Paula Kerger

Paula Kerger (born ) She attended the University of Baltimore as a pre-med student before switching to business, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1979.

Career After graduating, Kerger was hired as a program development officer for UNICEF. She continued working in the nonprofit sector, becoming director of principal gifts for the Metropolitan Opera in 1989. She became WNET's station manager in 2000, then chief operating officer of its parent company in 2004.

Kerger became PBS' president and CEO in March 2006. In 2011, she initiated distribution deals with British channels Sky UK and Virgin Media.

In 2024, PBS' board of directors extended Kerger's contract for five years. She is the network's longest serving chief executive and the second woman to serve in the role.

In March 2025, Kerger testified in a House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing, defending PBS' federal funding. She has criticized the Trump administration's funding cuts and lobbied against them, saying there is no "white knight" who will save public broadcasting.