Comings and goings: Jayme Swain elected PBS board vice chair, Chicago Public Media hires chief product and membership officer …

Jayme Swain, CEO of VPM in Richmond, Va., was elected professional vice chair for the PBS board of directors during a meeting Tuesday.

Swain moves into a board leadership role vacated by Courtney Pledger, who stepped down as CEO of Arkansas PBS in May and gave up her PBS board seat. Swain, who worked at PBS as SVP of strategy and operations before she became VPM CEO in 2019, joined the PBS board in 2021.

Bob Culkeen, CEO of WTCI in Chattanooga, Tenn., was elected to take Pledger’s seat on the board and will serve through the fall 2027 board meeting. His appointment will “bring a great perspective … to the board as someone who’s been in the system for a while and understands the tensions of small stations,” PBS President Paula Kerger said during the meeting. “I’m very pleased that he’s excited and interested in doing this.”

In another election for an open board seat, GBH CEO Susan Goldberg joins the board as Lisa Shumate, associate VP and GM of Houston Public Media, prepares to retire from the station. Goldberg became GBH’s CEO in December 2022. Her term extends to the fall 2026 board meeting.

PBS’ top producing stations haven’t had representation on the board for a few years, Kerger said. “It’s not that it’s written in the bylaws, but in practical terms we usually have one of them sit on the board,” she said. “At this moment, particularly as we’re looking at a range of challenges and opportunities, it would be great to have Susan join the board.”

Aron Pilhofer joined Chicago Public Media as chief product and membership officer.

Pilhofer most recently worked as chief product officer for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He’s also led the digital team for The Guardian, worked as the database editor for the Center for Public Integrity and held several positions for The New York Times including associate managing editor for digital strategy.

“In addition to being a big-hearted, mission-driven product leader, Aron brings decades of experience leading digital innovation and transformation at some of the world’s most respected news organizations,” said CEO Melissa Bell in a news release.

As part of the change, Matt Watson, who joined the Chicago Sun-Times as chief product officer in 2017, will now report to Pilhofer as Chicago Public Media’s VP of product and audience experience. Rashad Brown, VP of membership, will also report to Pilhofer.

New York Public Radio hired Gabrielle Jones as director of digital news and audience.

Jones will work on growing WNYC’s digital properties, which include the local news website Gothamist, the WNYC app, newsletters and social media accounts. Her first day is July 1.

Jones most recently worked as VP of content for Louisville Public Media, where she oversaw the station’s podcasts and the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.

Before joining LPM in 2021, she was audience editor and digital news editor for KERA in Dallas. She’s also been digital news editor, digital marketing manager and development and marketing associate for VPM in Richmond, Va.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Gabrielle to New York,” said WNYC Editor-in-Chief Audrey Cooper in a staff memo. “She’s clearly a rising star in our industry, and I am confident that her ability to work collaboratively across departments will be an asset to the organization.”

Management

Karley Pardue, an administrative assistant at PBS Reno in Nevada since 2023, is stepping up to executive assistant and board liaison. She previously worked as an English instructor for the University of Nevada in Reno. Pardue will succeed Emily Moore, who also joined the station in 2023. Before she leaves, Moore is helping train Pardue, according to a spokesperson.

Content

Steve Junker was laid off from his position as managing editor of news for CAI in Woods Hole, Mass. His layoff was part of larger cuts announced by GBH in Boston, which oversees the station. Junker joined CAI in 2007 and has been host of All Things Considered, host of the weekly public affairs program The Local News Roundup and producer of the seasonal program The Fishing News. “I’m hopeful,” Junker said in a statement to The Martha’s Vineyard Times. “There are a lot of people energized right now — maybe people like me — thrown unexpectedly into a new chapter, but eager to work on something creative and good for the community. I believe something good can come out of it all.”

Halle Zander was promoted to news director of Aspen Public Radio in Colorado. Zander joined the station in 2021 as a reporter and host of All Things Considered; she recently added the title of associate editor. In a letter to the local audience, Zander said stepping into the role at this time is “daunting” and referred to cuts to public media and local newsrooms. Moving forward, she said, “We’re prioritizing stronger, well-rounded journalism from Aspen to Parachute, rather than competing over the same stories. It’s an evolution our industry demands, and I’m thrilled to make it happen.”

Áine Pennello was hired as an environment and climate change reporter for Connecticut Public through a partnership with Report for America. She will leave her role as a Morning Edition host and multimedia reporter for WUFT in Gainesville, Fla., later this month. Pennello has also contributed to projects for Soledad O’Brien Productions, Netflix and HBO Films and worked at WCBS in New York City as a producer and writer.

Eve Zuckoff announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she is returning to WBUR in Boston as a reporter. Zuckoff interned at the station in 2017. “I’ll be covering breaking news, general assignment and enterprise stories,” she said, adding “a big part of my beat will be Boston City Hall — I’ll be closely following the mayoral race through Nov. 4. But everything is on the table: from laws and taxes, to the city’s economy and business community, to police and city services, to housing, real estate, and the rising cost of living.” She most recently worked as a climate and environment reporter for CAI in Woods Hole, Mass., which she joined in 2019 through Report for America.

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