MATC Names Debbie Hamlett Vice President and General
Manager of Milwaukee PBS
Milwaukee (April 24, 2023) - Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is pleased to announce that Debbie Hamlett has been named vice president and general manager of
Milwaukee PBS effective June 12, 2023. Her appointment is pending approval by the
MATC District Board.
Hamlett currently serves as executive director and general manager at WCMU Public Media in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, which serves viewers and listeners in central Michigan and parts of Ontario. In her current role, she manages 38 staff members and 20 college interns. Like Milwaukee PBS, WCMU is a licensee of an institution of higher education — Central Michigan University.
Prior to her time at WCMU, Hamlett served for seven years as the assistant general manager and chief strategy officer at Nebraska Public Media. She also worked in development roles at Illinois Public Media and South Carolina ETV, the state’s public educational broadcasting network. Hamlett’s accomplishments include growing community engagement and education initiatives, exceeding donor goals, and expanding social media presence. She also participated in the first cohort of the Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative.
“Ms. Hamlett has an extensive and impressive track record in public television and public media that will be an asset to Milwaukee PBS and the college. We’re confident that under her leadership Milwaukee PBS will attract, maintain and increase viewership,” said MATC President Dr. Vicki J. Martin. “We’re excited to have Ms. Hamlett on our outstanding team. We know she will continue to develop award-winning programming that serves our community.”
Hamlett succeeds Bohdan Zachary, who served as vice president and general manager for seven years before relocating to California in October 2022.
“I'm thrilled to be joining the Milwaukee PBS team and Milwaukee Area Technical College,” Hamlett said. “Together, we will continue to serve Milwaukee and surrounding
communities with engaging educational programs and services. I look forward to
working with the creative and innovative staff to build upon a strong legacy of work.”
As vice president and general manager of Milwaukee PBS, Hamlett will work with a staff
of 60 employees to bring national and local programs to its viewers throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Her responsibilities will also include planning and developing the station’s goals and objectives and implementing short-term and long-range strategic planning to meet the needs of the Milwaukee broadcast market. She will ensure that the station complies with all Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations and serves as the college’s representative to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and Wisconsin’s Educational Communications Board (ECB).
Hamlett received a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Advertising from the University of
South Carolina. In her free time, she loves to draw and paint, discover new restaurants,
and travel.
ABOUT MILWAUKEE PBS
Milwaukee PBS is southeastern Wisconsin’s premier non-commercial media
organization. It consists of two high-definition television stations, WMVS and WMVT,
and four additional digital television services. The Milwaukee PBS stations are the
area’s only over-the-air source for PBS and other national public television programs,
and are among the most-watched public television stations in the nation. Milwaukee
PBS is a viewer-supported service of Milwaukee Area Technical College. For more
information, visit www.MilwaukeePBS.org.
ABOUT MATC
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions
in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern
Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912.
More than 25,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-
based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and
training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college
offers more than 170 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs
immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to
bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities.
Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern
Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
