up his home as a filming location, and, of course, made a cameo appearance. Over the years, he would serve as an invaluable creative sounding board on many Tribe projects of all types.

Jon’s career was an impactful one. He produced over 200 promotional and fundraising films for colleges, universities, and nonprofits, helping to raise over eight billion dollars and affecting many more lives. The numbers, while remarkable, hardly do justice to Jon’s legacy. He was an incredibly gifted storyteller, whether acting, directing, or writing, and his constant push to find the truth in every person drove us to be better every day.

At Tribe, he was a valued collaborator and mentor, but most importantly a good friend. He will be dearly missed.