Jun Reina was promoted to EVP and GM of Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, Calif., effective immediately.
Reina succeeds Rick Eytcheson, who was named president emeritus. Eytcheson, who has led the station since 2006, will continue helping with the organization’s $10 million capital campaign to finance a move to downtown Sacramento. The president emeritus, who has decades of experience in commercial and public radio, also said on the air Wednesday that the station is working to improve its classical radio signal and boost its endowment.
Reina said on the air that getting the job was “a surreal moment” and that it had been in the works for several months. He also said CapRadio has been growing steadily in the last few years.
Reina joined the station in 2007 as CFO and was later promoted to COO, keeping both titles. During his tenure, Reina has helped grow CapRadio’s 45-person team to 75 while also expanding the station from a $5 million enterprise to nearly $17 million, according to a news release.
Reina has also led the station’s partnership with North State Public Radio, which serves the Chico and Redding areas.
“The Board of Directors has complete confidence that Jun is the right person to guide us through these challenging times and position the organization for a robust future,” said Ruth Blank, the station’s board chair, in a news release.
Reina began his professional career in the manufacturing and thermoplastics industries. In 2000, he got his first job in the nonprofit world as the finance and systems administrator for the World Affairs Council of Northern California in San Francisco.
“I’ve always embraced an innovative and inclusive approach when it comes to serving our communities,” said Reina in the release. “As we continue to move forward, we are committed to being the region’s connective tissue, bringing diverse voices and cultures together — and turning up the volume for those who aren’t always heard. I am honored to be in a position to continue expanding our essential public service and strengthening the communities we serve.”
In a separate statement, Reina, who was born and raised in the Philippines, said he wants the organization to be representative of the community in terms of diversity and inclusion.
“One of things that attracted me to this region when I first arrived 20 years ago was the fact that it was integrated and not just diverse,” he said. “People lived together. Children played together. There was a clear sense of ‘us.’ And CapRadio can be a driving force that keeps this alive for the region with the stories we tell, the conversations we foster and the trust that we build within for — and together with — the community.”