USAGM CEO Michael Pack names Board of Directors

Pursuant to the provisions of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act, new boards of directors consisting entirely of independent directors have been appointed for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

The diverse boards bring exceptional skill in the fields of journalism, language, technology, broadcasting, and diplomacy that are essential to the work of the three surrogate broadcast networks, which provide a lifeline of factual news for those living in places where a free press is denied to them by repressive government. 

Blanquita Cullum, the chairwoman of the three boards, remarked, “From my previous service on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, I understand the importance of delivering objective, accurate news about America and the world to combat our adversaries’ misinformation campaigns and to shine the light of truth into those dark corners where access to a free press is denied. The other board members and I will fight to ensure these networks and their journalists have the tools and support they need to perform their difficult but essential work, which itself is crucial for our national interest.”

The new boards each consist of the following five members:

Blanquita Cullum, Chairwoman. Host, producer, and writer for “The Hard Question.” Recently inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and was named “Champion of Radio” by the Multicultural Correspondents Association in 2016. She is a co-founder of Voices Against Trafficking. Previously a Governor of the Broadcasting Board of Governors from 2002-2010, Chairwoman Cullum has had a long and distinguished career in radio and television broadcasting.

Jonathan Alexander, Director. Senior Counsel for Governmental Affairs, Liberty Counsel. Has worked extensively on religious liberty issues and was previously Assistant General Counsel at Massachusetts Family Institute, a Fellow at the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, and a Scholar-in-Residence at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Amanda Milius, Director. Founder of 1AMDC Productions. Formerly Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs and Project Manager for the White House Office of American Innovation.

Roger Simon, Director. Novelist, journalist, and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. Founder of PJ Media. Previously served as president of the West Coast branch of PEN, a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, and was on the faculty of the American Film Institute and the Sundance Institute.

Christian Whiton, Director. Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest. Previously served at the State Department as a Speechwriter, Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications, and Deputy Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues. He is the author of “Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War.”

(Source: USAGM press release)