Former KET executive director Virginia Gaines “Ginni” Fox was recently inducted into the Kentucky Broadcasters Association (KBA) Hall of Fame.

During the KBA’s annual awards dinner on Oct. 11, Fox was honored with the group’s Kentucky MIC Hall of Fame Award, which is “presented to individuals who have made outstanding personal contributions to the broadcasting profession in Kentucky.” Hall of Fame induction is considered the highest award given by the KBA.

In presenting Fox with the award, the KBA noted that she helped forge “a lasting legacy by helping preserve Kentucky’s rich history, culture and art through a wide array of programming created and curated at KET.”

“I join everyone at KET in congratulating Ginni for this well-deserved honor,” said KET executive director and CEO Shae Hopkins. “Her decades of leadership at KET helped position us as one of the most well-respected public media stations in the country, and her efforts to support the development of educational resources for every age – from preschool to adult education – kept us on the cutting-edge in our efforts to best serve citizens across Kentucky.”

Fox joined KET in 1968 and by 1975 had been appointed KET’s deputy executive director. She left KET to become president of the Southern Educational Communications Association in 1980. She returned to KET in 1988 as chief operating officer and was named executive director and chief executive officer in 1991 – becoming the first female CEO of a national organization in public broadcasting. During her tenure at KET’s helm, she oversaw KET’s transition to digital broadcast delivery. Following her retirement from KET in 2002, Fox served as Secretary of the Kentucky Education Cabinet from 2003 to 2006.

In addition to the KBA Hall of Fame Award, Fox has received numerous other accolades for her achievements in education and public service, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame at Morehead State University, where she earned a degree in elementary education. Fox has received honorary doctorate degrees from Morehead State University, Pikeville College, Centre College, Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, serving more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization on Twitter @KET and facebook.com/KET and at KET.org.

Contact:

Todd Piccirilli
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
859-258-7242
tpiccirilli@ket.org