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Mary Anne Alhadeff To Retire As President And CEO Of KERA At End Of 2019

KERA News
Mary Anne Alhadeff came to KERA as president and CEO in 2005. She announced Thursday that she'll retire at the end of 2019.

Mary Anne Alhadeff, who as president and CEO has led KERA through more than a decade of growth and award-winning public service, announced Thursday that she will retire at the end of 2019.

It will mark the end of a four-decade career in public media; Alhadeff began at KERA in 2005. Under her leadership, North Texas Public Broadcasting expanded the footprint and audience of KERA television and radio;  developed a significant presence on multiple digital platforms; launched the signature radio conversation program "Think" and took it statewide; developed the television program "CEO"; built a second radio station, the music-focused KXT; created Art&Seek as an innovative cultural hub; expanded the station's newsroom with a focus on in-depth journalism; and led a statewide public radio collaboration that's become the prototype for NPR's new Collaborative Journalism Network.

“Through Mary Anne’s visionary leadership, KERA has become one of the most respected public broadcasting stations in the country,” said Jennifer Altabef, chair of KERA’s Board of Directors. “She has elevated KERA’s programming and service to connect with more people, more effectively than ever before."

Alhadeff gave credit to the people she led and in many cases hired.

“KERA’s staff is the gold standard in public broadcasting," she said. "As we added new services, new programs and even a new radio station, they have remained laser-focused on providing the extraordinary quality of work that our audiences have come to expect."

Alhadeff, now 66, began her career as an award-winning public television producer. Before coming to North Texas, she led the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

KERA will conduct a search for a new leader in 2019. Here is the full press release from the station.