WTCI PBS is proud to announce the election of David A. Martin as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. David will lead the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation Board of Directors, the governing board of WTCI PBS.
Also joining David on the 2026-2027 Executive Committee are:
Agnes Richmond, Vice-Chair
Cole Powell, Treasurer
Sarah Moore, Secretary
Dr. Jeffrey Gefter, Past Chair
Kimberly Biddy, Chair of the Development Committee
Bob Culkeen, President & CEO
WTCI President Bob Culkeen congratulated David on this new role and thanked Dr. Gefter for his leadership this past year. He also recognized the board's great work, stating, “This was a challenging year for WTCI with the loss of federal funds. The WTCI Board of Directors actively supported our activities and were significant contributors to our organization's successes. Our community has stepped up to support us in a very passionate way. Under David’s leadership, WTCI will continue to serve the Greater Chattanooga community and live our mission. I look forward to an outstanding year of achievements.”
David is a public relations professional, co-founded Heed PR with his wife, Natalie, in 2018. A Knoxville, Tennessee, native, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2004 and a Master's Degree in history from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2006.
David has served on the WTCI Board of Directors since 2022 and is actively involved in civic and philanthropic initiatives. He currently serves on the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, Board of Governors, and is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga.
“It would be hard to find a more engaged, passionate, and enjoyable board of directors than WTCI’s, and I am excited to serve as chair for the next twelve months,” said David. “It’s no secret that public media faces strong headwinds at the moment, but WTCI’s staff and board members, along with thousands of donors, have put Chattanooga’s PBS member station on enviable financial and operational footing. We’ve got big ambitions for the next year, and I can’t wait to get started.”
In addition to the Executive Committee, serving on the 2025-2026 WTCI Board of Directors are Kenny Andejeski, Deborah Arfken, Ed.D, David Barrett, Jo Coke, Michael Costa, Steve Gatlin, Yousef Hamadeh, Paula Henderson, Adam Schreader, Edna Varner Ed.D, Cynthia Wilson, and Anna Harrington, Chair of the Community Advisory Board (CAB). Joining them as newly elected members of the WTCI Board of Directors are Brad Bingham, Carol Eimers, William Haigis, Michael Jones, Caroline Walker, and Alicyn York. Returning to the Board is past chair James “Jim” Tanner.