The 2024 Public Media Summit Schedule


All sessions to be held at the Salamander Washington, D.C. Hotel
1330 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20024 
(unless otherwise noted)

The Summit is open to APTS members and press with valid credentials.

2024 PUBLIC MEDIA SUMMIT

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26

8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.            
Registration for the 2024 Public Media Summit – Ballroom Foyer

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.          
APTS/APTS Action, Inc. Board Meetings – Phillips Room

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.        
Lay Leaders Session –
Hillwood Room

11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.          
Exhibition Hall Open –
Gallery Ballroom

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.        
Welcome Luncheon and Presidential Address –
Grand Ballroom
Sponsored by Sesame Workshop

Welcome to the 2024 Public Media Summit
Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America's Public Television Stations

Remarks by Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Development and Production Officer, Sesame Workshop

President's Annual Address
Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations


1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.             
General Session –
Grand Ballroom 

Legislative Consultants Panel

  • Patrick Butler, President and CEO, APTS
  • Jim Dyer, Senior Advisor, Baker Donelson
  • Danica Petroshius, Principal, Penn Hill Group
  • Keith Kennedy, Principal, Kennedy Enterprises

Presentation of the 2024 Pillar of Public Service Award

Presented by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations

To Molly Phillips, Former Executive Director and General Manager, Iowa PBS

Remarks by Larry D. Unger, President and CEO, Maryland Public Television; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations

Remarks by Governor Wes Moore (D-Maryland)

Remarks by Nico Leone, President and CEO, KERA, Dallas, Texas

Remarks by U. S. Representative Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Co-Chair, Congressional Public Broadcasting Caucus

Presentation of the 2024 David J. Brugger Lay Leadership Award

Presented by David Brugger, Brugger Consulting; Former President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations

To Dorothy Pacella, Former Executive Director, Friends of Thirteen, Inc. at The WNET Group

Greetings from Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.             
Meet and Greet Exhibitors & Break –
Gallery Ballroom
Sponsored by Nexus Connect

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.                 
Legislative Session –
Grand Ballroom (Closed to Press)

Advocacy Strategies for Federal and State Funding

  • Jennifer LaTourette, President and Chief Operating Officer, Van Scoyoc Associates 
  • Eric Ueland, Former Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs for President Trump
  • Phil Cox, Founding Partner, 50 State
  • Roshan Patel, Partner, 50 State
  • Kate Riley, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, America’s Public Television Stations
  • Will Glasscock, Legislative and Policy Consultant, America's Public Television Stations
  • Cait Beroza, Director, Digital Advocacy, America’s Public Television Stations 
  • Jennifer Kieley, Senior Director, Government Relations, America’s Public Television Stations 
  • Colleen McGowan Florio, Director, Government Relations, America’s Public Television Stations

Remarks by Jay Campbell, President, CAV International, representing NHK WORLD-JAPAN in the USA, introducing Junko Tanaka, Managing Director, NHK WORLD-JAPAN.

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.            
America’s Public Television Stations 45th Anniversary Celebration – Gallery Ballroom
Sponsored by NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Evening
Dinner on Your Own

The Salamander Washington, D.C. Hotel will provide a free shuttle to the nearby Wharf, one of the hottest new D.C. neighborhoods with many wonderful restaurants.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27

7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.                
Registration for the 2024 Public Media Summit – Ballroom Foyer

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.              
Breakfast Session –
Grand Ballroom

Remarks by Lonna Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, America’s Public Television Stations

Remarks by FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks 

Remarks by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr 

The Future of Technology

  • Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
  • Andrew Russell, President and CEO, PBS SoCal, Los Angeles, California
  • Stacey Decker, Senior Vice President of Innovation and System Strategies, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • Moderated by Michelle Shanahan, General Counsel, America's Public Television Stations    

Presentation of the 2024 Excellence in Innovation Award

Presented by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations

To Edward J. Ulman, President and CEO, Alaska Public Media

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.                 
Exhibition Hall Open –
Gallery Ballroom

