Whitney Koen serves as Executive Assistant to the President at PEF, where she supports the President and works across the organization on executive and board support, events, communications, and special projects.

Before joining PEF, Whitney worked in the film and television industry. Some of the titles she worked on include The Walking Dead, Succession, The Gilded Age, The Shrink Next Door, The Highwaymen, and Good Girls.

Whitney is originally from Cleveland, Tennessee, and graduated from Cleveland High School before earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television from Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. While at SCAD, she wrote, directed, and produced the short film Dreamkeeper, which went on to receive awards and recognition at film festivals in the United States and internationally.

After building her career in the entertainment industry, Whitney returned to Southeast Tennessee and joined PEF in 2024. She enjoys bringing the organization, creativity, and adaptability of her production background to her work at PEF and being part of an organization serving students and educators in the community where she grew up.