Comings and goings: PBS board elects chair, NPR podcast exec leaves for Apple …

Catherine Robb was reelected to a third term on the PBS board of directors and was elected to her first one-year term as board chair.

Robb, who most recently served as general vice chair, takes over leadership of the board from Larry Irving, who took the position in 2021. Irving is remaining on the board and was honored by PBS President Paula Kerger in a resolution.

Robb is a media attorney and counsel for Haynes and Boone, LLP in its office in Austin, Texas. Her practice is focused on First Amendment litigation, pre-publication review, editing, copyright and trademark litigation, among other areas. Robb has also been on the board for Austin PBS in Texas and was the station’s board chair. Her term on PBS’ board is three years.

“As a person who’s been a litigator and a lawyer, sadly, we’re going to be in need of folks who understand the legal process going forward,” Irving said of Robb. “It’s been a joy having her as my wing person, and I think her leadership capabilities will come to the fore.”

Geoff Sands was reelected to a third term on the board and was elected to his first one-year term as general vice chair.

Sands, a board member for the Sundance Institute, was EVP of corporate strategy for Comcast and helped lead its primary businesses in cable, NBCUniversal and Sky Group in London.

Sands is emeritus director of McKinsey & Company and served as the industry advisor to the World Economic Forum. Before joining McKinsey, he was a partner with Booz Allen Hamilton. He was PBS board chair from 2009–14. His current board term is three years.

Jayme Swain, CEO of VPM in Richmond, Va., was reelected to fill her first full one-year term as professional vice chair.

Swain first took the vice chair seat in June when the role was vacated by Courtney Pledger, who stepped down as CEO of Arkansas PBS in May. Swain, who worked at PBS as SVP of strategy and operations before she became VPM’s CEO in 2019, joined the PBS board in 2021.

Anne Gates was elected as a general director to the PBS board, taking over the seat held by Maxine Clark, who shifted to the PBS Foundation board.

Gates is a board member of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and board chair of PBS SoCal in Los Angeles. She previously worked as president of MGA Entertainment, a toy company, from 2014–17. She also held leadership roles with Disney, PepsiCo and Bear Stearns.

The board also announced additional results from its June elections. Luis Patiño, CEO of Austin PBS in Texas, was elected to his first three-year term on the board. Becky Magura, CEO of Nashville PBS, was elected to a new three-year term on the board. Magura previously served on the board for six years when she was CEO of WCTE in Cookeville, Tenn.

Collin Campbell, NPR’s SVP of podcasting strategy and franchise development, left the organization.

Campbell told Current that he will work for Apple News and referred further questions to an Apple spokesperson, who didn’t respond. His last day was Friday.

News of Campbell’s departure was first reported by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin.

Campbell joined NPR in 2023. He previously worked as executive editor for new show development at Gimlet, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019. Campbell has also been EP of original content development for Audible.

Jerry Liwanag announced on LinkedIn that he left his role as VP of fundraising strategy and programming for PBS.

Liwanag joined PBS in 2018. He previously worked as SVP of membership and marketing for South Florida PBS in Miami and was also VP of fundraising programming and marketing for WTTW in Chicago.

“After 28 incredible years with the PBS community, I’ve been reflecting on the experiences, the meaningful relationships that have shaped me, and the moments that have inspired both my professional and personal growth,” he said on LinkedIn. “It’s taken me a little while to put this into words as I needed the time to reflect and re-evaluate. What I’ve always loved about public media is our collective passion for making an impact — how creativity, purpose, and community come together. I’m deeply grateful to all my friends and colleagues who have been part of this remarkable journey. We bring stories to life, connect people through ideas, and make a real difference.”

Liwanag said that as he looks “ahead to the next chapter” he’s “excited and open to new opportunities to continue making an impact.”

In a statement emailed to Current, a PBS spokesperson said the fundraising programming strategy team is moving into the general audience division under Maria Bruno Ruiz, VP of program content strategy and scheduling.

New York Public Radio announced additions to its WNYC/Gothamist newsroom.

Matthew Schnipper was hired as culture editor. He most recently worked for Vice as senior director of global operations. He has also been executive editor of Pitchfork, a senior editor for GQ, a deputy managing editor for The Verge and editor-in-chief of The Fader.

Ryan Kost became a reporter on the day-of desk. Kost most recently worked as an investigative reporter for a collaboration between New York Focus and Columbia Journalism Investigations. He has also been an enterprise and features reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle and a politics reporter for The Oregonian and the Associated Press.

Iru Ekpunobi was named assistant producer for NYC Now, a daily public affairs podcast. Ekpunobi most recently worked as a fellow for Marketplace. They have also worked as an associate producer of podcasts at ABC News.

Development 

Allie Vanyur was hired as a program officer for the Public Media Bridge Fund, the foundation-backed fund for public media stations affected by the federal rescission. The fund is managed by Public Media Co. Vanyur most recently worked as director of digital strategy and innovation for CPB, which cut most of its staff following the rescission. On LinkedIn, Vanyur she said she’s excited to “contribute to an initiative dedicated to ensuring a sustainable and enduring future for public media.” Before joining CPB, she worked as director of national programs for the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

Governance

Nicole VanGorder, COO of Rivent Partners, was elected chair of the board of trustees for WXXI Public Media in Rochester, N.Y. VanGorder most recently served as vice chair and took over for David Tang, a partner at Underberg & Kessler, who completed his term. Ajamu Kitwana, SVP and director of community impact at ESL Federal Credit Union, was elected vice chair and treasurer.

Current Reporter Tyler Falk contributed reporting to this column.

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