Donald A. Baer, Jack Galmiche and Molly Corbett Broad Elected Board Chair, Professional Vice-Chair and General Vice-Chair
General Directors Selected and Professional Directors Seated at October Meeting
ARLINGTON, VA, October 29, 2014 – Paula Kerger, PBS President and Chief Executive Officer, announced the results of the 2014 PBS Board elections after the recent Board meeting in Arlington, VA. The Board elected Burson-Marsteller Worldwide Chair & CEO Don Baer, The Irving Group President & CEO Larry Irving, and Bank of Hawaii Former Chairman & CEO Al Landon to serve a second term as General Directors. American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad was re-elected to the Board, having served from 2007 to 2013. The Board also selected the following Board officers: Mr. Baer as Board Chair, Ms. Broad as General Vice-Chair, and KETC/St. Louis President & CEO Jack Galmiche as Professional Vice-Chair. Mr. Baer most recently held the office of General Vice-Chair. Ms. Broad was General Vice-Chair during her previous term.
In addition, WNED/Buffalo President & CEO Don Boswell, WCTE/Cookeville President & CEO Becky Magura, WNET/New York President & CEO Neal Shapiro and KUHT/Houston Executive Director & General Manager Lisa Shumate were seated at their first Board meeting since being voted in as Professional Directors in August. Mr. Boswell is serving for a second term while the others are first-time directors.
“I am tremendously grateful to the PBS Board, which is a group of dedicated and talented leaders who give generously of their time and expertise,” said Ms. Kerger. “Recent Nielsen data shows that PBS finished the 2013-2014 season with a dramatic increase in viewership, moving PBS to the 5th largest primetime household rating among all broadcast and cable networks. It is during such moments of success that it is even more critical to seize opportunities, to push forward and continue to innovate, experiment and be bold. The 2014-2015 Board includes the right combination of skills and commitment to help move our system forward and build an even stronger public service enterprise for the American people.”
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 are elected to three-year terms and serve without pay.
PBS member stations elect the Professional Directors. The General Directors are elected by the Board, which also appoints the PBS President and Chief Executive Officer. The entire Board of Directors elects its officers.
Biographical Information
Donald A. Baer (Newly Elected Board Chair & Returning General Director)
Donald A. Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO of global public relations and communications firm Burson-Marsteller. Mr. Baer has been a member of Burson-Marsteller’s global senior management team since 2008, while also leading major engagements for clients in every sector and part of the world, especially for top technology, communications and media companies.
His career has spanned leading roles as a media and communications executive for a wide range of important business, government and non-profit organizations. He has had extensive strategic, creative and operational experience at the White House, major global companies and media organizations.
From 1998 to 2007, Mr. Baer helped lead global media company Discovery Communications. As Senior Executive Vice President for Strategy and Development and an executive committee member, reporting to the CEO, he led worldwide marketing efforts; business development including new ventures and acquisitions; new media strategy/operations; and corporate-level business development, communications, research and public policy. He drove significant growth in Discovery’s online offerings, including acquisitions of digital businesses and the launch of its first mobile video services, and oversaw the Discovery/New York Times Company joint venture in the Discovery Times Channel. As a producer, he supervised Discovery’s public affairs content, including the 2004 Emmy Award-winning series Decisions That Shook the World and a documentary series with Thomas Friedman of The New York Times. Mr. Baer managed Discovery’s partnership with the American Film Institute to create the documentary festival Silverdocs.
From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Baer was a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton. As an Assistant to the President and White House Director of Strategic Planning and Communications and, before, as Chief Speechwriter/Director of Speechwriting and Research, Mr. Baer was widely recognized for his key role in the Clinton Presidency, including the historic 1996 re-election. In addition to managing an integrated message strategy across domestic and foreign policy agencies, he led the development of many major Presidential addresses and worked on every State of the Union from 1995 to 2000.
From 1985 to 1993, Mr. Baer was a journalist. For seven years, at U.S. News & World Report, he covered politics and the White House and, as an assistant managing editor, oversaw national and international coverage. He also worked at The American Lawyer, has written for publications including The New York Times and POLITICO, was a CBS News on-air analyst and has appeared on many TV news shows. Since 2000, he has helped write the annual Kennedy Center Honors TV production, winning two Writers Guild of America awards. In the 1980s, Mr. Baer was a media lawyer at New York’s Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler.
