Patrick Butler, Hilton Howell Named To BFA Board

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has elected Patrick Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), and Hilton Howell, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gray Television and Atlantic American Corporation, to its Board of Directors. The new directors were voted in during the recent Foundation’s Board of Directors’ meeting, which was held virtually.

Patrick Butler

“We are delighted to welcome Patrick and Hilton to our Board,” said Scott Herman, Chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. “They each bring a wealth of broadcast experience to our board, and their perspective will be valuable as we continue to advance our mission of helping broadcasters in acute need.”

Prior to APTS, Butler spent 18 years at The Washington Post Company, where he founded and led Newsweek Productions. He was the Founder and President of Patrick Butler & Company, a communications consulting firm whose clients included Henry Kissinger, White House chief of staff James Baker, the Secretary of Health & Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, American Express, RCA Corporation, other leaders of government and business, and actor Cary Grant. In government service, Butler was appointed by President Reagan to the National Council on the Humanities. He is the recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from American Public Television and the 2021 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award from the board of trustees of America's Public Television Stations.

Hilton Howell

Hilton Howell brings over 25 years of experience in both the broadcast and insurance industries to his position on the Broadcasters Foundation board. He began his career practicing law and spent several years in leadership roles. He sits on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Advisory Council for the Center for Leadership and Ethics for the University of Texas at Austin and is a former member on the NBC Affiliate Board. Having been appointed by Governor Zell Miller to serve on the board of the Georgia Department of Human Resources and serving as Chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, Hilton is an active member of the Atlanta community.

The Broadcasters Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of highly respected broadcast executives who are committed to “giving back” through the Broadcasters Foundation. The members of the Board represent a wide array of broadcast and broadcast-related companies.

The Broadcasters Foundation has assisted thousands of broadcasters -- past and present, all over the country -- who have lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease, or unforeseen tragedy. Personal donations can be made to the Foundation’s Guardian Fund, corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative, and bequests can be made through the Foundation’s Legacy Society. For more information, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, call 212-373-8250, or email info@thebfoa.org.