WASHINGTON—The Association of Public Television Stations announced the restructuring of its staff and the promotion of Kate Riley to vice president of government and public affairs.
The reorganization is in response to the adoption of a new strategic plan by the APTS board of trustees last November. The plan, the theme of which is “Greater Success Through Greater Service,” calls for an Association focus on public service, public funding and public policy.
The public service component aims to encourage public television stations to expand their community-based activities in education, public safety and civic leadership, through training programs and the creation of a “What Works” clearinghouse to encourage best practices by stations in pursuing these public service missions.
The public funding commitment expands APTS’s traditional role in securing federal funding for public television to include counsel to stations on securing state funding, as well.
And the public policy focus will encompass APTS’s work in advocating public television’s interests in the FCC’s forthcoming broadcast spectrum auctions, as well as congressional policy on telecommunications, education, workforce development, homeland security and other issues central to the industry’s public service.
In addition, the APTS strategic plan envisions an expanded communications role for the association, the creation of strategic partnerships with other organizations engaged in the public services of public television, and internal progress on generating non-dues revenue, organizing events to promote public television’s public services more frequently and creatively, and serving individual members’ needs more comprehensively.
In her new role as vice president, Riley will manage congressional relations, state government liaison, the Association’s work with federal departments and agencies, communications, grassroots and grasstops advocacy, and strategic partnerships.
Riley joined APTS in May 2010. Prior to working at the Association, she worked for several members of Congress. Riley graduated cum laude from Marquette University with a B.A. in Political Science, Spanish and Writing Intensive English.
