ARLINGTON, VA; October 8, 2025— Today, Catherine Robb, Counsel in the Business Litigation Practice Group in the Austin office of Haynes and Boone, LLP, has been elected as Chair of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Board of Directors.
Throughout her career, Robb has made a significant impact in media law, advising an extensive array of content providers including online and traditional newspapers, magazines, radio and broadcasters, cable television stations, production companies and music entities. Her practice is focused on commercial and business litigation, First Amendment litigation, pre-publication review and editing, copyright and trademark litigation, general commercial litigation, open government issues and privacy concerns. Robb has played an instrumental role in serving PBS and public media, serving on the Board of PBS since 2019 and as former Board Chair for Austin PBS.
"Catherine Robb brings so much experience and perspective to the PBS Board," said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. "She is exactly the right person to help lead us through this critical moment in our history. We are grateful to Catherine for devoting her energy and passion to PBS and our member stations, as we carry forward our essential mission of service to the American people."
Robb was a Co-Chair of the Women in Communication Law committee of the ABA Forum on Communication Law and previously served on the Governing Committee for the Forum. She is a member of both the Texas Bar Association and the Austin Bar Association. She is also a member, and former President, of the Lloyd Lochridge Inn of Court. She served on the Judicial Relations Committee for the State Bar of Texas (2001-2004 and 2009) and graduated from The First Amendment Institute's First Amendment Leadership Program in 2002. After completing law school, Robb clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (Chambers of W. Royal Furgeson) before going into private practice. She is also the founder and chair emeritus of the LBJ Library Future Forum. Her grandfather, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 into law, which created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and laid the foundation for the establishment of PBS in 1969.
"It's a great honor to work with PBS and the Board to carry forward the incredible legacy of public television," said Robb. "PBS and its member stations enrich and elevate our nation, and I’m pleased to step forward and help this treasured institution thrive."
PBS also announced today that Jayme Swain, President & CEO of VPM and the Virginia Foundation for Public Media, will continue her service as Professional Vice Chair of the PBS Board. In addition, Geoff Sands, Strategy and Professional Development Consultant, will assume the role of General Vice Chair. Sands previously served as Chairman of the Board of PBS from 2009 to 2014.
The PBS Board includes both Professional Directors, who are station leaders, and General Directors, who serve as lay members of the Board, as well as the PBS President. The Board provides strategic guidance and oversight to PBS, ensuring that the organization continues to deliver high-quality, educational, and inspiring programming to more than 336 member stations and their local viewers. General and Professional Directors of the PBS Board are elected to three-year terms and serve without pay.
PBS member stations elect the Professional Directors. The General Directors are elected by the entire Board, as are the PBS President and the Board officers.
Biographical Information
Geoff Sands, Strategy and Professional Development Consultant
Geoffrey Sands is a longtime supporter of public media, journalism and independent film. For 20 years he has served on the boards of PBS and the Sundance Institute, where he has served as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. He was also a long time Board member of Participant Media, the independent film producer, The Paley Center for Media and WNET.
He is presently an independent consultant working on strategy and professional development with executives in consumer tech, media and entertainment. Before that he was Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation, leading corporate strategy for the $200B global conglomerate that included Comcast Cable, NBC Universal, and Sky. He retired from Comcast in 2024.
Geoff is also Emeritus Director of McKinsey & Co., where he led the Media and Entertainment practice for 16 years and founded the firm’s Consumer Tech and Media practice, anticipating the emergence of technology companies as leaders in media, communications, and education. At McKinsey, Geoff was the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Lowell Bryan Award, given annually to recognize the individual who has done the most to advance the careers of women at McKinsey. He also led training for Associate Partners.
While at McKinsey, Geoff was, for over 10 years, the Industry Advisor to the World Economic Forum’s Media Industry Council (chosen by media industry CEOs), as well as a member of the Global Advisory Council on the Future of Journalism.
Before joining McKinsey, Geoff was 10 years at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, where he was a Lead Partner in Media and Entertainment Practice.
Geoff holds a BA and an MBA from Yale University. He and his wife, Elena, have four children.
Jayme Swain
Jayme Swain oversees VPM, a network of PBS and NPR stations across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley that connects nearly 2 million people to insightful programming in arts and culture, history, science, news and education.
Under Swain’s leadership, VPM has strengthened its position as a trusted source of information for Virginians and a powerhouse distributor of multiplatform, award-winning content for national and international audiences.
She is a media executive with over 20 years of experience in broadcast, print and digital media. Prior to joining VPM in January 2019, Jayme served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations at PBS, where she was a trusted advisor to the CEO and COO, led strategic planning, managed organization-wide projects and developed solutions on behalf of the entire public broadcasting system.
Swain is active in public media and the community. Locally, she serves on the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy Advisory Board as well as the Board of Directors for Elevate Early Education (E3), the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and ChamberRVA.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 336 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.