Comings and goings: Buffalo Toronto Public Media appoints CMO, Maxie Jackson joins Baltimore Public Media …

Buffalo Toronto Public Media promoted Heather Hare to CMO.

Hare joined BTPM in 2018 as senior director of corporate communications and was previously promoted to VP of marketing and creative services in 2022.

Before working for the organization, she was director of communications and outreach for the Huntington Study Group. She has also been assistant director of public relations for the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Golisano Children’s Hospital. Before working in PR, she was a reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y.; the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y.; and the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.

BTPM EVP and COO Nancy Hammond said promoting Hare “feels incredibly natural” because Hare has been “the creative heart of our organization for years.”

“Her passion and strategic vision were unmistakable when she led our rebrand in 2020, and she has continued to elevate our work ever since,” Hammond added. “I’m excited to see her bring that same energy and dedication to our new marketing agency, where her leadership will help other organizations amplify their important work.”

Maxie C. Jackson III was hired as PD of Baltimore Public Media, which oversees WYPR and WTMD.

Jackson succeeds Jonathan Blakley, who became PD in April after a restructuring of BPM’s content leadership team.

Jackson most recently worked as executive director of Radio Milwaukee, which he joined in 2022 and left in January. He previously worked as CCO of New England Public Media and has also been executive director of the Pacifica Foundation, station manager of Ideastream Public Media’s WCPN, CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, senior director of program development at New York Public Radio and radio PD for WETA in Washington, D.C.

“I’ve known Maxie professionally for a number of years, and I look forward to his creative ideas, expertise, and bringing our programming in alignment with BPM’s news, music, and cultural content,” said BPM Chief of Content Danyell Irby in a news release.

Vicki Austin announced on LinkedIn that she became chief development and education officer for WVIA Public Media in Pittston, Pa.

Austin most recently worked as chief education, grants and corporate relations officer. She joined WVIA in 2022 as manager of grants and later worked as senior director of grants and education.

Before joining WVIA, Austin was on the faculty of the Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, Pa. Other positions include director of the Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program at Misericordia University and a teacher at Lebanon City Schools.

Larry Meiller announced plans to retire after 58 years of working for Wisconsin Public Radio.

Meiller will retire from WPR at the end of June 2026. He joined the station in 1967 and since 1978 has hosted the weekday call-in program The Larry Meiller Show, which focuses on the environment, consumer issues, nature, books, gardening, home improvement and more.

In addition to his radio work, Meiller was a professor emeritus in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He retired from his teaching career in 2022. In 2017 he was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

As he made his announcement on his show Dec. 1, Meiller reflected on his career. “It’s something I’ve been thinking of a long time,” he said. “There are a lot of reasons for it. I have a daughter getting married in July. I have three great daughters, and I haven’t had enough time to spend with them. I want to do a little running around with them.”

Israel Smith, president of Listen Again Tomorrow, a consultancy to public media organizations, will retire at the end of March.

Smith joined WBUR in Boston as a production engineer in 1987 and later worked in the programming and marketing departments for Public Radio International. He was president and founder of a consulting firm before joining NPR as director of programming, where he worked from 2012–18.

He then worked for WBEZ in Chicago as managing director of programming and audience development and was later a strategic advisor for the station. He has also been part-time director of live listening for WBUR.

“Thanks for the stories, the trust, and for listening,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “The radio will stay on, and I look forward to becoming the most important part of public media—the audience. With deep gratitude, a full heart, and big ears.”

Development

Geary Yonker joined Paragon as a sponsorship consultant. “I’m thrilled to join the Paragon team and bring my 25 years of experience identifying emerging trends and raising millions of dollars for mission-driven organizations,” Yonker said in a news release. “We can view this moment either as a catastrophe or as a catalyst for the long-needed changes our industry requires. I see it as an opportunity to push forward.” Earlier this year Yonker was hired as sponsorship director for VuHaus Group and will continue in that role and in his other role as business development manager for Sound Opinions, a nationally distributed program. Yonker previously worked for Chicago Public Media in several positions, including national sales manager for This American Life and Serial. He also helped launch the Vocalo music station and held sales roles with The Onion and the Chicago Reader.

Legal

TPT in St. Paul, Minn., hired Shari Aberle as general counsel. Aberle succeeds Andrew Rausch, who left his position as chief compliance officer and general counsel in September to become general counsel of RowCal, a property management company. Aberle most recently worked as deputy general counsel for Optum Behavioral Health, a UnitedHealth Group company. She was also an associate and later partner for Dorsey & Whitney.

Education

SaBrina Jeffcoat was hired as an educational engagement specialist for South Carolina ETV. Jeffcoat previously worked as arts education director for the South Carolina Civil Rights Museum. She has also been an outreach coordinator for Columbia SC 63. For SCETV, she was also pilot liaison for a Ziggy’s Arts Adventure grant funded by CPB and Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Content

Yonci Jameson was hired as music director and Afternoon Cruise host for KBEM/Jazz88, a station owned by Minneapolis Public Schools. As a student at Southwest High School, Jameson participated in the Jazz at MPS program at the station. “This is a homegrown local hire the station is proud to celebrate,” said a news release. After college, Jameson worked as an outreach coordinator, program assistant and youth liaison for the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. She has also been a youth media specialist for KRSM in Minneapolis. She grew up around broadcasters: Her great-grandmother Patricia Walton was a host for KFAI in Minneapolis, and her grandparents also worked for the station.

Steve Cichon was hired as a senior reporter and host of All Things Considered for Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Cichon most recently worked as a teacher for Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School. He has also been news director for commercial stations WBEN and WECK, PD for WNSA and a producer for WIVB-TV. “It’s still a bit unbelievable to be back in front of a microphone,” Cichon wrote on Facebook.

Governance

Libby Hlavka, president of the Driscoll Foundation, was elected board of trustees chair for Minnesota Public Radio. Hlavka, who joined the board in 2018, succeeds Bryan Phillips, who became vice chair.

Send news of “comings and goings” to people@current.org