WASHINGTON – June 6, 2018 – America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) today announced the election of Sherrese M. Smith, a partner at the law firm of Paul Hastings in Washington, D.C., to a three-year term as an at-large trustee on the APTS Board and at-large director on the APTS Action, Inc. Board.
“We are honored and delighted to welcome Sherrese Smith to the APTS board,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler. “I have known Sherrese for many years and was privileged to work with her when we were both executives at the Washington Post Company during a period of tremendous challenge and growth. She has a brilliant legal mind, and she is a well-recognized expert in telecommunications policy. We look forward to her guidance as we implement the new ATSC 3 broadcast standard and make the most of the new opportunities for service and entrepreneurship that come with it.
“Sherrese’s expertise in cybersecurity will also be invaluable to us as America’s public television stations continue to enhance their service in public safety communications and expand on our existing partnerships with federal, State and local public safety, law enforcement and first responder organizations, in this essential service for the American people.
“We’re most grateful that Sherrese has agreed to contribute her formidable talents to help further public television’s public service missions of education, public safety and civic leadership.”
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as an at-large trustee on the Boards of APTS and APTS Action, Inc.,” Smith said. "As the child of an educator who championed the importance of the high-quality public television programming, I believe that the values of public television are critical to a healthy society and are more important than ever. I am thrilled to join an organization that for over 50 years has resolutely pursued civil discourse, superb children’s educational programming and outstanding civic leadership. I look forward to partnering with APTS during my term as trustee to promote these timeless values and navigate new challenges in the 21st century.”
Ms. Smith, who formerly served as chief counsel to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is a member of Paul Hastings’s Telecommunications, Media and Technology practice and its Privacy and Cybersecurity practice.
She previously served as general counsel of Washington Post Digital, where she provided legal and policy guidance for washingtonpost.com, Slate.com, ForeignPolicy.com, TheRoot.com and other digital websites, as well as helping direct acquisition and growth strategy.
Ms. Smith is an adjunct professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina and her Juris Doctor from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Ms. Smith joins former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Craig Fugate as an at-large member of the APTS board. Previous at-large members of the APTS board have included Dr. Louis Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, and other distinguished citizens who bring special expertise to the work of America’s Public Television Stations.
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org