Lori A. McFarling is a 20-year Discovery veteran and highly respected industry leader.  She was named Divisional Marketing Officer for Discovery Education & Domestic Distribution at Discovery Communications in October 2007.  As a member of the senior leadership team, she oversees all partnership, outreach, professional development, marketing, and public affairs activities for the company’s Education division.  She also leads the distribution marketing and sales strategy efforts for Discovery’s U.S. cable networks and for Discovery’s new media programming services, including mobile, broadband, and video on demand. 

Previously, McFarling served as Chief Operating Officer for Animal Planet and Discovery Kids Media.  She has also held a number of different posts since joining the company as Account Manager, Eastern Region, Affiliate Sales, and Marketing.

Before joining Discovery, McFarling was the National Accounts Manager at C-SPAN where she managed distribution, marketing, and community outreach for the network in the western United States.  She also held sales and marketing positions with Procter and Gamble’s Food Service and Lodging Division. 

McFarling serves in several industry leadership roles as a member of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT), and the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC).  In 2005, she received the industry's highest honor, the prestigious Vanguard Award for Marketing, and was named to the “Wonder Women” class of television executives in 2006.  

McFarling earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder.