Dana Davis Rehm, NPR’s senior v.p. of marketing, communications and external relations, will leave the network May 6 due to a reorganization of her division under new Chief Marketing Officer Emma Carrasco.
The restructuring is intended to “put more emphasis on marketing than on communications,” said NPR President Gary Knell in a Feb. 14 email to station leaders.
“Though I have only known Dana for a little more than one year, I can’t think of anyone who has demonstrated a deeper commitment to NPR and public radio, or who better reflects our values,” Knell wrote. “As our longest serving head of Marketing & Communications, she has established effective communications strategies and practices and a built a staff that has given me confidence that we could deal with anything that might come our way.”
Rehm joined NPR in 2001 after serving as head of Wisconsin Public Radio. While at NPR, she led the New Realities initiative in 2005–06 and served as executive sponsor of the network’s acquisition of Public Interactive. In his email, Knell also credited Rehm for recommending that NPR acquire the sponsorship sales company now known as National Public Media and that it create NPR Music in collaboration with stations.
Rehm says she hopes to continue working in public media after leaving NPR.
Updated (Feb. 15): The reorganization also eliminated the position of director of branding and services, a job held by Kathie Miller, who has worked at NPR for 14 years. NPR will also move its Audience Insight and Research division into Carrasco’s department, with director Lori Kaplan continuing to lead the division.
Two new positions have been created: Director of Marketing and Branding and Director of Branded Events. They have yet to be filled.