Alaska Public Media Hires Its First COO/Vice President of Administration

Alaska Public Media (AKPM) chose a Midwestern broadcasting executive for the new position of Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Administration. In this role, Dorothy McGrath works with CEO and President Ed Ulman and the organization’s executive management on strategic initiatives, cross-departmental projects, and capacity-building objectives. McGrath also provides administrative coordination for all divisions of AKPM while providing direct supervisory responsibility for human resources and business services.

McGrath is a 33-year veteran of public broadcasting, most recently serving on the senior management team for Milwaukee PBS. She began her career in the production department at Nebraska Public Media and worked at KMOS-TV in the Kansas City, Missouri area. In Milwaukee, she led the local production and logistics support efforts during the PBS NewsHour’s production of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, and she collaborated with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to produce a live production of their first performance in a newly renovated facility that aired nationally on PBS.

“Dorothy will hit the ground running when she arrives in Anchorage in the New Year. She will help us stay focused on what matters most to our viewers, listeners, readers, and supporters,” Ulman says. “I look forward to working in partnership with her, alongside our excellent executive leadership team. All of us are committed to continuing the growth and expansion of AKPM’s audiences and reach via TV, radio, journalism, and the wide variety of digital media services we offer Alaskans.”

McGrath’s experience also includes participation in professional and community organizations, including the NETA Content Peer Learning Community, which she chaired from 2017 to 2021; the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, which she chaired from 2020 to 2022; and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, where she founded the St. Louis Chapter while serving on projects at the national level.

“It is an honor to join this award winning, dedicated, passionate team,” says McGrath. “I am looking forward to serving the needs of Alaska Public Media and its community, and I’m excited to explore the great state of Alaska.”