In addition to his new role as Chair of the PBS Board of Directors, Mr. Baer serves on the Boards of the Urban Institute, the News Literacy Project and digital media business Fora.tv. He is also a member of the Reuters Editorial Advisory Board. In 2013, he was inducted into the North Carolina Halls of Fame in Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations.
Mr. Baer received a B.A. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Phi Beta Kappa), a Master’s in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a J.D. from The University of Virginia School of Law. He lives with his wife, Nancy Bard, and two sons in Washington, D.C.
Don Boswell (Returning Professional Director)
Mr. Boswell, President and CEO of the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association (WNED-TV/AM/FM), is a public broadcasting veteran of nearly 42 years, having held positions with North Texas Public Broadcasting Inc. in Dallas, KCTS in Seattle, and WVIA-TV/FM in Pittston, Pennsylvania prior to joining WNED in January of 1998.
The Pittsburgh native is the recipient of numerous PBS professional awards and five national program Emmy awards. He continues his long history of community service on the boards of, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), AAA, Greater Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau, University at Buffalo Foundation, HealthNow NY, Inc., National Conference for Community and Justice, the P2 Collaborative, New Era Cap Company and the Market Arcade Film and Arts Centre. In Canada, Mr. Boswell serves on the Board of the Red Sky Theatre and on the International Advisory Board of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.
Married and the father of one daughter, Mr. Boswell holds bachelor and masters degrees from Pennsylvania State University and a Management Development Certificate from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania. He is a philatelist, golfer, and photographer.
Mr. Boswell Chairs the PBS Diversity Task Force and serves on the PBS Finance Committee and Investment Subcommittee, the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, and the PBS Foundation Board of Directors.
Molly Corbett Broad (Newly Elected General Director & Newly Elected General Vice-Chair)
A leading spokesperson for American higher education, Molly Corbett Broad became the twelfth president of the American Council on Education in 2008. She is the first woman to lead the organization since its founding in 1918.
Ms. Broad came to ACE from the University of North Carolina (UNC), where she served as president from 1997-2006, leading UNC through a period of unprecedented enrollment growth. Due in large part to the success of the Focused Growth Initiative, minority enrollment at UNC grew at more than double the rate of the overall student body during her tenure. She also spearheaded the creation of a need-based financial aid program for in-state undergraduates and the creation of the College Foundation of North Carolina.
Ms. Broad held a number of administrative and executive positions at several universities prior to her tenure at UNC. At the California State University system, she served as senior vice chancellor for administration and finance from 1992–93, and as executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer from 1993 until her election as UNC president. Earlier in her career, Ms. Broad served as the chief executive officer for Arizona's three-campus university system (1985–92) and in a succession of administrative posts at Syracuse University (1971–85).
Ms. Broad has written and spoken widely on strategic planning for higher education, K–16 partnerships, information technology, globalization and biotechnology. She is currently on the Board of the Parsons Corporation. She is past chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, past chair of the Internet 2 board of trustees and past president of the International Council for Distance Education.
She has served on the boards and executive committees of the Business-Higher Education Forum; Council on Competitiveness; National Association of University System Heads; and the Centenary Committee for Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
Ms. Broad earned a General Motors Scholarship to Syracuse University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a baccalaureate degree in economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She holds a master's degree in the field from The Ohio State University.
Jack Galmiche (Newly Elected Professional Vice-Chair)
Jack Galmiche became the President and CEO of KETC, St. Louis in November 2006. KETC is among the most watched public television stations in the PBS system with one of the most highly rated audiences for full-day viewing.
Mr. Galmiche has focused the station’s efforts around new forms of community engagement and expanded the reach of the station’s content through new forms of digital distribution. KETC’s community engagement now includes over 70 public television and radio stations through the Facing the Mortgage Crisis initiative. A new 5,000 square foot digital media center has been constructed at KETC. Known as the Nine Network of Public Media, the facility includes a daily online news service in cooperation with former award-winning journalists from the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Prior to joining KETC, Mr. Galmiche was the executive vice president and COO of Oregon Public Broadcasting. He joined OPB in 1997 to lead the statewide network’s efforts in the emerging capabilities of digital television. Under Mr. Galmiche’s leadership, OPB’s National Television Production unit posted substantial gains – increasing national productions for public television from 30 hours to more than 200 hours, including the current PBS series History Detectives.