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.           
Break –
Gallery Ballroom
Sponsored by the following Law Firms:
Lerman Senter
Foster Garvey
Wilkinson Barker Knauer


10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.             
General Session –
Grand Ballroom

Remarks by Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America’s Public Television Stations

Remarks by Ambassador Gaddi H. Vasquez, Lay Trustee/Former Board Member, PBS SoCal, Los Angeles, California; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations

Partners in Public Service

  • Darren LaShelle, President and CEO, Northern California Public Media, and Lori Nezhura, Deputy Director Planning, Preparedness and Prevention, California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
  • Kurt Mische, President and CEO, PBS Reno, and Jim Verdi, Principal, Spanish Springs Elementary School, Washoe County, Nevada
  • Dr. Daniel Shellenbarger, General Manager, Ohio Public Media Services, and Bob Smith, Chair, Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission
  • Moderated by Brigadier General (Ret.) Leo A. Brooks, Jr., Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations 

Remarks by FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington

Remarks by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez

Recognition of Summit Sponsors
Tela Hansom-Pitt, Director, Membership Services and Marketing, America’s Public Television Stations

APTS/APTS Action, Inc. Annual Membership Meetings

Grant Center for Public Media Presentation
Meegan White, Director, The Grant Center for Public Media

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.            
Break –
Gallery Ballroom
Sponsored by the following law firms:
Wiley Law
Gray Miller Persh


12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.               
Lunch Session –
Grand Ballroom
Sponsored by CPB

Join Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent and former Anchor and Managing Editor of PBS NewsHour, and Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB, in a conversation exploring the value of public media in bridging divides and empowering citizens to participate in America’s democracy and find their civic spark.

Judy will share insights from her new PBS series America at a Crossroads, which explores the forces driving Americans apart, through conversations with people from all backgrounds to determine what might be done to reverse this polarization.

The lunch will highlight public media’s role in delivering fundamental and essential resources to inform public discourse, promote civic engagement and contribute to the well-being of our nation.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.                 
General Session – Grand Ballroom                        

System in Transition (Closed to Press)

What do stations want in the next APTS President and CEO?

What are the biggest challenges facing stations today, and what should we do about them?

How do we make greater progress in diversity, equity and inclusion with our workforce?

  • Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President and CEO, South Florida PBS; Board Professional Vice Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
  • David Steward II, Former Board Chair, Nine PBS, St. Louis, Missouri; Board Lay Vice Chair, America’s Public Television Stations 
  • Amy Shaw, President and CEO, Nine PBS, St. Louis, Missouri; Chair, Affinity Group Coalition (AGC)
  • Adrienne Fairwell, President and CEO, SCETV; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.                 
Refreshments and Prize Drawing – Gallery Ballroom
Sponsored by ONE Media

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.                
Dinner Session –
Grand Ballroom
Sponsored by PBS

Join Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, for a dinner spotlighting the essential role public media plays in our democracy by helping to build the workforce of the future through PBS KIDS content.

Highlights will include remarks from Kim Kelling, Director of Content and Community Partnerships at WFSU in Tallahassee, Florida, and a panel discussion led by Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS, with behind-the-scenes perspectives from the producers of WORK IT OUT WOMBATS! and the brand-new LYLA IN THE LOOP.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

7:30 a.m.                                    
Bus Loading/Transportation to Capitol Hill Breakfast - Front lobby entrance of hotel
Sponsored by Penn Hill Group

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.              
Breakfast Program -
Members Room, Library of Congress, 10 First Street SE, Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by WETA

Welcome by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations

Remarks by Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and CEO, WETA

Presentation of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award to Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon)

Presentation of the 2024 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia)

Presentation of the 2024 National Advocacy Award to Kurt Mische, President and CEO, PBS Reno

Presentation of the 2024 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)

All Day                                      
Capitol Hill Day