Peabody Awards Add Six New Members to Board of Directors

By Will Thorne

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The organization that administers the Peabody Awards has announced six new members joining its board of directors, five on the East Coast, one on the West.

The five members joining the East Coast board are journalist and producer Soledad O’Brien, NPR senior vice president of news and editorial director Nancy Barnes, Univision Communications executive vice president of government and corporate affairs Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks president of entertainment and youth brands Chris McCarthy, and ESPN executive vice president of content Connor Schell,.

CAA partner and managing editor Steven Lafferty is the newest members joining the West Coast board.

The boards on both coasts are designed to provide expert counsel and stewardship, and advance Peabody’s commitment to outstanding storytelling. Launched in 2015, the board of directors are separate from the traditional board of jurors that preside over the for excellence in broadcasting and digital media.

Other notable board members include Katie Couric, FX chairman John Landgraf, showtime chairman David Nevins, Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos, and Apple head of worldwide video Zack Van Amburg.

“The intellectual capital and energy our boards bring is unparalleled, and we are excited to welcome these new members as they help us extend our reach through new partnerships and public engagements,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody.

Peabody was founded in 1940 is dedicated to honoring impactful storytelling covering all facets of media from podcasts to documentaries to television segments and series. The Peabody organization is housed at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.