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CPB Taps Altman for EVP/COO Position

Board of directors also reelects Sembler and Gilbert

Steven Altman

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has named Steven Altman executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing all of CPB’s operational departments. Also, the board of directors unanimously re-elected Elizabeth Sembler and Lori Gilbert to serve one-year terms as chair and vice-chair, respectively.

Altman joined CPB in 1996 as associate general counsel and has been involved with most of CPB’s agreements, including negotiation of broadcast and Internet music rights licenses for public media, satellite interconnection and major funding arrangements such as the National Program Service. In 2002, Altman became vice president of CPB’s Office of Business Affairs, where he supervised the negotiation and documentation of CPB transactions. He has also been CPB’s primary advisor on intellectual property and entertainment law issues. Altman was promoted to senior vice president in 2005 and was named acting COO earlier this year.

Liz Sembler

Before joining CPB, Altman was vice president and general counsel for Riggs Bank/MD and Riggs Bank/VA. He provided legal and compliance advice to senior management and two boards of directors; structured, drafted and negotiated financial agreements and advised on intellectual property matters.

Altman began his legal career in private practice, first with the firm Steptoe & Johnson and then with Mayer, Brown & Platt; he graduated with high honors from the National Law Center at George Washington University in 1983, where he was a member of the Law Review.

“Steve has a deep understanding of public media operations and CPB policies, and also brings to the position a commitment to internal and external collaboration,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of CPB.

Sembler was reappointed to the CPB board by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in September 2014. She was first appointed in 2008 by President George W. Bush. Sembler is an educator and serves as the director of engagement at Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg, Fla. She has served on the board of WEDU(TV) since 1993 and was the chair of its board from 2001–2003. From 2006–2008, she served on the board of the Association of Public Television Stations, and she is currently on the foundation board of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Sembler was elected chair of the CPB Board in 2014, having previously served two years as vice chair. Her term expires in 2020.

Lori Gilbert

Lori Gilbert (real name: Loretta Sutliff) was appointed to the CPB Board by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in August 2013. Gilbert provides broadcast news to rural communities in northeastern Nevada. She is the news director and host of a daily local news show for Elko Broadcasting Co.’s KELK(AM) and KLKO(FM). In addition to her work in radio, she is the news director and a reporter for KENV(TV) (NBC). Gilbert is serving her second term on the CPB Board and chairs the Education Committee. Her term expires in 2018.

“Election by unanimous vote by acclamation says it all,” said board member Patricia Cahill. “Keep up the good work.”

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