ALEXANDRIA, VA, February 8, 2005 - Chris DeCesaris has been promoted to the position of PBS Controller and Assistant Treasurer. In this new role, he will manage and account for all banking and investment advisor transactions, coordinate all audits of PBS, manage the work flow of the accounting department, and direct the preparation of quarterly financial statements and analyses. Mr. DeCesaris' duties will also include scheduling and coordinating monthly, quarterly and year-end closings to provide timely and accurate feedback of information to all internal departments, the PBS Board of Directors, as well as the Board's Finance, Audit & Investment Committees. Mr. DeCesaris reports to Barbara L. Landes, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. DeCesaris initially joined PBS in December 2003 as Director of Internal Audit. During his time in that position he provided training seminars to PBS employees regarding policies and internal controls; reviewed and appraised the effectiveness of operational, financial and information management systems; conducted site visits to federal subcontracting stations; developed a quarterly work-plan; presented results of audit activities to the Audit Committee on a quarterly basis; and assisted the external auditors with the annual financial statement audit.
"Chris has made tremendous contributions to PBS during his tenure here," said Barbara L. Landes, PBS Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "We are so pleased that PBS will continue to benefit from his understanding of PBS accounting systems and controls, his strong management skills and his substantial prior experience in not for profit accounting."
Prior his work at PBS, Mr. DeCesaris served as an Assurance Manager at Grant Thornton, LLP. As a member of Grant Thornton's Non-for-Profit Solutions Group, Mr. DeCesaris managed nearly 30 not-for-profit audit engagements, developed audit plans for clients, and presented audit results at client board of directors meetings. He joined Grant Thornton in 1995 as Staff Auditor.
Mr. DeCesaris holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park, is a Certified Public Accountant for the State of Maryland, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The Institute of Internal Auditors.
PBS is a private, nonprofit media enterprise that serves the nation's 349 public noncommercial television stations, reaching nearly 90 million people each week. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is the leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of educational services for adult learners. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, the leading dot-org Web site on the Internet. PBS is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
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CONTACT:
Jan McNamara, 703-731-5028; jmcnamara@pbs.org