CPB Gets New Chief

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is getting a new leader. Kathleen Cox will become CPB president and chief executive officer effective July 1.
She will succeed Robert Coonrod, who has served in that role for seven years.
Cox joined CPB in June 1997. She is executive vice president and chief operating officer of the private, nonprofit corporation that oversees the federal contribution to public radio and TV.
Cox is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a law degree from the University of Chicago and a masters in public policy from
Georgetown University. She has held positions at CPB as associate general counsel, general counsel and senior vice president for policy
and corporate secretary.
“The board conducted an extensive, national search, and considered a number of outstanding candidates,” said CPB Board Chair Ken Tomlinson.
Coonrod was Deputy Managing Director of the Voice of America before joining CPB as executive vice president and COO in December 1992. He has served as president and CEO since October 1997. After stepping down as president in July, Coonrod will remain with CPB until October to ensure a smooth transition.
Coonrod and Cox have worked together as a senior management team during as public broadcasting strives to transition to digital and as CPB has introduced initiatives for pubcasters to improve their financial viability and expand their services to the public, stated Tomlinson.