FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Jan. 27, 2022
Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | [ mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org | mahajanr(a)rfa.org ]
RFA Welcomes Carolyn Bartholomew as New Board Chair
WASHINGTON -- [
https://www.rfa.org/english/ | Radio Free Asia ] (RFA) today announced
that Carolyn Bartholomew, a member of RFA’s [
https://www.rfa.org/about/info/governance_leadership-10032010211820.html | board of
directors ] , will serve as its Chair. Bartholomew, a Commissioner on the U.S.-China
Economic and Security Review Commission and its current Chairman, succeeds Ambassador
Karen Kornbluh, who announced that she would be stepping down from the board after serving
a tenure that began in 2014 . Bartholomew was unanimously approved at the January meeting
of RFA’s board of directors.
“Carolyn brings a deep knowledge base of China and Asia, as well as valuable experience
serving on nonprofit and commercial boards,” said RFA President Bay Fang. “RFA will
benefit immeasurably from her forward-thinking expertise. I could not be more thrilled to
work with her and our board to achieve RFA's goals and congressionally-mandated
mission.”
“It’s an incredible honor to serve as RFA’s board chair,” Bartholomew said. “I have long
admired RFA for its incisive brand of journalism that provides accountability and accurate
information for millions in Asia who are in desperate need of a free press. I’m grateful
for this opportunity to take over from the outstanding Karen Kornbluh and pledge to work
tirelessly to help this organization, which just marked its 25th anniversary, be best
positioned for the challenges that lie ahead.”
Bartholomew joined RFA’s board in Fall 2021, along with Asia policy expert Michael J.
Green, the senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) and veteran journalist Keith Richburg, the Director of the
Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Prior to her service
on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Bartholomew held senior-level
positions in Congress, including on key committees overseeing Asia foreign policy and
funding foreign aid, and congressional leadership, as a long-time counsel, legislative
director, and chief of staff. She has particular policy expertise on U.S.-China trade
relations, security issues, and human rights, and has led efforts on the promotion of
human rights and strengthening civil society in countries around the world. In addition,
Bartholomew brings almost two decades of experience on nonprofit and corporate boards.
Ambassador Kornbluh and Ambassador Ryan Crocker both departed RFA’s board of directors
after serving tenures that began in 2014 and 2013 respectively. They served until June
2020 and were reinstated in January of 2021. Michael Kempner, Founder, President and CEO
of public relations firm MikeWorldWide (MWW), whose tenure began in 2014 and was
reinstated in January 2021, remains on RFA’s board. RFA celebrated its [
https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/rfa-celebrates-its-25th-anniversary | 25th anniversary
] last fall, when its first broadcast in Mandarin Chinese was aired in 1996.
# # #
Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online
news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not
have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of
freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an
annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.
Rohit Mahajan
Chief Communications Officer
Radio Free Asia