BATON ROUGE — Beth Courtney, the former president and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, has died. 

The announcement of Courtney's passing was made by Clarence Copeland, the current president and CEO of LPB, on Friday.

Courtney led LPD for nearly four decades. 

"She helped build a statewide network that brought our stories, culture, history and civic life into homes across Louisiana," Copeland said.

Copeland praised Courtney for helping make LPB a "trusted source of educational programming, public affairs and documentaries that captured Louisiana's spirit."

"Every program we produce and every student, teacher, and family we serve still reflects a piece of Beth's legacy," Copeland said.