Eisenhower Institute

Tracie Potts is the Eisenhower Institute’s Executive Director. She joined Gettysburg College with a wealth of media experience focused on public policy, along with years of educational advocacy for and with students.

Mrs. Potts spent three decades as an award-winning broadcast journalist, most recently as senior Washington Correspondent for NBC News Channel, the affiliate service of NBC News. Based on Capitol Hill, she covered four Presidential administrations, Congress and the federal government for 200+ local morning news programs, MSNBC, CNBC and foreign news organizations. Outside politics Potts reported abroad from the 2012 Olympics, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate, the selection of Pope Benedict and the death of Nelson Mandela. Before working in Washington, she was based in the network’s Los Angeles bureau and served as an anchor and reporter at local stations.

Potts serves as vice chair of the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Advisory Board, after being selected as a 2017 National Fellow. Her “Forgotten Voices” project on the Affordable Care Act was honored with a Dateline Award from the DC chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Other fellowships include the Loyola Marymount Journalist Law School, Mayo Clinic Journalist Residency, National Press Foundation, the Poynter Institute and the Journalism Center of Children and Families and the Michelle Clark Fellowship from the Radio Television News Directors Foundation.

Potts was an instructor for NBC University and the News Literacy Project. Her lesson on NLP’s “Checkology” digital learning platform has been used by more than 100,000 students and educators worldwide. She also taught journalism at Knoxville College and Biola University. Potts was appointed to the National PTA Board of Directors and serves as a family engagement trainer, facilitator and speaker on its governance team. She is currently an advisor for the non-profit Learning Heroes and the federally-funded Statewide Family Engagement Center for Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Potts completed Northwestern University’s Accelerated Masters Program, earning Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the Medill School of Journalism.