DAYTON – The Public Media Connect Board of Trustees has named Dorothy “Kitty” Lensman of Champaign County as the next president and CEO of ThinkTV (Dayton), CET (Cincinnati) and SOITA (Southwest Ohio Instructional Technology Association). She starts in her new position on July 1.
“The board of trustees is tremendously pleased to appoint Kitty Lensman as our next president. Kitty brings a commitment to public broadcasting, extensive experience with our organization and others, and a strong connection to the communities that CET and ThinkTV serve,” said Carrie Haley, chair of the PMC board.
“I have been fortunate to have a rewarding career in public broadcasting,” Lensman said. “Working for an organization dedicated to education and distributing the highest quality of programming is an extraordinary opportunity. It is an honor to be selected as the next president and CEO. I look forward to working with our committed board, talented staff, generous donors and valued community partners.”
Lensman has 34 years of experience in public media and has held senior leadership positions at four major market affiliates. She joined the ThinkTV staff in 1999, was promoted to senior manager of Marketing and Business Development in 2003, to station manager in 2009 and to CEO in 2014. As CEO, she managed Public Media Connect’s operations, production services, business development and communications. Prior to ThinkTV, she worked for KPBS in San Diego, Miami Public Television and Oregon Public Broadcasting. She graduated from San Diego State University’s College of Telecommunications and Film with honors.
In addition to her work in public media, Lensman is an active volunteer with many non-profit events and organizations in Dayton and Cincinnati. She is a board member of Clothes That Work (Dayton), Crayon’s to Classrooms (Dayton) and a member of the Cincinnati Executive Arts Leadership Group.
“I am very pleased for both PMC and for Kitty as she becomes president,” said David Fogarty who will be stepping down as CEO on June 30. “She will be a capable and skilled leader, and CET and ThinkTV will offer an extraordinary opportunity to grow their educational, informational and cultural service to our region,”
ThinkTV and CET, the local PBS stations in Dayton and Cincinnati, formed the regional partnership Public Media Connect in 2009. SOITA, the Dayton-based educational technology organization that serves public and parochial school districts in southwestern and west central Ohio, joined Public Media Connect in 2017.
