Cara Williams Fry to lead Kansas City PBS

Cara Williams Fry was hired as president and CEO of Kansas City PBS.

Fry will succeed Kliff Kuehl, who earlier this year announced plans to retire. She will start the job July 20.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cara as the next leader of Kansas City PBS,” said Board Chair David Burke in a news release. “Her passion for public media and collaborative approach make her the right person to guide the organization into its next phase. With her deep experience, we look forward to partnering with Cara and the team to continue growing and expanding the vital service Kansas City PBS provides to our community.”

Fry is GM of Northwest Public Broadcasting in Pullman, Wash., a position she started in 2022. Washington State University, which holds the license to NWPB, announced in October that it would end the station’s TV broadcasts and consider staff cuts. Bruce Pinkleton, dean of the university’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, said in an emailed statement to Current Tuesday that “a small number” of employees were laid off earlier this year.

Fry “has made meaningful contributions to NWPB, and we’re grateful for her leadership and impact,” Pinkleton said. “We wish her all the best in her next chapter and are confident she will continue to make a positive difference in the communities she serves.”

Before joining NWPB, Fry was SVP and CCO for WITF Public Media in Harrisburg, Pa. Before starting in public media, she was managing producer of Wild Moments, a syndicated wildlife program for NBC Enterprises. She has also worked as a producer for WGAL, an NBC affiliate in Lancaster, Pa.

Fry is currently on the PBS Kids leadership council and is an ambassador for the Alliance of Rural Public Media. “The opportunity to lead a community-focused, community-owned and community-operated public media station is an exciting next chapter,” she said in a news release. “I am thrilled to take on this role and responsibility. My diverse media experience, combined with a deep passion for and understanding of public media, makes me a natural fit with Kansas City PBS.”