Public Media Women in Leadership Selects Aishah Rashied-Hyman as Executive Director

"I'm thrilled to join Public Media Women in Leadership, especially as a proud fellow of the inaugural CEO and COO bootcamp. It will be a deep privilege to shape the future of public media and empower diverse voices in our vital industry.  Following in the great footsteps of PMWL's visionary founder, Deanna Mackey, is a tremendous honor." - Aishah Rashied-Hyman

The board of Public Media Women in Leadership (PMWL) is thrilled to announce it has selected the organization's inaugural executive director, Aishah Rashied-Hyman.

Rashied-Hyman most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Development at KERA, where she led a team of 20 staff, raising $16 million in annual revenue. Prior to KERA, Rashied-Hyman was the Senior Vice President of Membership and Business Development at WABE (formerly Public Broadcasting Atlanta) from 2017 to 2022, diversifying membership and overseeing transformational campaigns.

From 2006 to 2017, she brought innovation to fundraising strategies at Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), first as Direct Marketing Manager and then as Director of On-Air Fundraising. During her tenure at GPB, Rashied-Hyman instituted integrated multi-platform fundraising, growing membership revenue from $4.8 million in fiscal year 2013 to $7.4 million in FY16.

Rashied-Hyman serves on the PBS Development Advisory Committee, setting strategy and developing leadership for the system. Rashied-Hyman was also a founding member of Public Media for All, a coalition dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry.

Rashied-Hyman had this to say about her new role leading PMWL.

"I'm thrilled to join Public Media Women in Leadership, especially as a proud fellow of the inaugural CEO and COO bootcamp,” says Rashied-Hyman. “It will be a deep privilege to shape the future of public media and empower diverse voices in our vital industry. Following in the great footsteps of PMWL's visionary founder, Deanna Mackey, is a tremendous honor."

Rashied-Hyman will begin her role as executive director on August 19, 2024. She will join the PMWL team at its annual Brave Talk conference at the PMDMC on August 15th where she will be introduced to the PMWL community in a lunch time conversation with board member Jennifer Strachan. Strachan and fellow board member Joyce MacDonald had this to say about Rashied-Hyman’s selection.

"Aishah brings an unparalleled level of leadership to PMWL through her considerable history of mentorship, deep experience with the organization's programs and most certainly fundraising,” says Strachan & MacDonald. “Her passion and enthusiasm for both PMWL and her vision for the future is incredibly inspiring and we are certain that she is the right person to take us to the next level. She is a uniquely qualified and highly regarded leader in the public media system and we are thrilled to have her join us."

Besides her work in public media, Rashied-Hyman has made a significant impact on Atlanta’s cultural scene as a concert and festival producer. She has been credited with bridging Atlanta's racial and cultural divides through music and art events, with her efforts earning the "Best of Atlanta" title from Creative Loafing. She is married to Kevin Hyman, also known as DJ Kemit, a Grammy-winning music producer, DJ, and former member of the world-renowned hip hop group Arrested Development. Together, they have two daughters, Nuri and Aliyah, and a grandson, Michael.

As Rashied-Hyman assumes her role, founder Deanna Martin Mackey will continue to chair the PMWL board into 2025 with a plan to term off the board by the end of that calendar year. The board is preparing for the transition and will appoint a vice-chair by early 2025.

“I could not be happier about Aishah’s selection as PMWL’s first executive director,” Mackey says. “As a board, we have been planning for the succession and long-term sustainability of PMWL for more than a year. It’s critical for women in this industry that this organization thrives beyond those who founded it. Aishah will ensure PMWL’s growth and expansion for the future of women’s leadership in public media.”

Welcome to the PMWL team, Aishah!
You may contact Aishah effective August 19th via the following email: arashiedhyman@pmwl.org