Debra Tica Sanchez was named vice president of government relations for APTS in August 2005. In announcing her promotion, APTS President and CEO John Lawson noted that she “combines innate political savvy, a tenacious commitment to public television and an exemplary work ethic. She has proven her organizational and lobbying skills time and again—most recently under some of the most challenging circumstances a lobbyist can face.”
Ms. Sanchez played an instrumental role in leading public broadcasting’s legislative teams during a Spring 2005 campaign to restore more than $200 million in funding cuts proposed by House Appropriators. Ms. Sanchez displayed her abilities by working effectively with her team, local stations and congressional supporters to achieve historic victories in the House and Senate. She played an integral role in the campaign that essentially reversed the efforts of House Appropriators to slash federal funding for public broadcasting by 45 percent in FY 2006.
Ms. Sanchez joined the government relations staff at APTS in July of 2001, where she quickly established herself as an innovator who can get things done. Early in her tenure she served dual roles as a grassroots organizer focused on station advocacy and as a part-time Hill lobbyist. In the latter capacity, she engineered the creation of a digital funding program for rural stations that has netted tens of millions of dollars in digital conversion grants for stations across the country. Later, Ms. Sanchez’s lobbying portfolio expanded to education issues, where she served as the chief lobbyist for the Ready To Learn and Ready To Teach programs, as well as appropriations issues. In December of 2004, she was named director of government relations.
Prior to joining APTS, Ms. Sanchez held stints in Northern Virginia’s high tech sector and spent several years as a special education teacher in Arlington, Virginia and Highland, Indiana. She was graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana with a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education.
