Screening Reel of "The American Revolution" with Mark Contreras, President & CEO of Connecticut

Please join Darien Library for a screening reel of "The American Revolution" a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt with introductory remarks from Mark Contreras, President & CEO of Connecticut Public, our statewide PBS station. 

About the Series

Thirteen American colonies unite in rebellion, win an eight-year war to secure their independence, and establish a new form of government that would inspire democratic movements at home and around the globe. What begins as a political clash between colonists and the British government grows into a bloody struggle that will engage more than two dozen nations and forever change the world. "The American Revolution" is a six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country’s founding struggle and its eight-year War for Independence. The film is directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by Geoffrey Ward.

About Mark Contreras

Mark Contreras, President and Chief Executive Officer of Connecticut Public, has led several media businesses through digital transformation. Prior to his role as Dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University, Contreras served as CEO of Calkins Media, a privately-held local television, digital and local newspaper publishing company. Calkins developed innovative strategies to maximize audience reach, engagement and revenue by embracing streaming media platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV. He previously led local newspaper publishing and digital businesses for three public companies including Capital Cities/ABC; Pulitzer, Inc; and The E.W. Scripps Co.

In addition, he served as Chairman of the News Media Association and the American Press Institute. He is a Fellow of the Millennium Class of Henry Crown Fellows of the Aspen Institute. He serves on the Board of Directors of Highlights for Children in Columbus, Ohio and Woodward Communications, Inc in Dubuque, Iowa. Mark has an A.B. in History from the University of Chicago and a MBA from the Harvard Business School.