34 Public Media Leaders Graduate from National Diversity Program

 

FOR INFORMATION:
Katie Quine
Marketing and Communications Manager
The Riley Institute at Furman University
864.294.3368; katie.quine@furman.edu

DECEMBER 15, 2021 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

34 PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS GRADUATE FROM NATIONAL DIVERSITY PROGRAM
The Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative explores opportunities and challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the public media sector. 

GREENVILLE, S.C. — As public media leaders navigate how to best foster diversity and equity in their workplaces and boards while making content inclusive for a wide array of audiences, a program is providing them with tools and perspectives that they can apply in their efforts.

Last week, 34 public media professionals from across the country were part of the second class to graduate from the Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative (PMDLI), a program of the Riley Institute at Furman University. It is offered in partnership with South Carolina ETV and modeled after the Institute’s award-winning South Carolina Diversity Leaders Initiative.

Over the course of four months, participants took part in a highly interactive curriculum comprising scenario analyses and other experiential learning tools that supports public media leaders in their efforts to apply diversity, equity, and inclusion principles to behaviors, systems, and cultures within their organizations.

“Today’s heightened awareness of racial and other inequities in American institutions has magnified and accelerated organizational and stakeholder expectations that public media leaders establish diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values within their organizations,” said Anthony Padgett, president and CEO of South Carolina ETV. “Recognizing that, we are proud to partner with the Riley Institute to offer this unique virtual program to our peers from across the country.”

Graduates of PMDLI become Public Media Diversity Fellows and will help identify future program participants. Collectively, they reflect a vast public media ecosystem, representing both television and radio as well as a variety of geographic regions, audiences, affiliate organizations, and diversity dimensions. A third PMDLI class will start the program in February.

“The Riley Institute is proud to play a role in connecting a network of public media professionals who are committed to managing, leading, and meeting the needs of increasingly diverse workers, clients, and audiences,” said Dr. Donald Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact this program will have in communities across the country.”

Below are the graduates of the second PMDLI class. For more information about PMDLI, visit furman.edu/public-media-dli.

Polly Anderson
Executive Director
OETA (Oklahoma Educational Television Authority)
Oklahoma City, OK

Colette Colclough
Vice President, Human Resources
Maryland Public Television
Owings Mills, MD

Jennifer Cook
Interim Executive Director
WUCF
Orlando, FL

Kate Domico
Executive Director
Pennsylvania PBS
Port Matilda, PA

Tim Eernisse
Vice President, Education
NETA
Columbia, SC

Leslie Fields-Cruz
Executive Director
Black Public Media
New York, NY

Nancy Finken
Chief Content Officer
Nebraska Public Media
Lincoln, NE

Katie Garrett
Manager, Digital Media Services
KUEN / Utah Education Network
Salt Lake City, UT

Jenn Gibbs
EDI Coordinator
KUEN / Utah Education Network
Salt Lake City, UT

Gretchen Gordon
General Manager & Director of Development & Outreach
KUAC
Fairbanks, AK

DeAnne Hamilton
Executive Director & General Manager
KBTC Public Television
Tacoma, WA

Michael Harryman
Director of Communications and Engagement
PBS Wisconsin
Monona, WI

Rich Homberg
President/CEO
Detroit Public Television
Wixom, MI

Mark Jahnke
VP Engineering & Technology
SCETV
Columbia, SC

Holly Kernan
Chief Content Officer
KQED
Oakland, CA

Cari Kozicki
VP of Project Management
Lehigh Valley Public Media
Bethlehem, PA

Shari Lamke
President and General Manager
Pioneer PBS
Granite Falls, MN

Mark Leonard
General Manager/CEO
Nebraska Public Media
Lincoln, NE

David Lowe
President and General Manager
KVIE
Sacramento, CA

Amy Lust
Director, Station Products and Innovation
PBS
Arlington, VA

Becky Magura
President & CEO
Nashville Public Television
Nashville, TN 37203

Dorothy McGrath
Production Manager
Milwaukee PBS
Milwaukee, WI

James Muhammad
President and CEO
Lakeshore Public Media
Merrillville, IN

Anna Neel
Chief Operating Officer
MPB
Jackson, MS

Mark Newman
Executive Director
Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS)
Indianapolis, IN

Tony Papa
Director of Broadcast Media Systems
KVCR
San Bernardino, CA

Betsy Peisach
Vice President, Education
Maryland Public Television
Owings Mills, MD

Sean Plater
General Manager
WHUT/Howard University
Washington, DC

JC Polk
Production Consultant
Trac Media
San Diego, CA

Jim Rademaker
General Manager
WGVU Public Media
Grand Rapids, MI

Andy Russell
President and CEO
PBS SoCal KCET
Burbank, CA

Kierstan Schwab
Executive Director
Texas PBS
Austin, TX

Jeff Tucker
General Manager
Idaho Public Television
Boise, ID

Valerie VanDerSluis
Interim Executive Director/General Manager
KTWU
Topeka, KS

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About the Riley Institute at Furman University

Furman University’s Richard W. Riley Institute advances social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond by building leadership for a diverse society, hosting expert speakers to broaden perspectives on critical issues, supporting public education, and creating knowledge through community solutions-focused research. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change. Learn more at riley.furman.edu.