Mr. Galmiche has served on several public broadcasting boards and committees. He is a current member and treasurer of the board of American Public Television and immediate past member and treasurer of the board of the Integrated Media Association. He is the past board chair of the Northwest Public Affairs Network, a former member of the NAB Data Broadcasting Committee, and a contributing member of several DTV standards organizations, including the ATSC Committee on Interactive Services. He also served as a director of the International Electronic Cinema Festival.
Mr. Galmiche holds a B.S. in Finance and Business Management from St. Louis University.
Larry Irving (Returning General Director)
Larry Irving is the President and CEO of the Irving Group, a consulting firm providing strategic advice and assistance to international telecommunications and information technology companies, foundations and non-profit organizations. From September 2009 to July 2011, Mr. Irving served as Vice President for Global Government Affairs for the Hewlett-Packard Company.
Prior to founding the Irving Group in 1999, Mr. Irving served for almost seven years as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where he was a principal advisor to the President, Vice President and Secretary of Commerce on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues.
Mr. Irving was one of the principal architects and advocates of the Clinton Administration's telecommunications and Internet policies, and was a point person in the Administration's successful efforts to reform the United States telecommunications laws. Those efforts resulted in passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the most sweeping change in America s telecommunications laws in 60 years.
Similarly, in international fora, Irving was an ardent advocate of regulatory reform. He represented the U.S. government as Sherpa (lead coordinator for the U.S. Government) at the G-7's first Ministerial meeting on the Global Information Society in Brussels, and at the Information Society and Development Conference in South Africa, the first Ministerial meeting between developing countries and developed countries to discuss the emerging global Internet. Mr. Irving was also a key member of the U.S. team that negotiated the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on basic telecommunication services.
Mr. Irving is widely credited with coining the term the digital divide and sparking global interest in the issue. In large part due to his work to promote policies and develop programs to ensure access to advanced telecommunications and information technologies, Mr. Irving was named one of the fifty most influential persons in the 'Year of the Internet' by Newsweek Magazine.
Mr. Irving currently serves as a member of the board of ReliabilityFirst Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for Stanford Law School, the Board of Councilors for the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California, the Board of Visitors for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences of Northwestern University and the Director’s Circle for the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University, and is a recipient of the University’s Alumni Merit Award for distinguished professional achievement. He is also a graduate of Stanford University School of Law, where he was elected President of his graduating class. He is married to Leslie Annett Wiley and resides in the District of Columbia.
Allan Landon (Returning General Director)
Mr. Landon is a seasoned executive with a strong financial background and a wide range of management experience. He is a partner in Community BanCapital, a community bank investment fund based in Portland, Oregon. A Director of State Farm Mutual Insurance Company and State Farm Bank, he also serves as an adjunct instructor at the Universities of Utah and Hawaii. Mr. Landon is a member of the National Board of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
In 2010, Mr. Landon retired as Chairman and CEO of Bank of Hawaii, a NYSE company with a market value exceeding $2 billion. Bank of Hawaii, noted for its financial results, asset quality, and disciplined management, was selected by Forbes Magazine as the “Best Bank in America” in both 2009 and 2010.
In addition, Mr. Landon has held positions of leadership in several community and business organizations. He served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Medical Services Association, which provides the state’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance coverage. He also was a director at MidFirst Bank. Before joining Bank of Hawaii in 2000, Mr. Landon was a CPA and Partner with Ernst & Young, where he worked for 28 years in several Midwest and Eastern offices.
Becky Magura (Newly Seated Professional Director)
With more than 30 years of experience in production, educational outreach and management at public television station WCTE, Becky Magura brings to any project a level of commitment necessary for success. She resides in Cookeville, TN and serves on numerous regional & national boards. She recently received the Cumberland Business Journal’s Ovation Award for Community Service.
Ms. Magura holds BS and MA degrees in Education from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, with an emphasis in Communications. She has years of experience in television production as an on-air host, producer, and videographer. In 2006, Ms. Magura became WCTE’s fourth General Manager and has led the station team through the digital transition in transmission and production, as well as securing a second WCTE satellite studio. She also recently served as the Past Chair of the National Educational Telecommunications Association’s (NETA) Executive Board and is currently serving on the Association of Public Television Stations Board of Trustees.
Ms. Magura believes strongly in supporting independent producers and collaborative station productions such as Live Green Tennessee. She served as the station liaison for Todd Jarrell’s documentary, CRANK: Darkness on the Edge of Town, which was funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through the Independent Television Service (ITVS) LiNCS grant. CRANK: Darkness on the Edge of Town, is distributed for national broadcast through American Public Television and is the recipient of 10 national awards, including a regional Emmy. Jarrell’s work, Tuba U: Brasso Profundo, received WCTE’s first PBS primetime feed and two other documentaries by Jarrell are in line for national distribution.
