Caryn G. Mathes

Ms. Caryn G. Mathes has been President and General Manager of Puget Sound Public Radio/KUOW Seattle since January 2014. Throughout her 40-year career leading three different major market stations (in Detroit, D.C., and Seattle,) Mathes has drawn upon her experience in communications management and strategic planning to transform organizations into public media leaders.

Mathes was a professional journalist for 10 years prior to becoming a general manager. Guided by a commitment to veracity and independence, she has expanded KUOW’s broadcast and online presence, positioning the organization to thrive in the digital age. Under her leadership, KUOW has navigated the rapidly-changing environment for media and nonprofits and catalyzed key investment strategies for preserving broadcast listenership, developing digital audiences, and sustaining KUOW financially. KUOW is also recognized as a leader in media for racial diversity, equity, and inclusion transformation.

Mathes was the 2021 recipient of the University Station Alliance’s Madison Hodges Award, which recognizes public media leaders achieving high levels of community impact. In 2016, Mathes received the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” Award and was a 2013 recipient of the Washington, D.C. Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” Award. She was twice elected to the national governing board of NPR, serving from 2011-2017. Mathes currently serves on the boards of Greater Public, the Northwest Public Affairs Network (the governing body for the Northwest News Network regional news collaboration,) the University Station Alliance, and the Washington State Association of Broadcasters. Mathes was a member of Vistage, a CEO peer mentoring group, for nine years, and has represented KUOW in the Western States Public Radio regional organization. Mathes earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.