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 1 | September 17th, 2024- Home grown & "drone grown", Black on the Farm, Santhoshi's Kitchen, and The Great American Recipe.

Episode 2 | September 24th, 2024- Corporate-Owned Rental Housing, HBCU's in the New Millennium, Many Faces Initiative, and The Kind Bus.

Episode 3 | October 1st, 2024- Independent Picture House, Actor Tim Perez Ross, Olives Mud Puddle Pottery, & BlueWagon Pound Cakes.

Episode 4 | Seeking Unity: Disagree With Dignity-Vote411.org