LEWISTON – Maine Public Broadcasting President Mary Anne Alhadeff has been elected to the Public Broadcasting Service board of directors effective Oct. 31.

Alhadeff, 50, joins John Swope, a businessman who represents New Hampshire Public Television, as the only two New England members of the PBS board. This is Alhadeff’s first appointment to the board. It is a three-year term.

The board is the governing body of PBS and is responsible for setting policy. Duties include appointing officers of the corporation, adopting amendments to the bylaws, adopting policies for the management of the corporation’s affairs by the officers and staff and establishing committees. Directors also serve on the board’s standing and ad hoc committees and subcommittees.

The 35-member board consists of 17 professional directors from public television stations, 17 business, community and general directors and one management director, Pat Mitchell, PBS president and chief executive officer. Directors serve without compensation, however expenses are reimbursable.

Alhadeff joined Maine Public Broadcasting in 2002. Prior to that, she served as president and chief executive officer of Prairie Public Broadcasting in Fargo, N.D., and as director of broadcasting for New Hampshire Public Television.

Maine Public Broadcasting is the largest Maine-based, member-supported organization in the state, providing public television, radio and education services to audiences in Maine, New Hampshire and New Brunswick through Maine PBS and Maine Public Radio. For more information, visit www.mpbc.org.