PMCC executive director Abby Goldstein to retire

SALT LAKE CITY — Abby Goldstein, president and executive director of the Public Media Content Collective, will retire, she announced at the PMCC Content Conference Wednesday.

She will continue to lead the organization until Sept. 30, 2026, she told Current. 

“I hope everyone in this room looks back at this moment in time, 20 years from now, and says, ‘Look how far we’ve come,’” Goldstein said during a breakfast held at the conference in her honor. “We have a long way to go, you guys. But I want to thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to lead the organization and to have an impact in this industry.” 

“Today, it’s about celebrating someone whose vision and determination have shaped this community in ways we can all feel,” said Jenell Walton, VP of content at Cincinnati Public Radio, during the celebration. “And that is Abby Goldstein.”

Goldstein began leading the organization in 2019. It was then known as the Public Radio Program Directors Association. In 2024, she led the rebranding of the organization as PMCC as a way to “broaden our sphere,” she said at the time. The change was also aimed at supporting more people within public media organizations. 

Goldstein started her career as a late-night jazz host at KVLU in Beaumont, Texas. She went on to serve as PD for KERA in Dallas, VP for programming at New Hampshire Public Radio and GM at WYEP in Pittsburgh. 

“Abby embodies the heart and the head that makes all of this work,” said media consultant John Barth during the celebration. “This is a complicated business, and it is that combination of smarts and wisdom and absolute passion that really makes it all possible. And Abby, you represent the best of what we do.”