EAST LANSING, Mich. -- PBS Board Chair Geoffrey Sands announced Sept. 9 the results of the 2010-2011 voting that elected five station leaders to serve as professional directors on the PBS Board of Directors. Those chosen in the 2010-2011 election include WKAR General Manager DeAnne Hamilton.
Member stations across the nation cast their ballots between Aug. 3 and Aug. 31. Each of the directors will serve a three-year term Oct. 19 at the organizational meeting of the PBS Board.
“This is a time of profound change at PBS -- a moment when this enterprise is moving beyond broadcasting and finding numerous, innovative ways to engage audiences and fulfill its mission,” said Sands, who also serves as a director of McKinsey and Company.
The PBS Board includes both professional directors, who lead public television stations, and general directors, who represent the general public. The membership of PBS elects the professional directors. The general directors are elected by the Board, which also appoints the PBS president and CEO.
The directors are responsible for governing and setting policy for PBS.
In total, the board is comprised of 27 members – 14 professional directors, 12 general directors and the PBS president. All PBS Board members serve three-year terms without pay.
Hamilton currently serves as general manager of WKAR and director of Michigan State University’s Broadcasting Services. In this role, she directs the management of all operations of WKAR Public Radio and Television, including WKAR digital, two non-commercial cable television channels, Interactive Video Services which supports university instruction and research programs by connecting faculty and learners through the use of advanced technologies; and streaming services on wkar.org and social networks. Broadcasting services offers life-long learning services to the community through its Radio Reading Service and through educational and community outreach and engagement.
Prior to joining MSU in Jan. 2004, Hamilton was vice-president and station manager of KQED Public Television in San Francisco. She joined KQED in 1990, as a senior producer. Ms. Hamilton quickly moved into the position of associate director of news and current affairs and in 1991 became executive producer of production. She was named vice president and television station manager in 1999 and oversaw the daily operations of programming, national and local production, creative services, audience services and other related activities of the KQED television broadcasting division.
Others elected to the board include:
- Tom Axtell, general manager, Vegas PBS
- John King, president and CEO, Vermont Public Television
- JoAnn Urofsky, general manager, WUSF/Tampa, Fla.
- Allen Weatherly, executive director, Arkansas Educational Television Network.
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