St. Louis, MO—August 3, 2021—Amy Shaw, president and CEO, and Kate Midgett, senior director of organizational excellence, at Nine PBS were part of the inaugural class of graduates from the Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative.
As public media leaders across the country navigate how to best foster diversity and equity in their workplaces and boards, while making content inclusive for a wide array of audiences, the program provides them with the tools and perspectives that they can apply in their efforts.
“We believe in our public mission to be of, by, and for all people in our community,” says Shaw. “This program reinforces our belief that equity and inclusion strengthen us as an organization. By ensuring we value identities, experiences, cultures, and views we are more reflective of our community and better able to tell stories that move us.”
Over the course of three months, Shaw and Midgett took part in curriculum, including scenario analyses and other experiential learning tools, which supports them in their efforts to apply diversity, equity, and inclusion principles to behaviors, systems, and cultures within Nine PBS.
“Nine PBS is reflecting on our own culture and team dynamics to develop a long-term plan for impact. This initiative allows me to explore ways we can continue to support one another and improve as an organization,” says Midgett.
The Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative is a program of the Riley Institute® at Furman University, Greenville, SC.
About Nine PBS
As an essential community institution, Nine PBS exists to enable access to information, knowledge, and learning opportunities for all. We tell stories that move us. We meet people where they are the most comfortable consuming content. Nine PBS’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine PBS KIDS®, Nine PBS World, and Nine PBS Create), ninepbs.org, social media, the free PBS Video App, streaming services, live and virtual events, and the Public Media Commons. Since 1954, Nine PBS has accepted the community’s invitation into their homes, schools, and businesses.
For more information, contact:
Matt Huelskamp
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
(314) 313-6049
mhuelskamp@ninepbs.org