Elizabeth Sembler was reappointed to the CPB Board of Directors by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the Senate in February 2022. She was previously appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. She served as board chair from 2014 to 2016 and vice chair from 2012 to 2014.
Ms. Sembler is a retired educator, school administrator, and Jewish communal professional. She previously served as the director of engagement at Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg, Florida.
She has served on the board of WEDU-TV since 1993 and was the chair of its board from 2001-2003. From 2006-2008, she served on the board of the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), a nonprofit group that supports the continued growth and development of a strong and financially sound noncommercial television service. She also served on the foundation board of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Ms. Sembler is active in leadership and board service in the Jewish community – locally, regionally and nationally – serving on the advisory board of the Davidson Graduate School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, New York, the board of trustees of Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, New York, and the board of trustees for the TOP Jewish Foundation in Tampa, Florida. She also serves on the and board of trustees of Congregation B’nai Israel. Ms. Sembler is on the board of directors for the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions (ISPS) at St. Petersburg College, the board of directors of the Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg in Florida, a privately funded middle school for students qualifying for needs-based scholarships, and the board of directors of the Florida Orchestra. She was a member of the United Jewish Communities National Young Leadership Cabinet in the 1990s.
She began her career as a staff writer for the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) after earning her bachelor's degree in newspaper journalism and political science from Syracuse University. She later earned a master's degree in English from the University of South Florida.
Ms. Sembler lives in Seminole, Florida, with her husband, Greg. They are the parents of four adult children.
Her term expires in 2026.