Rick Johnson, GM of WGCU in Fort Myers, Fla., announced that he will retire from the station June 1, 2021.
“Southwest Florida WGCU members have benefited from his vision and the execution of the outstanding team he assembled,” said Advisory Board Chair Judy Bricker in a news release. “The station has realized its potential with Johnson at the helm and will now reach to a new and higher set of goals thanks to his continued vision.”
Johnson has led the station, licensed to Florida Gulf Coast University, since 2008.
Before his time with WGCU, Johnson was SVP and chief programming officer for WJCT in Jacksonville, Fla. He has also been station manager for WFSU in Tallahassee, Fla.; director of production for KCTS in Seattle; and production manager for KNME in Albuquerque, N.M.
“Rick Johnson is one of public media’s outstanding leaders — not just in Florida but everywhere he has served,” said Patrick Yack, executive director of statewide pubcasting organization Florida Public Media. “He has been a thoughtful, engaging and inspiring member of the Florida Public Media Board and he was an exceptional chair. Always dedicated to our mission, Rick has left an indelible mark on our craft and our profession.”
“Rick’s depth of experience will be sorely missed at WGCU, but he well deserves the time to begin his next chapter,” said Katherine Green, FGCU VP for university advancement and executive director for the FGCU Foundation, in the release.
“In addition to it having been an honor and a privilege it has also been a pleasure to work alongside all of you through the proverbial thick and thin to make WGCU one of the most successful, most-watched, most-listened-to, and most-well-supported public media organizations in the country,” Johnson told staff and the advisory board Oct. 6, according to the release.
WGCU is searching for Johnson’s replacement.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Johnson was chief procurement officer for WJCT. He was chief programming officer.