ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 5, 2000 -- Five Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) communications professionals have been promoted to new posts:
- Harry Forbes, the New York-based director of program press relations, is now senior director of program press relations;
- Kevin Dando, associate director of education and online communications, has been named director of the newly expanded education and online communications area;
- Dara Goldberg, associate director of corporate communications, has been promoted to director of corporate communications;
- Donna Williams, associate director of program press relations in New York is now director of program press relations; and
- Chris Walz, senior manager of account services, has been appointed director of account services.
"These talented individuals have contributed significantly to making PBS one of the most respected media brands in the country," said Tom Epstein, PBS vice president of communications. "These promotions acknowledge their outstanding leadership and enhance PBS's ability to improve the quality and recognition of the unique services we provide to our member stations and to the American people."
Mr. Forbes, PBS's lead spokesperson on program-related issues, joined PBS in 1983 as a national program publicist. He was named associate director of program press relations and head of PBS's New York office in 1988, and was promoted to director in 1996. Prior to his service at PBS, Mr. Forbes was publicity administrator for NBC's flagship station, New York's WNBC, and held editorial and promotion positions at New York's WCBS and Thirteen/WNET.
Mr. Dando, who came to PBS in 1995 as manager of education communications, builds on his portfolio of press relations and promotion for PBS Online and all PBS education services. He now also oversees the implementation of PBS.org's America Online promotion agreement as well as PBS's systemwide electronic information services -- PBS Express and PBS Inline. Before coming to PBS, Mr. Dando was director of communications for a national child hunger advocacy organization.
Ms. Goldberg joined PBS as communications associate in 1994 and was named associate director of corporate communications two years later. In her new position, she is responsible for a wide range of communications initiatives, media relations and materials development for general corporate and public policy issues, digital television, and revenue-generating activities. She also oversees viewer mail. She succeeds Stu Kantor, who was named director of creative communications and editorial services for PBS Learning Media in December 1999. Prior to working at PBS, Ms. Goldberg was on the founding staff of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., where, from 1989 to 1994, she served in a number of communications positions. Mr. Forbes, Mr. Dando and Ms. Goldberg all report to Mr. Epstein.
Ms. Williams began at PBS's New York office in 1976 as an administrative staffer. She became a publicity assistant in 1977, promotion coordinator three years later, a national publicist in 1981, assistant director of program press relations in 1988, and associate director in 1996. As the leader of PBS's publicity initiatives on behalf of children's programs and services, Ms. Williams has been instrumental in advancing PBS KIDS' stature as the leading source of top-quality, noncommercial, nonviolent programs that entertain and educate America's children. She reports to Mr. Forbes.
Mr. Walz came to PBS earlier this year from ad agency Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, where he worked on the Boeing, Safeco Insurance and Visio Software accounts. Before that, he held a variety of positions, including manager of public affairs for the Boeing Company and press assistant for the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. The account services department manages all on-air and print creative services work requests for the PBS communications and brand management division. Mr. Walz reports to Judy Braune, vice president of strategy and brand management.
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 34 public television stations. A trusted community resource, PBS uses the power of noncommercial television, the Internet and other media to enrich the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services that inform, inspire and delight. Available to 99 percent of American homes with televisions and to an increasing number of digital multimedia households, PBS serves nearly 100 million people each week. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org.
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