Jerilyn Bliss is Scripps Networks Interactive’s Vice President of Corporate Communications. She brings a breadth and depth of media communications and brand-building experience from successful careers with Nielsen, Turner Broadcasting, Oprah Winfrey, and Kraft Foods. She now leads internal communications and employee engagement at Scripps, the $2 billion parent company of iconic brands, HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country (GAC). In her role, she helps direct the overall employee experience, support the vitality of Scripps’ business and work communities, create compelling storylines for the company and its employees, and aid in the growth of the company’s sustainability efforts. Her team oversees all Scripps’ internal communications and partners with internal clients to ensure understanding of and engagement with key messages.
Bliss was one of the founding forces for Women in Cable Television (WICT) activities in Knoxville, working as a member of the WICT Southeast board to engage and activate membership and participation far beyond the Atlanta area. She has received the 2007 WICT Southeast Rising Star Award and Volunteer of the Year Award. Her communications campaigns and results have been recognized by Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PR News, Association of Cable Communicators (ACC), CableFAX, and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), among others.
As active in the community as she is in the industry, Bliss currently serves on the board of the Knoxville News Sentinel Charities and is a previous board member of United Way of Greater Knoxville, Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, and Legacy Parks Foundation. In addition, she spearheads the Scripps’ team for the annual Morris Animal Foundation K9 Cancer Walk as well as the company’s annual United Way campaign, which under her leadership has raised more than $2 million for United Way partners across the country.
Bliss is a graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television/Film, and has completed coursework toward her master’s degree at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. She has also attended ACC’s Public Affairs Institute and WICT’s Executive Development Seminar.
Bliss truly lives the Scripps’ brands, spending her time outside the office searching out good food and unusual dining experiences; exploring new locales often with her three dogs in tow; puttering around in the garden; and enjoying local Tennessee bluegrass music.
