A. Rima Dael, GM for WSHU in Fairfield, Conn., was elected to NPR’s board of directors.
Dael will begin a three-year term in November.
“We congratulate Rima on her election to the NPR Board, and feel it is a fitting testament to her talents and creativity,” said John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University, WSHU’s licensee. “Rima is passionate about WSHU’s mission to inform, engage and educate our community — elements common to Sacred Heart’s mission — and I am confident she will bring that commitment to her new responsibilities.”
Dael was hired as WSHU’s station manager in 2019 and has managed the station’s day-to-day operations since last year.
“I am honored, thrilled and excited to serve NPR on a national level, and to share the best of WSHU and Sacred Heart University with NPR,” said Dael in the release. “In return, I will be able to bring the best practices of the public radio system and access to NPR training back to WSHU.”
Nashville Public Radio hired the host and EP of a new weekday daily news program, This is Nashville, which will premiere in coming months.
Host Khalil Ekulona was previously host and producer of No More Normal, a pandemic-focused radio program produced by KUNM in Albuquerque, N.M. He also co-hosted Good Day New Mexico on KOB, an NBC affiliate, and served as a correspondent for New Mexico PBS.
EP Andrea Tudhope most recently worked as a podcast producer for Literary Hub. She was also senior coordinating producer for America Amplified, a CPB-funded initiative, and held reporter positions for KCUR in Kansas City, Mo.
“WPLN News aspires to be Nashville’s number one source for local, original journalism,” said CEO Steve Swenson in a news release. “Now, with the launch of Nashville’s only one-hour daily NPR-style news show, Middle Tennesseans will hear quality, civil discussions about issues we face and deep-dive reporting on important stories that matter to our communities.”
Two journalists are leaving Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Emily Jones, a reporter and Savannah bureau manager, said on Twitter that she’s “still figuring out what’s next” but felt it was “time to move on.” Jones joined the station in 2014 as a reporter and Morning Edition host.
Emilia Brock, a senior producer for Political Rewind, is also leaving the station. Brock, who joined the station in 2019, was also supervising producer for On Second Thought, a program that is on hiatus.
Suzanne Marmion and Natalie Walsh are no longer employed by KPBS in San Diego.
Marmion, who was director of news and editorial strategy, joined the station in 2010. Walsh, an EP, joined the station in 1988. Their last day was Aug. 2.
“I plan to get some rest and do a little boogie boarding before I look for my next adventure,” Marmion told Current in an email. Walsh declined Current’s request for comment.
A KPBS spokesperson declined to say why Marmion and Walsh no longer work for the station, citing confidential personnel matters.
“I understand this news may come as a surprise, and I acknowledge it’s also coming at a tricky time. Our News team is extremely busy and has several open recruitments,” KPBS Interim GM Nancy Worlie told staff in a memo about the departures. “Please know we are in the process of developing a plan to address the interim needs and workflow for the department, as well as the long-term need for leadership of the KPBS News team.”
Development
Deanna Fox joined Connecticut Public as SVP of underwriting, product and partnerships, according to an announcement by CEO Mark Contreras on LinkedIn. Fox most recently worked as SVP of sales for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also held sales and advertising positions for Calkins Media, MediaNews Group, Gannett and the Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa.
Technology
Andrea Cummis, CTO for PBS39 in Bethlehem, Pa., was elected president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. She succeeds Wayne Pecena, associate director of educational broadcast services for KAMU in College Station, Texas. Pecena will stay on the board as immediate past president. A news release said Cummis, who was previously VP for the society, is the first woman to be elected president. “I look forward to serving the Society and its members,” Cummis said in the release. “President Wayne Pecena has led the society through an interesting and unusual time, and as everyone looks forward to a return to normal, I’m pleased that the Society is still growing and thriving. I’m eager to work with the Board of Directors and the membership so we can expand our membership and outreach to the media professionals among us.”
Content
John Howe was named acting VP of production and content for PBS Western Reserve in Kent, Ohio. Howe previously worked at PBS Utah for 35 years. “It has always been important that PBS Western Reserve’s locally produced programs have the same high-caliber quality as national PBS shows and series,” said PBS Western Reserve CEO Trina Cutter in a news release. “Now, as PBS Western Reserve transitions into a new media company, it is equally important that our digital content live up to those same production standards. John is a seasoned professional who will help us put production standards in place and build our network of local independent producers.”
Jenny Gathright announced that she became a criminal justice reporter for WAMU in Washington, D.C. Gathright joined the station last year as a general assignment reporter. “I’m honored/daunted/humbled by the opportunity to expand WAMU and DCist’s coverage in this area and keep humanity at the center of it,” Gathright said on Twitter.
Zach Gottehrer-Cohen was hired as a full-time assistant producer of live radio for WNYC in New York City. “My permalance journey is over!” Gottehrer-Cohen said on Twitter. He has worked for the station since 2018. He was also a digital data producer for Gothamist, owned by New York Public Radio, and was an intern in 2016 for The Brian Lehrer Show.
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