Ms. Magura also serves as station liaison for Jack Stoddart’s independently produced series, Jammin at Hippie Jack’s, now in the eighth season and airing nationally through NETA, as well as Todd Jarrell and Todd Mayo’s Emmy award winning series, Bluegrass Underground, an HD music series currently in its fourth season in distribution through PBS.
Neal Shapiro (Newly Seated Professional Director)
In his seven years as chief executive of WNET, Neal Shapiro has set new fundraising records, increased local and national productions, expanded distribution and stabilized the station's financial standing.
Throughout his tenure at WNET, he has looked for new opportunities to expand public media's value by increasing programming and enhancing community services.
In 2011, when the State of New Jersey eliminated all taxpayer funds for the statewide public television network, WNET stepped in and built a more efficient operation, with a sustainable business plan and a balanced budget. Today, NJTV partners with universities, media outlets and local film makers to offer more hours of local programming and is about to embark on a new facility.
When CPB announced the American Graduate initiative, Shapiro launched American Graduate Day and included an opt-in for stations of any size to allow any local station to reinforce its value to the education community. The seven-hour program achieved more than 80% carriage on PBS stations in 2014.
At WLIW and Thirteen, Shapiro jump-started local production in public affairs, history and a new prime-time arts program. In 2012, WNET developed a new digital content sharing platform to benefit other stations; members can upload their content and download a fully scripted, customizable arts show. Today, the 34 member stations report their new local arts shows are leading them to new viewers, supporters and funders.
The platform has been successfully extended to include a new program on science and technology that launched this fall.
Shapiro also included an optional segment for local stations during the newly launched NewsHour Weekend; he has worked with his education and outreach department to develop more local outreach opportunities for programs like Looking for Lincoln, Shakespeare Uncovered, ANNIE: It's the Hard Knock Life, and more.
Before joining WNET, Shapiro was President of NBC News from 2001 to 2007. In 25 years as a broadcast journalist and executive, he has won 3 Columbia DuPont Awards, 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards and 32 Emmys.
He has served on the APT Board and is now on the boards of Gannett and his alma mater, Tufts University.
He lives in NYC with his wife, Juju Chang, co-anchor of ABC News Nightline, and their three sports-obsessed sons.
Lisa Trapani Shumate (Newly Seated Professional Director)
Lisa Trapani Shumate, Executive Director and General Manager of Houston Public Media led the strategic effort to combine the operations of three separate organizations: Houston PBS, the nation’s first educational television station, and radio stations KUHF News 88.7 and KUHA, Classical 91.7.
Serving the nation’s 6th largest radio market and 10th largest television market Houston Public Media is licensed to the University of Houston, has an annual budget of more than $20 million, a staff of 125 people and more than 60,000 supporters.
Shumate was recently elected to serve on the PBS Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in fall 2014.
Since joining Houston Public Media in the fall of 2011 Shumate has become involved in the Public Television Major Market Group. She chairs the National Spot Sales Committee and joins the PTMMG Board of Directors in October of 2014. Shumate is a Board member of the Texas PBS Association and is active in the University Licensee Association.
Ms. Shumate is involved in the Houston community through leadership roles with several business and service organizations. She is on the Board of the Center for Houston’s Literacy, a Steering Committee Member of the Executive Women’s Partnership, and a member of the University of Houston’s Board of Visitors and International Women’s Forum.
Ms. Shumate is a broadcast veteran who has served in management positions with Houston commercial stations KHOU 11 (Gannett/CBS, formerly owned by Belo) and KTRK/ABC 13 (Disney). She was director of programming and marketing for KHOU and executive director of Belo Marketing Solutions in Dallas.
During her 11 years with KTRK, she created award-winning public affairs initiatives such as “Caring Cradles,” a pre-natal care awareness campaign with the March of Dimes, now in its 22nd year. Another example is “Children First” an awareness campaign that focused on reading, health and safety. Shumate also established the first television broadcast rights agreements for the Chevron Houston Marathon and Houston Texans pre-season games and weekly programs.
Throughout her career Ms. Shumate has received national, regional and local awards for community service and journalistic excellence.
About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 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. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. 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 devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS PressRoom on Twitter.
CONTACT:
Jan McNamara
PBS
jmcnamara@pbs.org
703-739-5028
