Comings and goings: EP hired for ‘Death, Sex & Money,’ WDET PD departs for audio GM job at WHYY …

Print More
Ruiz

Liliana Maria Percy Ruiz was hired as EP for Death, Sex & Money, produced by New York Public Radio.

Ruiz most recently worked as head of production for Gimlet Media, a podcast subsidiary of Spotify. She was also EP for the On Being Project, the nonprofit media organization that produces the public radio show On Being. Earlier in her career, Ruiz was a producer for NPR’s Weekend Edition and StoryCorps.

“We liked Lily’s voracious appetite for conversations and stories about what makes each of us distinct and what connects us — and we are excited to see where and how she will push DSM to grow and expand,” said Host Anna Sale and VP of Original Programming Emily Botein in a news release.

Joan Isabella was hired as audio GM for WHYY in Philadelphia.

Isabella previously worked as PD for WDET in Detroit. She joined the station in 2011 as EP and was promoted in 2014. During her tenure she oversaw programs like The Craig Fahle Show, Detroit Today and CultureShift. Before joining WDET, she was president of YoRadio and was an EP for commercial stations.

Isabella

“We are sad to lose her in Detroit at WDET, but it is one of those offers too good to refuse,” said GM Mary A. Zatina in a memo to listeners. “I know Joan will be proud to share her destination when it is announced to the public. It’s a big job and the system will benefit.”

News Director Jerome Vaughn will take on the role of interim PD while WDET searches for a permanent successor. Zatina also wrote that Rob Reinhart, a host, will take on additional responsibilities during the transition.

Sarah Gilbert, former VP of news programming for NPR, was hired as CCO for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Gilbert

Gilbert announced her departure from NPR in June and left last month. Cara Tallo, EP of All Things Considered, has taken over for Gilbert in an interim role. 

Gilbert first joined NPR in 2012 as senior editor of Weekend Edition. She has also been senior supervising editor for Weekend Edition and EP for Morning Edition, and she oversaw the launch of the Up First morning news podcast. Outside of NPR, Gilbert has been managing editor for Marketplace and held several production roles with the BBC.

Francesca Levy was named executive director of digital for Marketplace.

Levy

Levy most recently worked for Bloomberg. She joined the financial news publication in 2014 as an editor and was promoted to editorial director of podcasts in 2017. She previously worked as an editor for LinkedIn, a reporter for the Associated Press and a staff writer for Fortune.

Levy will be based in Marketplace’s office in New York city. Part of her duties will be expanding distribution and building Marketplace’s video franchise, according to a news release.

Content

Lopez

NPR hired Ashley Lopez as a political correspondent. Lopez joined the organization in May as a contributor to the elections team. She will continue to be based in Austin, Texas, where she previously worked as a senior reporter of health care and politics for KUT. Earlier in her career, Lopez reported for Louisville Public Media, WGCU Public Media in Fort Myers, Fla., and WLRN in Miami.

Naef

Elle Naef was hired as a digital producer for Rocky Mountain PBS. She previously produced public affairs programs for PBS12 in Denver. Before that, she was a coordinator for All in Denver and a production assistant for Live Nation. “I believe a well-rounded media strategy with a special focus on digital content is the key to helping public media thrive for ages to come, and I can’t wait to be part of the process,” Naef said on LinkedIn.

Gordon

Elana Gordon left her position as a health reporter for The World, co-produced by PRX and GBH in Boston, to become an audio producer for Post Reports, a daily news podcast for the Washington Post. Gordon starts the job later this month. She joined The World in 2019 after working as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was also a reporter for WHYY in Philadelphia and KCUR in Kansas City, Mo.

Send news of “comings and goings” to [email protected]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *