Shawn Castellanos was appointed EVP and chief revenue officer of WETA in Washington, D.C.
Castellanos most recently worked as national executive of emerging strategies for the American Heart Association, where she previously worked as SVP of mission advancement. She has also been an associate VP at Cornell University and senior director of development at Johns Hopkins University.
“Shawn comes to us with an impressive background in transformative fundraising and strategic planning in both large non-profits and higher education,” said WETA CEO Sharon Rockefeller in a news release. “She brings clear leadership gifts and deep expertise to our ambitious, complex and creative institution.”
Susan Tran was named chief programming officer for Maine Public.
Tran most recently worked as director of content and programming operations. She joined the station in 2003 as an underwriting sales representative and has also been an underwriting traffic and sales coordinator, director of corporate support, marketing manager and special projects producer.
“In both radio and television, Susan has worked to develop and grow collaborations with independent producers and community partners,” said Cory Morrissey, chief business development officer for Maine Public, in a news release. “Susan will continue in her role on Maine Public’s Leadership Team, helping chart the organization’s areas of focus and growth.”
Anthony Rudel, GM of GBH Music in Boston, is stepping down from the position in September.
A news release said Rudel will be returning to “writing, consulting, and possibly teaching.”
Rudel joined GBH in early 2014 as station manager of WCRB, the broadcaster’s classical music station. In 2020, he became GM of GBH Music. During his tenure, he has produced more than 200 livestreamed performances and more than 30 commercial recordings with classical artists in an agreement with Warner Classics.
Wisconsin Public Radio appointed Katy Lang as Wausau regional manager.
Lang most recently served as director of education and community engagement for the Grand Theater in Wausau, where she worked for seven years.
“I’m so glad to be part of WPR, and the programming that connects central Wisconsin to the rest of the world,” Lang said in a news release. ”I’ll be out in the community right away, learning more about the interests and concerns of people in central Wisconsin, and sharing my love for WPR with my neighbors and friends.”
Content
Ryan Van Velzer was appointed managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio, a collaborative of stations in the state. He succeeds Ryland Barton, who left to become a senior editor on the NPR states team. Van Velzer most recently worked as an energy and environment reporter for Louisville Public Media. “I moved to Kentucky six years ago and for the last six years I’ve had the good fortune to serve as Louisville Public Media’s energy & environment reporter,” he said in a news release. “I say good fortune, and I mean it. When I applied for the job in 2018, I accidentally addressed my cover letter to the Courier Journal. They hired me anyway, and my editor didn’t tell me about that until two years later.”
Julie Slater was promoted to music director at 88.5-FM in Los Angeles. She succeeds Andy Chanley, who left his roles as afternoon host and music director to join commercial station WXRT in Chicago. Slater joined the station in 2022 as a weekday midday host and will retain that role. “I feel like everything has come full circle for me, and I am in my total dream job,” she said in a news release. “Being on air, discovering new music and giving a voice to the LA music scene is what I live for. … I am grateful to be a bigger part of its expanding future.”
Fellowships
Nate Perez, an associate producer for LAist in Pasadena, Calif., is the 2024–25 Reflect America Fellow for NPR. Perez, the program’s fifth fellow, will begin his term in September. During the 12-month fellowship, which was created to “expand the diversity of voices on air and online,” Perez will work with NPR’s Climate Desk to report on at-risk communities, particularly Indigenous communities, and to assess potential solutions to climate threats, according to a staff memo from NPR Chief Diversity Officer Keith Woods and Chief Climate Editor Neela Banerjee. Perez joined LAist in 2021 after working as a reporter and copy editor for the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming.
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Correction: A previous version of this column incorrectly said Shawn Castellanos was national executive of emergency strategies for the American Heart Association. She was national executive of emerging strategies.