Cascade PBS announced today the addition of five new members to its board of directors. The new members, from throughout Washington state, bring decades of experience in forging community, media making and technology.
Emily Kang Cantrell is the president and CEO at Seafair, and previously served as director of the World Trade Center Seattle. She got her professional start as a producer at NorthWest Cable news and was a news writer and producer at KOMO-TV, where she won an Emmy Award in 2009. Cantrell is also a member of the International Women’s Forum, a select group from 33 nations that advances women’s leadership.
Keith Dolliver has spent three decades in a variety of legal roles at Microsoft. He currently serves as vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary. Prior to that, Dolliver was an attorney at K&L Gates in Seattle.
Darrell Hillaire has been a leader in the region for decades. He served multiple elected terms in Lummi Nation tribal government, including as chairman. He is the founder and former director of the Lummi Youth Academy, which provides support for dozens of Native youth. Hillaire is now the executive director of Children of the Setting Sun Productions (CSSP), a nonprofit organization that produces films, books and podcasts. Its latest documentary, Schanex Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life, is airing on PBS stations throughout the United States. CSSP is currently embarking on the creation of a new cultural center in Bellingham, WA.
Rodrigo Rentería-Valencia, serves as the dean of graduate education, research and strategic initiatives at Central Washington University, where he oversees the affairs of the Graduate Studies Office. As an anthropologist, he has conducted extensive research of the people in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Valencia has also served on the Washington State Commission of Hispanic Affairs.
Padmaja Vrudhula is vice president - solution innovation at Snowflake, a cloud platform for artificial intelligence and business intelligence. There, she leads the team developing emerging technology solutions for complex customer use cases. She is also a coach and mentor for current and future leaders in technology. For the past decade, Vrudhula has been a mentor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She has served as adjunct faculty and guest lecturer on several topics including cloud computing, Blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning and future-proofing skills in a changing technology landscape. She also acts as chairperson for the Seattle Colleges Technical Advisory Curriculum Committee.
“Every board member at Cascade PBS brings insights, experience and skills that help us better serve our audiences,” said Cascade PBS President and CEO Rob Dunlop. “This new class will help us continue providing essential information, powerful stories and inspiring events that make a positive impact on our communities.”