American Public Television's CEO to Chair Strawbery Banke's Board

Leaders at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH announced on Wednesday that Cynthia Fenneman was unanimously voted chair of their board of trustees.

Fenneman is the CEO of American Public Television, which is public television's longest-running program distributor and is located in Boston.

According to their website, APT’s pre-dated the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) by eight years and was incorporated in 1961 as the Eastern Educational Television Network.

They provided public television’s first interstate interconnection and were the first to distribute such public television staples as "The French Chef," hosted by the iconic Julia Child, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Washington Week in Review.

APT introduced Monty Python’s Flying Circus to American audiences in 1974, according to their website.

In her new role, Fenneman will help to support the organization's mission of preserving the historic site.

Fenneman has served on the board since 2010 and was most recently the chair of the Museum’s National Council, an advisory body to Strawbery Banke.

It was also announced that five new members have joined the board. They will serve three-year terms:

JerriAnne Boggis, the Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, Board Member of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Member of the Seacoast Media Group Editorial Board, and chair of the U.S. Commission Civil Rights N.H. Advisory Committee.

Christopher Erikson, Principal Broker and Owner of The Aland Realty Group, and Licensed Attorney in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Washington D.C. & Florida.

Jeffrey D. Gilbert, Co-founder of a Shopping Center Development Business, former NH State Representative, Chairman of the State Park System Advisory Council, President of the Board of Trustees of The Housing Partnership, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New Hampshire PBS, formerly New Hampshire Public Television, and member of the National Board of Trustees of American’s Public Television Stations.

Joanna Kelly, Proprietor of Cup of Joe Cafe and Bar, Board Member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters New Hampshire, and Board Member of the Seacoast African American Cultural Center.