PBS appointed several VPs, including Adaora Udoji, who was hired as VP of programming and operations. She succeeds Sylvia Bugg, who was promoted to chief programming executive last year.
Udoji joins PBS Nov. 15. She most recently worked as a corporate innovation executive for RLab, a publicly funded virtual and augmented reality lab in New York City. She has also been a co-host for The Takeaway and was a journalist for CNN and ABC News.
Lori Brittain was promoted to VP of LearningMedia, an educational service provided by PBS.
Brittain joined PBS in 2008 as a senior grants manager. She has also been director of grants management and senior director of strategy and operations. She most recently worked as interim head of education.
Udoji and Brittain will report to Bugg.
Jonathan Perkes was named VP of distribution infrastructure and operations. He joined PBS in 2018 as senior director of engineering and media infrastructure. He most recently worked as senior director of distribution, infrastructure and operations. Perkes will report to Scott Nourse, SVP of product and innovation.
Maura McKinley-Tull became VP of software development and operations. McKinley-Tull joined PBS in 2014 as senior director of digital asset management products. She will report to CTO Rhonda Holt.
David Holden was appointed VP of total rewards and will continue reporting to Mike Jacobson, SVP of human resources. In addition to leading compensation and benefits, Holden will manage HR operations. He joined PBS in 2008 and most recently worked as senior director of compensation and benefits.
In addition, the PBS Foundation promoted Tia Graham to VP of individual giving. Graham, who joined PBS in 2013, most recently worked as senior director of individual giving and has also been director of gift planning for NPR. She will report to Executive Director Brian Reddington.
Tony Cavin joined NPR as managing editor of standards and practices.
Cavin has worked for CBS News since 1999 as a senior producer, deputy foreign editor and foreign editor. Cavin is currently acting director of standards and practices and has also been a senior producer in Latin America for Reuters TV.
Cavin’s first day with NPR is Dec. 6, according to a staff memo from SVP for news and editorial director Nancy Barnes.
Before working for Reuters, Cavin was a bureau manager for TV3 in Catalonia, Spain, and was a freelance producer, reporter and fixer in Managua, Nicaragua. He is fluent in Spanish. “His experience and language skills make him particularly well suited to guide NPR’s journalists on standards and practices,” Barnes said in the memo.
TPT in St. Paul, Minn., announced several executive leadership changes.
Christian Siebeneck was appointed CTO. Siebeneck most recently worked as chief technologist for Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland. He has also held several executive positions, including CEO, for GreatWave Communications, an internet service provider.
Elizabeth Crippen Allen was promoted to chief revenue officer. Allen joined TPT in 2016 and most recently worked as VP of revenue. She has also been senior managing director of partnerships.
And Daniel Bergin became EP and managing director. He joined TPT in 1991 and has also been a senior producer and partnerships manager.
Content
Veronica de Souza joined New York Public Radio as director of digital news and audience. Her first day will be Nov. 18. She most recently worked as senior director of publishing for Vice and Refinery29. Before that, de Souza was director of audience development for the Daily Beast, head of audience and social for G/O Media and senior audience development strategist for Gawker. She will report to WNYC Editor-in-Chief Audrey Cooper, according to a staff memo.
Scott Kim rejoined Hawaii Public Radio as a news editor. Kim most recently worked as a corporate communications manager for Hawaii Gas and as an account executive for Becker Communications. Earlier in his career, he was a news director for WJCT in Jacksonville, Fla., and a news reporter and host for WMFE in Orlando, Fla. He started his career with Hawaii Public Radio in 1991 as a news director, reporter and host.
Angie Miles will host a new news program for VPM in Richmond, Va. VPM News Focal Point, a weekly program, debuts in early 2022. Miles is a literacy educator and founder of Happy Reading, a nonprofit. She was also an anchor for CBS and NBC affiliates in Richmond.
Kori Suzuki was hired as a production assistant for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and The COVID Tracking Project led by The Atlantic. Suzuki previously worked as an audio intern for The Washington Post and a production intern for The Water Main, produced by American Public Media.
Dave Mistich left his position as a reporter for West Virginia Public Broadcasting last month. Mistich is currently a temporary part-time associate producer for NPR. He joined WVPB in 2012, covering breaking news and state government affairs.
David Manilow, creator of the food program Check, Please, which aired on WTTW in Chicago, will cover restaurants and chefs for Crain’s Chicago Business. Manilow will appear on the podcast Crain’s Daily Grist, according to Robert Feder, who first reported on Manilow’s new job. Check, Please aired on WTTW for 19 seasons. The station announced the series’ end in August.
Florian Martin left his position as a reporter for Houston Public Media to join the Houston Business Journal as a real estate reporter. Martin joined HPM in 2012 as a general assignment reporter and most recently worked as a business reporter.
Fellowships
Wisconsin Public Radio hired two news fellows. Diane Bezucha joined the station as a Lee Ester News Fellow. Bezucha was an educator in California and New York City before shifting careers to journalism. She held temporary, freelance and intern roles for StoryCorps and has also been a freelance journalist and photographer. Christine Hatfield became a Second Century News Fellow. Hatfield previously worked as a reporter for WGLT in Normal, Ill.; WCBU in Peoria, Ill.; and Indiana Public Radio in Muncie.
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