For Release: 2009-10-21 15:02:00
24-year KET veteran to lead statewide educational networkKET’s governing board — the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television — today named Shae Hopkins as the new executive director and CEO of KET, effective January 1, 2010. Hopkins will be the fourth leader of KET in its 41-year history, succeeding Malcolm Wall, who is retiring following a 40-year career in public television.
A 24-year veteran of KET, having worked for all three previous executive directors, Hopkins has served for the past five years as KET’s deputy executive director for education, programming and production, where she also is the senior executive for day-to-day operations. Under her leadership, KET launched an expansion of local programming that focused on community needs throughout the Commonwealth with programs such as Louisville Life, One to One with Bill Goodman and Connections with Renee Shaw.
Hopkins was the founding executive director of the Commonwealth Fund for KET, the network’s fundraising arm, where she began the highly successful Summer Celebration event, which has raised $2.5 million to support KET’s programs and services. As an executive producer and producer, Hopkins has led many documentary productions, including biographies of environmentalist Sally Brown and businessman William T. Young. Hopkins was in the Leadership Kentucky class of 2006 and serves on the Governor’s Postsecondary Education Nominating Committee.
“KET is fortunate to have found as its next leader someone whose skills, dedication and experience put her on a par with the top echelon of public broadcasters nationwide. The best part is she was already at KET,” said Hilma Prather of Somerset, chair of the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television. “There is no doubt that Shae will continue the tradition of superb leadership created by her predecessors Len Press, Ginni Fox and Mac Wall.”
“It’s a privilege to be asked to lead KET in this important time as Kentucky faces great needs in education, from early childhood through adult education,” said Hopkins. “I hold a great passion for and commitment to KET’s mission of educational service and local programming. With strong support for KET throughout the Commonwealth, our services to students, teachers and citizens will help advance Kentucky’s educational attainment, economy and quality of life.
“With the hard work of our dedicated and talented staff, we will continue to build a 21st-century, all-digital KET that provides high-quality educational tools for students and teachers and even more responsive educational, public affairs, arts and cultural programming and services for all Kentuckians,” said Hopkins.
“Shae brings exceptionally sound judgment and media savvy to a position that will be evolutionary over the coming years as KET’s digital services are expanded,” said Wall. “Plus, she knows the Commonwealth from east to west, north to south, which is an essential ingredient to her success.”
Hopkins lives in Lexington with her son, Ross, and also has two adult daughters, Haley and Hannah.
About KET
KET’s mission is education. As a leader in producing and providing instructional media tools for the classroom, KET is in every Kentucky public school with educational resources for students. KET also uses the latest media tools to provide accredited professional development seminars for educators and training programs for child-care providers.
KET is widely acknowledged as the premier producer of video instruction in GED, adult basic skills and workplace education. KET educates, inspires and connects Kentucky’s citizens through statewide arts, cultural, documentary and public affairs programs, and is Kentucky’s source for PBS programs, including high-quality, educational children’s programming.
KET’s broadcast signal reaches to viewers throughout all of Kentucky and in parts of seven surrounding states through 16 transmitters. With three digital channels – KET, KET2 and KET KY – 890,000 Kentuckians, including some 200,000 children, watch KET programs every week.
Learn more about KET's mission, services and history at www.ket.org/about .
Contact: Tim Bischoff
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