Charlotte Cooks

Carolina Impact, PBS Charlotte’s signature show, serves as a lens into the heart of issues, people, and places shaping the landscape of our region. It delves into the stories that matter, providing viewers with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics at play across our region.

With more than 30 years in broadcasting, Amy Burkett still loves the business of connecting through media.  She’s thrilled to have lead the renaissance of WTVI PBS Charlotte, a viewer supported service of Central Piedmont Community College, as general manager since June 2013.  Before that she spent 14 years at WLVT PBS39 in Bethlehem, PA as executive vice president.  She began her career in commercial television working at network affiliates as an anchor/reporter for nine years.

Over the last 20 years Amy’s studied the art of leadership and received her John Maxwell certification as a trainer, speaker and coach in 2012.  New York Times bestselling author John Maxwell has written more leadership books than any one.  Amy published her first leadership book The 7 D’s to Your Destiny: A Roadmap to Help You Fulfill Your Life’s Purpose in 2020 and her second book The Dirty F-Word: Lessons from our Failures in 2023.

She combined her love of media with her passion for leadership training to assist with economic mobility in Charlotte.  Over the last seven years she’s graduated over 750 teens from the 3D Project: Dreamers-Doers-Destiny. This seven week career pathways and leadership project has been the catalyst to help at risk high schoolers achieve their dreams.

She’s lead teams to 11 regional Emmy Awards, four national PBS awards, and numerous Society of Professional Journalist and Radio, Digital Television News Awards.

Amy is originally from Ohio and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism from Bowling Green State University.  She’s been married to her photographer husband Rob for more than 30 years and is proud of their only son RJ, a graduate of Clemson University.

Episode 7 | October 21, 2025-New Tax, New Tracks?;Historic Threads, Modern Destination;Non Profits Priced Out of Purpose; & The Longest Table

Episode 6 | October 14th, 2025-Classroom Training Takes Flight;Levine Museum of the New South; New Mecklenburg Declaration 250th Mural; & Church Camp Revival

Episode 5 | October 7th, 2025-Big Dreams, Small Businesses, Young Moguls; Gabe DeVoe Champions Literacy; Table Tennis, Anyone; & The Accidental Baker

Episode 4 | September 30th, 2025-Flower Power: The Metrolina Greenhouses;The Charm of Cotswold Marketplace; From History to Fragrance: Nia Adoo’s Unique Blend of Passions; & the Legacy of Romare Bearden

Episode 3 | September 23rd, 2025-The Pearl of Progress: Teaching, Healing, & Staying in Charlotte;Rapping with Purpose;Art by Abel; & Author Joy Callaway

Episode 2 | September 16th, 2025- Rebuild, Reopen, Restore; Rising Again on the River; Boone NC's Wine To Water;Restoring Asehville's Artistic District

Episode 1 | September 9th, 2024- Our Region’s Fight for Affordable Housing; Celebrating 60 Years of WTVI; Camp Wildwood: Building Tomorrow's Leaders Outdoors; & Chef Gillian's Recipe for Change

The PBS Charlotte Plus app is our new, personalized streaming experience — and it’s now available on all your devices.

With PBS Charlotte Plus, you can pick up right where you left off and get personalized recommendations based on what you watch, making it easier to discover new favorites. Plus, it includes everything available in Passport — from national hits to local stories, all in one place.