Comings and goings: Florida Public Media appoints executive director, Local Public adds staff after spinoff …

Andy Nichols will step up to executive director of Florida Public Media, the statewide association of public radio and TV stations.

Nichols most recently directed statewide sales for FPM. He joined the organization in 2011.

He succeeds Patrick Yack, who led FPM for nearly 10 years and retired in June. “I am grateful for the confidence of the Search Committee and Board and for the opportunity to serve our member stations in this role,” Nichols said in a news release. “I also want to recognize Pat Yack’s leadership during his tenure, which helped strengthen Florida Public Media. I look forward to working with our stations and partners to deepen collaboration, foster innovation, and advance public media across Florida.”

Lynn Valiquette was named business development manager for Local Public, which reorganized Wednesday as a subsidiary of Seattle’s Cascade PBS.

Valiquette previously managed business development for Cascade PBS. She joined the station in 2022 as content acquisition and distribution manager. Before working in public media she was primarily based in Canada and worked for several firms, including American Express.

“I’m proud of the work that I’ve done for the company, public media and the audiences we serve,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “I’m excited for the future of Local Public. I love our team and our partners. We are truly re-imaging local public media for the post-broadcast age.”

Laura Taylor will join WUSF in Tampa, Fla., as assistant development director, a role focused on cultivating major donors.

As business development manager at Current since 2022, Taylor has primarily worked on fundraising campaigns, including NewsMatch, the collaborative fundraising campaign for nonprofit news organizations affiliated with the Institute for Nonprofit News. She also supported subscription sales and other business activities. Her last day at Current is Friday.

Taylor previously directed development for Tampa’s WMNF and coordinated marketing and development of midlevel gifts at GBH in Boston. She also worked in WUSF’s newsroom as a reporter, anchor and interim news director from 1989–97.

“I truly love this job, Current, and the people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside,” Taylor said in her resignation letter. “Being part of this team has shaped me in ways I’ll carry forward for the rest of my career.”

“Laura stepped up in so many ways to support our business operations during her time with Current,” said Karen Everhart, interim executive director and managing editor. “I especially appreciate the cheerful, can-do spirit she brings to her work, and her commitment to cultivating more donors and subscribers for our news service.”

Development

Melissa Hines became senior director of business partnerships for Louisville Public Media. She  most recently was senior manager of growth marketing for Tessitura, a tech company working with arts and culture organizations. She has also held marketing positions for the Marek Group and Actors Theatre of Louisville. “As we navigate a new annual reality without federal funding, we must grow our current revenue streams and find new ones,” said LPM COO Ellen Oost in a news release. “Melissa understands the unique value of public media — for our business partners and our community. She is a problem solver, system builder and she excels at translating data into impact stories.”

Kaitlyn Hunter was promoted to membership communications associate at GBH in Boston. Hunter joined the station in 2024 as an operations assistant. Before that, she was an instructional design associate for NewGlobe. “I can’t wait to dive back into copywriting and to learn everything there is to know about digital fundraising,” she said on LinkedIn. “GBH members value public media in the same way that I do, and I’m so honored to be a part of fostering that relationship!”

Penelope Douglas was promoted to associate major gifts officer at South Florida PBS. Douglas joined the station in 2017 as a freelance video producer and most recently worked as director of content and acquisitions for the station’s Health Channel. Before working in public media she was an EP for Newsmax Media. “I am so excited to begin this adventure with clearly the best development team on the planet!” she said on LinkedIn.

Content

Jeremy Siegel became host of In Common, a weekly public affairs program produced by GBH in Boston with New England Public Media and CAI, the stations serving Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The new podcast and radio series will cover statewide issues in Massachusetts. Siegel has worked for GBH since 2022, first as Morning Edition co-host and later as a global transportation correspondent and news host. Before GBH he worked for Politico and KQED in San Francisco. “I am so stoked to be a part of this exciting new project that marks a bold expansion of local public media (a beacon of hope, I think, as federal funding has been stripped from stations across the country),” Siegel said on LinkedIn. “We’re three newsrooms spanning the commonwealth — and with this new program, we have a unique opportunity to elevate stories with deep regional meaning, shared community experiences, and legislative impacts that affect residents across different zip codes.”

Elena Neale-Sacks joined Oregon Public Broadcasting as a reporter covering Southwest Washington state. Neale-Sacks most recently worked as a California Local News Fellow for KAZU in Pacific Grove. Neale-Sacks has previously produced podcasts for The Oregonian and worked as a part-time data researcher for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. “It’s an honor to be a part of such an amazing newsroom and group of journalists,” Neale-Sacks said on LinkedIn. “I can’t wait to start telling stories here!”

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