Valerie K. Blackburn

Chair

Market Controller (Los Angeles)
CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Radio)

Throughout a distinguished 22-year professional career in media, Valerie K. Blackburn has overseen financial and strategic planning for some of America's most successful broadcast operators in their top radio markets. She has served on the board of directors of several organizations and is highly passionate about numerous community causes.

Valerie currently serves as the market controller for seven radio stations owned and operated by CBS Radio in Los Angeles, the top billing radio market in the country. She joined CBS in 2006 and has successfully guided the cluster through a variety of challenges and changing economic conditions. In 2010, Valerie was named one of the most influential women in radio by Radio Ink Magazine, one of the industry's most respected trade publications.

Before joining CBS, Valerie spent seven years with Susquehanna Radio where she first served as market controller before being elevated to director of business operations for the San Francisco market. Prior to that, Valerie held a similar position for 11 years with Jacor Broadcasting in Denver.

In addition to her proven grasp of big picture business operations, Valerie's areas of expertise include project and human resource management, as well as staff development. She has frequently implemented breakthrough systems for the companies she has worked with.

For more than 15 years, including a three year term on the board of directors, Valerie has been an active member of Media Financial Management,

a leading source of education and networking to meet the diverse needs of financial and business professionals in the media industry. She also was a member of the Radio Advertising Bureau Task Force.

Valerie has been affiliated with many high profile community causes. She served on the board of the Junior League of Denver and she was Vice President of the board of directors for the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Other public service organizations Valerie has been actively involved with include Leadership San Francisco, an organization dedicated to educating and developing community trustees who make contributions to strengthen the community, and Newborn Hope, a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of babies.

Valerie is a graduate of Texas Christian University and continued advanced studies at the University of Colorado.