Mary Anne Alhadeff, who’s been president and CEO of the not-for-profit KERA media organization for 14 years, says she’ll retire at the end of 2019. KERA will conduct a national search for her successor beginning next year.
Alhadeff “has elevated KERA’s programming and service to connect with more people, more effectively than ever before,” Jennifer Altabef, chair of KERA’s board of directors, said in a statement. “We are grateful that we have until the end of 2019 to celebrate her accomplishments as an outstanding leader of KERA.”
Under Mary Anne’s guidance, the public broadcasting organization that includes KERA TV and KERA 90.1 FM has enjoyed unprecedented growth. It launched Art&Seek, a destination for local arts and culture news; the KXT 91.7 FM radio station; “Think” with Krys Boyd, a talk program; and “CEO” with Lee Cullum, which focuses on interviews with local business leaders.
Mary Anne’s retirement next year will cap a 40-year career in public broadcasting. Before joining KERA in 2005, she served as president and CEO of the statewide Maine Public Broadcasting Network. She has also been a television producer.
Currently, Mary Anne serves on the executive committee of The Hockaday School Board of Trustees, the UNT College of Visual Arts and Design Advisory Board, and the Alcuin School Advisory Board. She’s also a member of The Charter 100, the International Women’s Forum, the Dallas Assembly, and The Dallas Summit.