The Honorable Patricia de Stacy Harrison leads the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which serves as the steward of federal funding for more than 1,500 public radio and television stations and producers throughout the United States. A former business leader, Ms. Harrison’s first priority as CEO was to ensure CPB’s stewardship of the federal appropriation met the highest standards of fiscal responsibility. In her first year, 2005, she created Project Champion, an initiative that has resulted in clean audits for the Corporation every year since its start.
Under her leadership, CPB executed a strategic framework to advance continuous improvement, innovation, and workplace excellence. During her tenure, CPB became the driving force for digital transformation, providing all citizens with access to public media content over multiple platforms. To ensure communities had access to trusted news and information, CPB increased its support for editorial integrity and local station capacity through the creation of local and regional journalism collaborations. In education, Ms. Harrison launched American Graduate, one of public media’s most successful initiatives, comprising more than 700 public and private sector partnerships aimed at increasing the high school graduation rate.
Due in part to American Graduate, the national graduation rate increased seven percent from 2011 to 2020. In 2016, in recognition of her leadership and efforts to help youth, she received America’s Promise Alliance’s Promise of America Award. Building on the success of American Graduate, in 2020, Harrison spearheaded the development of American Graduate: Jobs Explained to help young people prepare for high-demand jobs and careers.
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Ms. Harrison a member of the President’s Export Council and the Small Business Advisory Council. In 1997, she was elected Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee. In 2000, President George W. Bush appointed her to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs and subsequently Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
She is the author of two books, A Seat At The Table: An Insider's Guide for America's New Women Leaders and America's New Women Entrepreneurs. Throughout her career she has received many honors and awards including the U.S. Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award; the World Affairs Council’s Global Communications Award for her effective and significant contribution to education and journalism; and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award. In 2021, in recognition of her achievement nationally and globally, the Italian Republic presented her with the Cavaliere of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In 2019, she was named a George Chaplin Fellow in Distinguished Journalism by the East West Center for her leadership and commitment to supporting editorial integrity and excellence in journalism.
Ms. Harrison is a former Thomas Colloquium on Free Enterprise guest lecturer at Youngstown State University, Ohio, and was a visiting fellow at the Institute for Public Service of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, and at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She is the Chairman Emeritus and a board member of the National Italian American Foundation, a founding partner of More Perfect, and leads CPB’s work with the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission in helping to celebrate the 250th anniversary next year of our nation's founding.
Ms. Harrison received her B.A. from American University, Washington, D.C., and honorary doctorates from the American University of Rome in 2002 and the School of Public Affairs, American University, in 2017.