In a world where challenges loom large and the call for leadership echoes far and wide, Dr. Franmarie T. Kennedy stands as a beacon of hope and transformation.  With a career that traverses the intricate landscapes of media, nonprofit organizations and the U.S. federal government, Dr. Kennedy has not just participated in change, she has spearheaded it.  Her journey, marked by visionary leadership, strategic brilliance, and an uncanny ability to forge powerful partnerships, is nothing short of inspirational. Dr. Kennedy brings to the Caregiver Coalition Fund of America her expertise in the development of strategic partnerships, community outreach, philanthropic endeavors, and the production of documentaries.  Through these qualifications, Franmarie will assist The Caregiver Coalition Fund of America in serving the needs of family caregivers in the United States and throughout the World.

From 1983 to 1985, Dr. Kennedy served as Deputy Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education, and following this tenure, served as Deputy Assistant to the President from 1985 to 1986 and in 1988.  In this latter role, she oversaw White House Conferences; including the White House Conference involving Choice in Education.  In 1990 she served as the White House Director for the Global Conference on Climate Change.  In 1991 she returned to the U.S. Department of Education as the Deputy Chief of Staff Secretary of Education and, in 1993 she was promoted to the position of Director, National Institute of Adult Literacy.  From 1994-1999, Dr. Kennedy was the Executive Director of the Clarendon Foundation which produced The Making of a Leader, George H.W. Bush which aired on the History Channel for five years. 

After her tenure working in the U.S. federal government and until 2023, Dr. Kennedy served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for PBS’s NewsHour Productions, LLC.  In this role, she conceived of and launched an ambitious visionary partnership with the Aspen Institute.  This strategic alliance increased the number of high-net-worth donors, increased membership in giving clubs, and increased the outreach and influence of the NewsHour. The donor clubs expanded by more than 25% in the first year, and as Brand Ambassador for the partnership, she engaged and built a network of affinity Groups. 

Franmarie also served as the founding director of the NewsHour’s major donor circle, The friends of the NewsHour, a revenue-generating affinity group that represented six percent of the NewsHour’s total operating revenue within a three-year period.  She also created and led the donor engagement strategy for the Friends of the NewsHour circle. This effort resulted in an increase in membership by over 20% in the first year, and was solely responsible for establishing an affinity group network for science and health reporting, and built sustainable relationships across the organization. Further, she collaborated with senior executive and editorial staff to establish a philanthropic brand strategy for the NewsHour.

Dr. Kennedy was the primary development team leader for three PBS documentaries, The Modern First Ladies, Lady Bird, and Do You Speak American?  For her work involving The Modern First Ladies and Do You Speak American?, Dr. Kennedy received multiple Film Festival Awards. Under her focused leadership, she created and directed educational outreach and the donor engagement strategy for grants from government agencies; including by not limited to, the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Endowment for the Arts, Center for Applied Linguistics and the National Library of Medicine.  In total, she raised $1,000,000 for each documentary, and Do You Speak American? required an additional $500,000 or $1,500,000 for their educational outreach activities which exceeded the fundraising goals. 

Toward the end of her tenure at PBS NewsHour, Dr. Kennedy assumed the role of President of the International Culture Collective and Executive in charge of Production for The Long Shore which received an Emmy Award in 2023.  As stated in The Talbot (July 15, 2023), [The Long Shore] [d]rawing on present-day scenes and history footage and photos, this poignant documentary sheds light on the invaluable role played by CBMM [Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum] in preserving this cherished heritage and the significance of this mission for the region and beyond. 

Overlapping with her positions at PBS’s NewsHour, from 2004-2019 Dr. Kennedy served as the Deputy Director of the Aspen Health and Society Program.  Franmarie directed the planning, coordination and implementation of the health policy convenings, including: Spotlight Health, Aspen Health Innovation Project, The Aspen Health Strategy Group, and Aspen Stewardship Project, the first Health Policy Roundtable. Further, she developed and implemented the marketing/communications strategic plan for the program, and she built a network of affinity groups and volunteers to support each event. All of these projects were high impact resulting in media attention and in additional sponsorships each year and enhanced the organization’s media profile and outreach to a variety of audiences as well as its impact.

In addition to the above-mentioned highlights of Dr. Kennedy’s career, she has served as a Board Member of the Prospect Foundation, TV America Foundation, Clarendon Foundation, International Culture Collective, and The Richard Collins Family Foundation.  Dr. Kennedy has also served as a consultant to the American Red Cross, National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation, The Aircraft Owners, Pilots Association, The American Medical Woman’s Association, and The Girl Scouts, U.S.A.