Resolution Expresses Gratitude and Respect to CPB President
The Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting recognizes Pat Harrison’s exceptional leadership of CPB and extraordinary contributions to CPB and public media.
Pat is an indefatigable champion of public media. From the moment she joined CPB, she worked to communicate the role of this unique public-private partnership to stakeholders and the public and developed CPB strategies and initiatives designed to help public media stations tell stories specific to their local culture and interests
Her belief that everyone has a story worth telling resulted in projects that emphasized individual and communities of shared experiences and interests. CPB funds launched the American Graduate Initiative to help youth achieve a high school diploma; the Veterans Coming Home project to highlight the experiences of veterans; and Facing the Mortgage Crisis, to help Americans understand the subprime mortgage crisis.
Pat created CPB’s Diversity and Innovation Fund to underscore the high priority CPB places on our mission to reach unserved and underserved audiences and communities in this age of ever evolving media technology.
She ensured CPB funding supported diversity in content and talent, behind and in front of the camera, in nonfiction storytelling and engagement, and on emerging digital platforms, including Finding Your Roots, The Black Panthers, American Historia, Country Music, Tribal and Indigenous public media, Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab to mentor diverse filmmakers, StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative as well as the independent producers through ITVS and the National Multicultural Alliance.
She fostered public media’s talent through CPB support for digital training programs and resources to help public media system personnel accelerate their digital expertise. She showed heart and loyalty when she led CPB’s efforts to honor the legacies of public media colleagues who’d passed away, leading efforts to establish the Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund and the David Gilkey Memorial Fund.
Pat applied CPB’s resources to support the establishment of regional and local public media journalism collaborations with attention to public media service to rural areas and an emphasis on fact-based journalism to counter misinformation and bring life-saving information to communities nationwide.
Pat ensured education was a core pillar of public media content, applying both CPB and Ready To Learn funds to support innovative, research-based children’s educational content and services including series such as Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Odd Squad, Peg + Cat, Molly of Denali, and Carl the Collector – programs that feature innovative diverse storytelling and storytellers, combined with characters that resonate with young children and their parents.
Through these initiatives and programs, Pat Harrison honored the vision of the founders of CPB, supporting fact-based journalism, content that enlightens, stories that go beyond stereotypes, and engagement that encourages respect and connection with one another. And she fostered a talented team at CPB who shared a deep commitment to this mission.
The CPB Board of Directors marks the end of Pat Harrison’s distinguished service to CPB with gratitude and we honor the legacy CPB created under her leadership with the knowledge that it has given us much to look forward to on public media’s airwaves, platforms, and continuing service to the American people.