Station Leaders Roy Clem, Kim Johnson, and Molly Phillips Elected As First-Term Professional Directors
ARLINGTON, VA; November 30, 2017— PBS announced the results of its recent Board elections following its first Board meeting of fiscal year 2018. Four Professional Directors who were elected by the PBS membership in August took their seats at the meeting, which was held Friday, November 10: Molly Phillips of Iowa Public Television, who was elected to a first term, and incumbent Directors Becky Magura of WCTE/Cookeville, TN, Neal Shapiro of WNET/New York, NY, and Lisa Shumate of Houston Public Media, who were each elected to a second term.
In addition, Roy Clem of Alabama Public Television and Kim Johnson of Colorado Public Television were elected by the Board to their first terms as Professional Directors. They will fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Eric Hyyppa, who is leaving Montana PBS to assume the presidency of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), and Linda O’Bryon, who recently retired from South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV).
The Board also re-elected four General Directors: Donald A. Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO of Burson-Marsteller, was elected to a third term and was also re-elected as Board Chair. Molly Corbett Broad, president emerita of the American Council on Education was elected to second term. Larry Irving, president and CEO of the Irving Group, and Allan Landon, assistant dean of the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, were each elected to a third term.
Ms. Shumate was elected as Professional Vice Chair. She will serve alongside Afsaneh Beschloss, founder and CEO of the global investment and advisory firm The Rock Creek Group, who was elected as General Vice Chair.
In welcoming the new members, the Board also recognized three departing Professional Directors: Mr. Hyyppa, Ms. O’Bryon, and Don Boswell, general manager of WNED in Buffalo, who retired from the Board pursuant to term limits. Mr. Boswell most recently held the Board positions of Professional Vice Chair and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act, public media in America is more vital, and also stronger, than ever,” said Ms. Kerger. “In this dynamic media environment, we are grateful to the station leaders who are joining our Board, as well as re-elected directors and those who have completed their service on the Board. Their commitment and strategic counsel enables the work that we do at PBS and across the system in service to our great mission.”
The 27-person PBS Board includes both Professional Directors, who are station leaders, and General Directors, who serve as lay members of the Board, as well as the PBS President. The PBS Board of Directors is responsible for governing and setting policy for PBS. General and Professional Directors of the PBS Board serve without pay.
Except in the case of filling vacancies created by resignations, PBS member stations elect the Professional Directors. The General Directors are elected by the full Board, as are the PBS President and the Board officers and Professional Directors filling vacancies.
About PBS
PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Aparna Kumar
703-739-5028
ahkumar@pbs.org
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOR NEWLY ELECTED PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORS
(Bios for re-elected Board members are available at http://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/board-directors.)
ROY CLEM, ALABAMA PUBLIC TELEVISION
Roy Clem is Executive Director of Alabama Public Television. Mr. Clem started his broadcast career as a street reporter in Denver, Colorado on the police beat. In 1974 he joined the Denver Police Department, where he created DPD’s first public information office while continuing to work in broadcasting at Denver’s CBS affiliate. He produced “Crimestoppers” and one of the nation’s first training programs that taught first responders how to treat injured victims suffering from AIDS. In 1986, he returned to television full-time as a broadcast Journalist.
In 2012, Mr. Clem was selected to be the Executive Director for the Alabama Public Television Network. During his tenure, the APT Team garnered several prestigious regional and national awards, including two Alabama Legislature Joint Resolutions honoring APT’s service to the state. Mr. Clem has received numerous other awards, including two national RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards and was named Alabama’s Broadcaster of the Year in 2012 and was inducted into the Alabama Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame
Mr. Clem co-founded Alabama’s Amber Alert Plan and taught Amber Alert Techniques across the nation for the DOJ. He holds numerous board positions, including Co-Chair of the Organization of State Broadcasting Executives (OSBE); Vice Chair of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS); Chair of the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences Board of Visitors; and Vice Chair of Alabama Broadcasters.
Kim Johnson, Colorado Public Television
Kim Johnson is President and General Manager at Colorado Public Television (CPT12), and establishes the direction for the station’s multi-channel content service. In partnership with Colorado-based organizations and public television viewers, she ensures that the station remains inclusive of the diverse perspectives that define the dynamic culture and changing demographics of Denver and the state of Colorado.
Ms. Johnson began her career in broadcasting in 1982 working as a multi-functional production professional on broadcast and commercial productions. She joined CPT12 in 1989 as a Production Manager and moved up through the ranks to become Vice President of Broadcast Operations in 2002, after managing several phases of the station’s digital conversion. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2010, and was named President and General Manager in 2014. She currently serves as the Vice President of the affinity group, Independent Public Television Station Association (IPTSA).
Molly Phillips, Iowa Public Television
Molly Phillips is the Executive Director and General Manager for Iowa Public Television (IPTV), where she has been responsible for leading Iowa’s only statewide broadcasting network since 2013. Ms. Phillips has served IPTV since 1990, devoting her career to the advancement of public television and IPTV’s mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans. She was previously the Director of Communications and Community Engagement, where for nearly 15 years she was responsible for the network’s state and federal public policy advocacy.
Ms. Phillips currently serves as Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect on the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Board of Directors. She also serves on Board of Trustees for America’s Public Television Stations (APTS). She completed the PBS Executive Leadership program in 2015 and is an active member of the Organization of State Broadcasting Executives (OSBE).
