Tania Ghee was promoted to senior director of PBS Kids distribution strategy and operations. She joined PBS in 2014 as director of grants management and has also been director of early learning program development.
Before PBS, she was director of Early Head Start programs for the Maternity Care Coalition, manager of health services for the Philadelphia Parent Child Center and a medical case manager for Greater Philadelphia Health Action.
“Over the last decade, I’ve been blessed to see my life and career change in so many new and unexpected ways,” Ghee said on LinkedIn. “As a full-time, working mom of teens, attending grad school again twenty plus years after my first graduate degree during a pandemic no less. To say I’ve had a lot of exhausting nights would be an understatement, lol. I can truly say that the bumps and bruises may have temporarily knocked me down, but they never deterred me.”
Tayla Burney was promoted to director of network programming and production for NPR.
Burney joined NPR in 2019 as senior manager of network programming and production. She previously worked as a producer and interim events manager for WAMU in Washington, D.C.
“Navigating the last two years with, first one, and now two small kids…has been *wild.* My colleagues have been generous, gracious, and understanding of the struggle. And many of them in the same damn leaky pandemic parenting boat,” Burney said on Twitter. “Believe me, I know we have work to do to make NPR and public radio genuinely reflect its values and ideals. I don’t know everything or claim to have ‘the answers.’ What I do have is a commitment to doing the work to get us there. So let’s keep going.”
Two journalists announced departures from WAMU in Washington, D.C.
Rachel Sadon, interim news director, left the station this month. Gabe Bullard, deputy news director of audio, will take over the news department while the station seeks a successor, Sadon said.
“It is time for me to take a break from work,” she said on Twitter, adding, “My spouse and I have granted ourselves a sabbatical — to travel, cook, make pottery, read books … It is an unbelievable privilege to be able to do so.” Sadon previously worked as editor-in-chief of DCist. She has also been a local news editor for the Washington Post Express.
Dominique Maria Bonessi, a reporter, is also leaving the station. Bonessi joined WAMU in 2018. She previously worked as a reporter for WYPR in Baltimore.
“Thank you to everyone who took a chance on me and helped me along the way. I will be staying in D.C., so Ta-Ta for now,” she said on Twitter.
Development
Barbara Dolby became CDO for KING FM in Seattle. Dolby previously worked at Seattle University as associate director of corporate and foundation relations and later as senior director of development for community initiatives. She has also held development roles for the University of Idaho and Humanities Washington.
Education
Maggie Holley was hired as education director for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Holley most recently worked as principal for Kenna Elementary in Kenna, W.V. She has also been a middle-school science teacher. “We’re always teaching our kids to be brave in everything they do,” Holley said in a news release. “This is the first time I’ve been out of the school system in 16 years, so this is me being brave. It’s a new adventure. The kids made me brave.”
Content
Steve Mullis, an editor and producer for Morning Edition, announced that he’s leaving NPR this month. “It’s been an amazing run but it is time for something new,” he said on Twitter. “What’s next? Not sure. Taking a little break to work on some personal projects and then I’ll see what adventures and trouble I can get myself into.” Mullis joined NPR in 2011 and has held several editing and producer roles. Before NPR, he was a producer and editor for Minnesota Public Radio.
Karen Rouse left her position as newsroom editor for WNYC in New York City to become communications manager for the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University. Rouse joined WNYC in 2014 as a reporter and became an editor last year.
Monica Campbell is leaving her position as a senior editor and reporter for The World. “What’s next? I’m very excited to explore just that!” she said on LinkedIn. Campbell joined the program in 2012. She previously worked as a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, USA Today and The Guardian, among other publications.
Jerry Quijano became permanent host of All Things Considered for KUT in Austin, Texas. Quijano joined the station in 2017 as a weekend host and has also worked as a producer and host for All Things Considered twice a week.
Fellowships
María García was named 2022 artist in residence for All Classical Portland. García is a pianist, educator and music coach. She began piano studies in her native Puerto Rico at the age of four. At the age of 10, she made her debut with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra and has since performed in several countries. As a teacher and coach, she has worked for the 92nd Street Y School of Music, among other institutions. She also runs a private teaching studio in Portland.
Governance
Thomas Labuzienski, development director for WVPE in Elkhart, Ind., was elected president of the Public Radio Association of Development Officers. Labuzienski joined the station in 2013 as an underwriting consultant and was promoted to his current role in 2020.
The Association of Independents in Radio announced the results of board elections. Ernesto Aguilar, director of radio programming for KQED in San Francisco, and Chioke I’Anson, a voice for NPR’s sponsorship messages, were elected to the board. In addition, Emily Kwong, co-host and reporter for the NPR science podcast Short Wave; and Keisha “TK” Dutes, EP of Spoke Media, were reelected to the board.
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