FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2018
UNC Board of Governors Names M. Lindsay Bierman as CEO of UNC-TV
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—University of North Carolina Board of Governors has announced that UNC School of the Arts Chancellor Lindsay Bierman has been named as the new chief executive officer of UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina. Bierman will assume the new role on August 12, 2019.
“Using creative thinking and planning, Lindsay has carefully guided UNC School of the Arts through a very successful period,” UNC System Interim President Bill Roper said. “We are delighted to keep Lindsay and his wide array of leadership and talent in the UNC System family.”
Bierman will replace Brian Sickora, who served as executive director and general manager of UNC-TV from July 1, 2016 to October 26, 2018. Since that time, Steven D. Hammel and Kevin FitzGerald have served in interim capacities at UNC-TV.
In his new role as CEO of UNC-TV, Bierman will assume responsibility for the overall vision, leadership, strategic direction, and success of the organization. He will oversee a budget of approximately $28 million and over 150 permanent, temporary, and contract employees that make possible a robust portfolio including in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS and the Explorer Channel.
“Chancellor Bierman’s background and experience made him the ideal candidate for this important position,” said UNC-TV Board of Trustees Chair Eric Teal. “He has demonstrated, throughout his career, a willingness to present innovative and creative ideas to the organizations he has led. We are extremely excited about what he will bring to UNC-TV.”
A longtime media veteran, Bierman came to UNCSA after 17 years at Time Inc., where he worked with writers, editors, producers, photographers, videographers, stylists, marketers, and countless others on cross-platform audience, content and franchise development for numerous mainstream brands, including the juggernaut Southern Living. As the title’s editor-in-chief from 2010-14, he drove the strategic growth, editorial vision, and digital revolution for the country’s eighth-largest monthly paid magazine, reaching 18 million consumers each month.
Since 2014, Bierman has served as the eighth chancellor of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. During his tenure, he spearheaded the creation of a new strategic plan, “Creative Momentum,” designed to deepen UNCSA’s ties with the global arts and entertainment industries, propel the school to the forefront of performing arts and media education in the nation, and expand its cultural and economic impact across the region.
“I’m excited to fully leverage my creative leadership, business acumen, and fundraising track record at UNC-TV, and I’m inspired by the power and potential of public media to positively impact the life of every North Carolinian,” said Bierman. “Though it is difficult to leave UNCSA, I am confident that the school is poised for continued growth and long-term success.”
While at UNCSA, Bierman built a transformative leadership team including a new vice provost, four new deans, and several new senior officers to reorganize the institution’s admissions, advancement, facilities, finance, IT, and marketing operations.
As a fundraiser, Bierman shepherded the largest donations in the school’s history. He launched the institution’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign since 1999 (now in its quiet phase), raising nearly $50 million in less than three years. In 2016, he secured several important gifts, including $11 million to support groundbreaking new programs, faculty endowments, student scholarships, and $5 million to overhaul the largest performance venue on campus. In 2018, he announced a gift of $4 million to be used for music scholarships. The total dollars raised overall have nearly tripled since 2014.
As a result of Chancellor Bierman’s leadership, UNCSA has led a steady rise in rankings and recognition for the institution’s degree programs. In addition to being Money magazine’s highest-ranked arts specialty school, UNCSA has made third in the country for Design & Production (OnStage), Top 5 in the country for Drama (The Hollywood Reporter), Top 10 in the country for Dance (Backstage) and among the 50 best film programs in the world (Variety).
Utilizing his media expertise, Bierman led a campus-wide effort to create a new visual identity, rebranding the university with a new logo and seal. He also initiated and oversaw a complete rebuild of UNCSA’s website, uncsa.edu—the first major redesign of the site in more than a decade. The new branding, combined with new marketing strategies, have driven significant increases across all platforms—including a 30 percent increase in applications to UNCSA in 2018.
Bierman currently chairs the board of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts; works with top business leaders as a member of The Winston-Salem Alliance; serves as a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Reynolda House Museum of American Art; and sits on the board of directors of the RiverRun International Film Festival.
Bierman earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in history and French and earned a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia. He studied abroad at the Institut d’Études Sciences Politiques de Paris and completed internships at Sotheby’s, the National Gallery of Art, and on Capitol Hill.
ABOUT UNC-TV PUBLIC MEDIA NORTH CAROLINA
On air, online and in person, UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina connects North Carolinians to each other, the world and endless possibilities. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS and the Explorer Channel. Additionally, it provides emergency services support for the state and free educational services and resources for teachers. Visit and join the conversation by connecting with us at , and on Twitter. For more, visit .
