Clement Geitner of Hickory Appointed and Ashley O. Thrift, Esq., of Winston-Salem
Reappointed to the UNC-TV Board of Trustees

Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives Joe Hackney has appointed a new member to the UNC-TV Board of Trustees, Clement Geitner of Hickory, and President Pro Tem of the North Carolina Senate Marc Basnight has reappointed one other member, Ashley O. Thrift, Esq., of Winston-Salem. 

Both appointments are effective immediately and run through June 30, 2009.

A native of Hickory, Mr. Geitner retired from a 30-year banking career in 1996.  The majority of his tenure as a banker was with Bank of America or its predecessor banks.  He held management positions in Charlotte, New York, Washington, and Orlando, prior to returning to Hickory.

Mr. Geitner currently serves as president of Hickory Leather Company, Inc., and Fine Furniture, Inc., manufacturers of contract office seating and tables.  He also has ownership interests in several other businesses in the Hickory area and is active in local business and civic activities, including:

• Current chair, Board of Trustees, Catawba Valley Medical Center
• Commissioner, Hickory Public Housing Authority
• Commissioner, Hickory Historic Preservation Commission
• Trustee, Catawba Valley Community Foundation
• Member, Catawba County Board of Equalization and Review
• Member, Hickory Metropolitan Higher Education Center Managing board

Mr. Geitner is the previous chair of the board of WFAE Radio in Charlotte and the Hickory Landmarks Society.  In addition, he has served on the boards of the Western Piedmont Symphony, Catawba County Council for the Arts, Hickory Rotary Club, the Chamber's Manufacturers Council, the Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Jobs and Economy Task Force of the Catawba County Foresight Committee.

Clement Geitner is a graduate of Mercersburg Academy and UNC Chapel Hill, where he earned bachelor's and business degrees.  He and wife Mary Elizabeth are the parents of three grown children.

Ashley Thrift is an attorney specializing in legislative and regulatory issues, administrative and international law, and international business development concentrated on China.  He is a past vice chair and chair of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees and has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS).

UNC-TV Director and General Manager Tom Howe welcomed the appointments, saying, “We are pleased to welcome an outstanding North Carolinian like Clem Geitner to the UNC-TV Board of Trustees.  We look forward to having the benefit of his experience and insights.  We are also very pleased to have Ashley Thrift back for another term on the board.  We appreciate his long service and commitment to public television, and we are extremely fortunate to have continued access to his leadership.”

         Member-supported UNC-TV is North Carolina’s statewide digital public television service.