Kathy Merritt is a nationally recognized leader in public media strategy, known for strengthening local journalism, advancing collaboration, and improving the long‑term sustainability of public media stations. She is a trusted mentor and advisor to many in the system.

Most recently, Merritt served as Chief Operating Officer at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, overseeing more than $500 million in annual federal support and guiding major initiatives in journalism, innovation, public safety, and infrastructure. During her 16‑year tenure, she directed more than $50 million in collaborative journalism grants, launched training programs for editors and general managers, and modernized core funding frameworks, working closely with the CPB board to advance its priorities for public media service to all Americans.

Merritt began her career as a journalist at WFAE in Charlotte and later managed the newsroom at WAMU in Washington, DC, hosting local and national programs and filing reports for Marketplace and NPR before moving to station management. She also held strategic roles at the Station Resource Group and Public Radio International, deepening her expertise in governance, content strategy, and systemwide planning.

Her work has earned national recognition, including the inaugural Keystone Collaborator Award from the Center for Cooperative Media and the Leo C. Lee Award from the Public Media Journalists Association, where she once served as President. In 2023, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Merritt serves on the board of the Trust Project, an organization dedicated to restoring the trusted role of the press in serving the public good.