ITVS Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
November 15, 2025
Directors Present (all virtual): Peter Bratt, Sharese Bullock-Bailey, Lisa Cortés, Beth Curley, Gita Saedi Kiely, Sharon La Cruise, Malinda Lowery, Bathsheba Malsheen, Linda Wei.
Directors Absent: Garry Denny (chair)
Staff Present (all virtual): Carrie Lozano, President & CEO; Royd Chung, Senior Vice President, Programming & Production; Janice Hui, Chief Operating Officer; Van SooHoo, Controller; Eric Martin, Senior Director, Business Development & Strategy; Jim Sommers, Executive Vice President, Content; Lisa Tawil, Senior Vice President, Brand, Communications & Audience Growth; Lois V ossen, Founding Executive Producer, Independent Lens.
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CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTIONS
Bullock-Bailey called the meeting to order at 8:31 a.m., introduced the members of staff in attendance, and gave opening remarks.
QUORUM
Bullock-Bailey noted that a quorum of the board was present, and declared the meeting open for the transaction of business.
Bullock-Bailey also noted the absence of three board members: Garry Denny, Patricia Aufderheide and Delida Costin.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
La Cruise, Secretary, presented the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors held on July 18, 2025. Following discussion, on motion by Malsheen, seconded by Curley, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors held on July 18, 2025 are approved.
FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT & FY26 BUDGET APPROVAL
Lisa Cortés, Finance Committee Chair, and Van SooHoo, Controller, gave the Finance Committee Report.
Cortés and SooHoo reported that ITVS closed FY25 in strong financial health, ending the year aligned with the revised budget and without major variances. They noted that FY25 marked the final year of the CPB Production and Operations contract and that FY26 reflects a new landscape in which all operations must be supported by non-CPB funds, with most CPB licensing dollars already received and reserved for future years.
APPROVAL OF FY26 BUDGET
Cortés, Finance Committee Chair presented the FY26 budget for approval. Following discussion, on motion by Curley , seconded by La Cruise, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, the FY26 Budget was approved.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT & FY25 HIGHLIGHTS
Lozano reflected on what she described as a historic and challenging year, emphasizing staff resilience and the essential role of ITVS’s mission amid threats to civil rights, social justice, and public media. She highlighted major FY25 accomplishments—including national impact of Independent Lens, a strong festival presence, strategic convenings with funders, and work to navigate CPB’s wind-down–while outlining opportunities for ITVS to lead in local news deserts, creator-focused innovation, and the evolving information ecosystem.
BUSINESS AFFAIRS, DEVELOPMENT & FUNDRAISING
Janice Hui, Chief Operations Officer, Eric Martin, Senior Director, Business Development & Strategy, and Lois V ossen, Founding Executive Producer Independent Lens gave updates on business affairs, development and fundraising for FY26.
Hui reported on business affairs, including the Spring 2026 office move, significant cost-saving measures across operations, completion of an organizational pay-equity review, and 2026 benefits updates. Martin and V ossen presented the three-year fundraising plan, noting strong early progress in major gifts, launch of the Independent Lens Action Circle, and a broadened strategy to reach new donors beyond the documentary sphere, including democracy-focused and journalism funders, business and tech, especially given ITVS’s proximity to Silicon Valley.
FY26 ANNUAL PLAN & STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Jim Sommers, Executive Vice President, Content, Lisa Tawil, Senior Vice President, Brand, Communications & Audience Growth, and Royd Chung, Senior Vice President, Programming & Production presented the FY26 Annual Plan.
Sommers, Tawil and Chung outlined a forward-looking FY26 strategy centered on a major digital expansion, including the March 2026 launch of the co-managed PBS Documentaries YouTube channel, which positions Independent Lens at the center of PBS’s digital documentary brand and builds on ITVS’s 300% growth in YouTube viewership. They introduced two new funding initiatives–the Independent Lens Creator Lab and a revamped Incubator Fund– that aim to engage emerging digital storytellers, strengthen regional and demographic diversity, and develop multi-format content tailored for public media streaming and YouTube. Together, these initiatives modernize ITVS’s reach, cultivate new audiences, and ensure independent filmmakers can thrive in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.
APPROVAL OF FY26 Annual plan
ITVS staff presented the FY26 Annual Plan for approval. Following discussion, on motion by Kiely, seconded by Wei, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, the FY26 Annual Plan was approved.
NEW BUSINESS
Bullock-Bailey opened up the meeting for discussion of any new business.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
All staff and guests left the meeting at this time, with the exception of Hui, Lozano and Sommers, and the board then met in executive session to consider matters requiring formal action, including director and officer election.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Bullock-Bailey advised that it was appropriate for the corporation to vote on whether to accept the slate of directors up for election presented by the Executive Committee.
After discussion, upon motion made by Cortés, seconded by Curley, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, that the following directors serve as part of the FY2026 Class of Directors for a three-year term from October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2028:
WHO
- Garry Denny, 8th Term
- Sharese Bullock-Bailey, 6th Term
- Bathsheba Malsheen, 7th Term
FURTHER RESOLVED, that any one or more of the directors of the corporation can be and hereby are authorized and directed to perform all such acts, deeds, and things and execute under seal of the corporation or otherwise, all such documents and writings as may be required to give effect to the true intent of this resolution.
COMMITTEE RE-APPOINTMENTS
The Board of Directors has re-elected certain members to new terms from October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2028; and those re-elected members had served on one or more committees or as committee chairs; and the Board wishes to confirm their continued service in their existing committee and/or chair roles.
After discussion, upon motion made by Lowery, seconded by Kiely, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, that the following re-elected members are hereby reappointed to continue serving in their respective committee roles as listed below:
- Garry Denny – continues as Chair, Executive Committee
- Sharese Bullock-Bailey – continues as Vice Chair, Executive Committee
- Bathsheba Malsheen – continues as Member, Executive Committee
- Bathsheba Malsheen – continues as Chair, Human Resources Committee
All other committee and chair appointments remain unchanged and in full effect.
RATIFICATION OF PAST ACTIONS
Bullock-Bailey noted that the board has reviewed and considered all of the activities of the corporation and actions by its directors and officers since the last meeting of the board. Based on this review and consideration of the activities of the corporation and the actions of the officers and directors, upon motion made by Cortés, seconded by Kietly, and carried unanimously:
IT WAS RESOLVED, that all of the known acts of the officers and directors of the corporation taken since the last meeting of the board on behalf of the corporation are adopted, ratified, and approved; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the officers and directors of the corporation are authorized and directed to perform all such acts, deeds, and things and execute all such documents and other writings as may be required to give effect to the true intent of this resolution.
CONCLUSION OF EXECUTIVE SESSION
At 12:15 p.m., Bullock-Bailey announced the conclusion of the Executive Session, and invited the remaining staff and guests back into the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by Bullock-Bailey at 12:30 p.m.
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Sharon La Cruise, Secretary