Bios

Katie, the newest character to the Sesame Street/USO show, is a 6-year-old girl who is normally a happy-go-lucky kid and usually bright and cheery… but when we first encounter her (at the beginning of the show) she is atypically sad. She has just learned that her dad, who is in the military, has been transferred to another base. Katie and her parents will have to move. This has happened to her several times already in her short life, but perhaps this is the first time she is old enough to feel the sting of sadness at having to move away from her friends. Her Sesame friends help her see that they will remain friends despite the distance, that change is not necessarily a bad thing and that she will make new friends.

Cookie Monster is a frenzied, but cuddly, monster. Cookie eats everything; chairs, microphones, numbers, letters and he is always on eternal quest to find more food (especially cookies)! Cookie likes to solve problems, especial like what to eat when he’s hungry!

Elmo is 3 ½ years old. Elmo has red fur and Elmo loves playing with his friends Rosita and Grover. Elmo loves riding on this tricycle and being tickled. Elmo also has a pet goldfish, Dorothy. Elmo’s friends tell Elmo that Elmo has a contagious giggle. Elmo likes to be enthusiastic, friendly and cheerful, and Elmo always wants to be part of everything that goes on. Sometimes Elmo doesn’t know how to do what Elmo wants. But that never stops Elmo because Elmo has a very positive, optimistic view of Elmo and life!

Grover is a cute and furry blue monster. He is excitable, caring and compulsive – a combination that sometimes gets him into trouble. He loves to help people but because of his inexperience, he usually ends up doing things the long way around. If Grover does not succeed at first, he always tries and tries again. Grover has many jobs on Sesame Street but his favorite is working in Charlie’s Restaurant.

Rosita is an exuberant, playful girl whose full name, Rosita la Monstrua de las Cuevas, means "The Monster of the Caves." She hails from Mexico, and speaks both Spanish and English, often mixing words from both languages when she speaks. Rosita uses her hands when she communicates with others, conveying her warmth with lots of touching and hugging.

Sloan D. Gibson, USO President and CEO 

Sloan D. Gibson was elected by the USO Board of Governors to become the 22nd president of the USO in September 2008.

Prior to joining the USO, Sloan spent more than 20 years in banking in Charlotte, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Birmingham, Ala. In 2004, he retired from AmSouth Bancorporation, a New York Stock Exchange traded corporation, where he served as vice chairman and chief financial officer. During his tenure as CFO, AmSouth was added to the S&P 500. Sloan also has a long history of service and leadership with a variety of nonprofit organizations. In 2002 he chaired the United Way campaign in Central Alabama, which raised more than $30 million.

Sloan is a 1975 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned both Airborne and Ranger qualifications and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He earned a Masters in Economics from the University of Missouri in Kansas City and a Masters in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

H. Melvin Ming, Sesame Workshop President and CEO 

As President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, H. Melvin Ming leads the nonprofit educational organization in its mission to create innovative, engaging content that maximizes the educational power of media to help children reach their highest potential. He directs the Workshop’s efforts around Sesame Street’s global presence as well as initiatives that address a wide range of issues for children and families including literacy, health, and military deployment. He was appointed President and CEO in October 2011.

Previously, Ming served as Chief Operating Officer for 11 years and oversaw the content, product licensing, distribution, research, communications and business strategies of all of the Workshop’s properties. He also managed Sesame Workshop’s human resources, facilities, information services, and technical operations.

Prior to joining the Workshop, Ming was the Chief Financial Officer of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York, Chief Operating Officer at WQED Pittsburgh, and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at Thirteen/WNET New York. Ming also served as Vice President, Finance and Administration at National Public Radio and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (formerly Coopers and Lybrand) early in his career.

He serves on the Board of Directors of First Children’s Finance and Dial Global. Ming, a certified public accountant, received a B.S. degree from Temple University.