TRACIE POTTS
Inform. Advocate. Inspire.
"Whatever your life's work is, do it well."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
ACHIEVEMENTS
Comcast NBCU Know Your Value Champion
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Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute
Performance Course
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Learning Heroes Inaugural Featured Learning Hero
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National PTA Lifetime Achievement Award
& Life Membership
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Montgomery County Champion for Children
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Mayo Foundation Journalist Residency
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SPJ-DC Dateline Award
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USC Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship
John S. Carroll Journalist Fellow
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Woodward Academy Distinguished Alumnae
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Maryland PTA Lifetime Achievement Award
& Life Membership
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NBCUniversal "GEM" (Going the Extra Mile) Award
November 2003 - Present
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
Provide daily live reports for ~200 NBC affiliates, Early Today, NBC News Now, CNBC Europe and Asia, Euronews, 7News Australia, CTV Canada and other clients. Cover presidential administrations and campaigns; Congress; and international news including Olympics, Royal Wedding, Papal Conclave and Mandela’s funeral. Appointed to News Group DEI Partnerships Task Force.
January 2019 - Present
VICE CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Advancing coverage of community health by helping journalists investigate challenges and solutions with fact-based, rigorous reporting that serves as a catalyst for change. 2017 National Fellow. Read my blog:
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Reporters share their own stories from America's silent epidemic of grief
Health Care on the Line: When will Washington listen to health care's forgotten voices?
Reporting in the midst of uncertainty: Chronicling health reform across the country
Outside the Beltway, a reporter listens to forgotten voices amid the debate over ACA
"How to find the Forgotten Voices thqt will give your health stories power"
WATCH: Fellowship Project "Forgotten Voices"
One Kentucky woman's heart-wrenching decision to end her health care nightmare
​As Washington wrestles over health reform, communities brace for impacts on children
November 2020 - Present
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Inform and equip parents to take an active role in their children's educational and developmental success. Previously served as volunteer and inaugural featured Learning Hero.
September 2020 - Present
ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER
Serve on Parent Advisory Council for federally-funded Statewide Family Engagement Center for Maryland and Pennsylvania. Specific assignments include subcommittee on improving home-school partnerships, Parent to Parent newsletter contributor and Community of Practice to create a parent leadership guide for educators and families.
June 2019 - Present
BOARD MEMBER
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT FELLOW
Member Representative for the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Board of Directors, advocating for, engaging and empowering more than 1.4 million members in 21,000 units across the United States and Europe. Programs Committee liaison to School of Excellence program. Advise staff on infusing diversity, equity and inclusion into Reflections, PTA's 50-year-old arts program engaging 300,000 students every year. Strategic Planning Work Group. Honored with Maryland and National PTA Lifetime Achievement Awards
August 2020
INSTRUCTOR
Train early and mid career local news professionals to produce for network news programs. Offer pro tips on evaluating information, seeking sources, writing and producing for broadcast and digital. Evaluate participants' collaboration and leadership to identify young journalists with strong editorial instinct and news judgement.
September 2019 - Present
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAM COORDINATOR
Conceived, created and convened a new initiative for Montgomery County Public Schools, the nation's 16th largest school district. Recruited and screened team members. Plan and host monthly gatherings with staff to provide parents input and feedback on school district programs and decisions.
October 2009 - Present
DIGITAL & CLASSROOM INSTRUCTOR
Volunteer for educational nonprofit that promotes civic engagement by teaching students and the public to identify fact from fiction, opinion, advertising and propaganda. Conduct virtual classroom visits. Teach "InfoZones," the inaugural lesson for the Checkology digital classroom reaching tens of thousands of students worldwide. Received the 2017 John S. Carroll Journalist Fellow Award.
January 2016 - Present
ENGAGEMENT CHAIR / VP / BOARD MEMBER
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL OF PTAS
Currently oversee engagement initiatives for suburban DC PTA council comprised of 193 local units. Activities include convening monthly "ENGAGE! Community Conversation" on hot topics. Previously served as Vice President of Administration (overseeing leadership development and compliance for all PTAs), Secretary and Membership chair for the Council.
January - May 2003
INSTRUCTOR
BIOLA UNIVERSITY
Taught journalism and communications course.
June 1997 - November 2003
WEST COAST CORRESPONDENT
NBC NEWS CHANNEL
Live, breaking reports on plane crashes, severe weather, mudslides, WTO protests, Columbine/Springfield school shootings, OKC and Unabomber trials and more. Contributed to Weekend Nightly News, Weekend Today and MSNBC. Substitute anchored “NBC Nightside.” Enterprised monthly women's issues and health reports.
January 1995 - June 1996
INSTRUCTOR / ADVISOR
Taught journalism and communications courses. Recruited and trained staff to revive production of student newspaper that had been dormant for 20 years.
August 1992 - April 1997
ANCHOR/REPORTER
Anchored AM, midday and weekend evening newscasts for Knoxville, Tennessee affiliate. Reported on local government, community, business, breaking news and education. Produced and hosted weekly public affairs program and half-hour news specials on arts and education.
September 1991 - August 1992
REPORTER / ANCHOR
Produced and anchored morning Today Show news and weather cut-ins. Enterprised local health stories for evening news programs for the NBC affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama.
EDUCATION
Master of Journalism, 1991
Bachelor of Journalism, 1991
Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
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Accelerated Masters Program
Harrington Award (highest broadcast honor)
Newton B. Minow Prize in Communication
Gannett Foundation scholarship
Scripps-Howard scholarship
National Association of Black Journalists scholarship