WILLblog

CPB Press Release (Washington, D.C. – June 23, 2005) Patricia S. Harrison, former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), has been named President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). ”CPB needs to be in the forefront of support for public broadcasting and we look forward to supporting Pat Harrison in this important effort," said the CPB board in a prepared statement. Harrison stated, "I am pleased to join with the Board and all stakeholders in the future success of public broadcasting." She also vowed to join with public broadcast leaders to restore congressional cuts of CPB in the President’s Fiscal Year 2006 Budget. Harrison has served as Assistant Secretary since 2001, leading a bureau comprising 360 employees, managing 30,000 educational, cultural and professional international exchanges and working with 1500 public private organizations and 80,000 volunteers. Under her leadership the ECA's budget was increased from $237 million in FY02 to $430 million in FY06 and ECA received OMB's highest Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) score for effectiveness. In her position she was highly praised for her leadership and received the Secretary's Distinguished Leadership Award. Harrison started the U.S. government's first exchange program for high school students from the Arab and Muslim world, created both Culture Connect and Citizen Connect, comprising men and women volunteers working with their counterparts abroad helping to build civil societies and working on issues such as HIVAIDS, the environment, education, people trafficking. She also served two extended periods as Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Harrison, a native of Brooklyn of Italian heritage, is a former Visiting Fellow, of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania and a graduate of American University. In 1973, she co-founded the E. Bruce Harrison Company, with her husband, which became one of the nation's top ten owner managed public affairs firms. The author of A Seat at the Table, A Guide for Women Leaders, Harrison founded the National Women's Economic Alliance in 1983 to promote economic opportunity for women in business and industry. From 1997-2000, she served as Co Chairman of the Republican National Committee. In making the announcement, CPB Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson paid tribute to the executive search firm Spencer Stuart for conducting a comprehensive review of potential candidates for the position. "They reached out to over 200 people and had extensive discussions with more than 80 contacts. Over 50 diversity profiles were developed and eleven diversity candidates were reviewed by the committee." The three member search committee, comprising current and former Chairs, Katherine Anderson, Frank Cruz, and Ken Tomlinson, reviewed 23 prospective candidates over the course of four committee meetings. The entire CPB board conducted interviews with four finalists during deliberations on Monday, June 20, 2005. Patricia de Stacy Harrison was selected on Wednesday, June 22, 2005. Anderson, who chaired the search effort said, "Pat Harrison's career exemplifies outstanding leadership. She has demonstrated great strength in coalition building. She knows Capitol Hill and is devoted to public broadcasting and the mission." Contact Information Eben Peck Corporate and Public Affairs press@cpb.org (202) 879-9646