Pittsburgh, PA, October 2, 2019 – Fred Rogers Productions, the nonprofit children’s entertainment producer behind the Emmy Award-winning PBS KIDS series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Odd Squad, and Peg + Cat, has named Christopher Arnold Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role, Arnold is responsible for the organization’s daily operations, helping to provide strong day-to-day leadership for the entire Fred Rogers Productions team. He reports directly to President and CEO Paul Siefken. Arnold is succeeding long-time company COO Kevin Morrison, who is retiring after an extensive and successful entertainment industry career.

“We are delighted to welcome Chris to our ‘Neighborhood,’” said Siefken. “He’s coming from a world-class game developer like Schell Games, and his valuable experiences and fresh perspective will help us to further strengthen our operations and lead to the company’s continued growth and success.”

“Enhancing the lives of children and their families with engaging, relatable, and educational content and experiences is at the heart of what Fred Rogers Productions does, and I am so pleased and proud to be part of this remarkable organization with such a laudable mission,” said Arnold. “I look forward to working alongside Paul and the rest of the talented team, who are committed to realizing this goal every day.”

As COO, Arnold oversees both internal and external operations for Fred Rogers Productions, including working in partnership with Siefken to implement the company’s strategic plan and facilitate processes and approaches to achieve it. He leads and manages the organization’s Legal & Business Affairs, Licensing & Merchandising, Finance, Technology, and Human Resources.

Prior to joining Fred Rogers Productions, Arnold was General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for Pittsburgh-based Schell Games, a full-service education and entertainment game development firm, where he was responsible for developing relationships with partners such as The Walt Disney Company, ILMxLAB, The LEGO Group, Yale University, Google, and Facebook. Previously, he served as Operations Counsel at Mylan, a leading generics and specialty pharmaceutical company; General Counsel and Director of Human Resources at Guru.com, a global talent marketplace; and Corporate Associate at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, one of the nation's leading law firms.

Arnold is a graduate of Allegheny College and earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

About Fred Rogers Productions 
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it not only created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program, but also extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health  while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly-rated, Emmy Award-winning children’s series include Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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