Comings and goings: Bill Kurtis retires from ‘Wait Wait,’ WUSF promotes staffers …

Bill Kurtis, the judge and scorekeeper for NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, is retiring.

Kurtis joined the show in 2014, after hosting the CBS Morning News and Cold Case Files. He also narrated the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its 2013 sequel.

In a note to staff, Wait Wait EP Mike Danforth said Kurtis “is known to NPR listeners everywhere for a voice so rich and deep it can lend dignity to anything — even a description of a ham sandwich. The man is an icon in the world of broadcast journalism.”

Kurtis will take on other duties and continue to work as a fill-in judge and scorekeeper. His last day full-time with the program will be May 23.

“There is no better way to stay young than to surround yourself with this crew of outrageously talented people who have no fear in taking down anything and anyone with a well placed joke,” Kurtis said in the note to staff. “Then to let me give it voice and be standing there when the roar of laughter comes rolling back from the audience. No better feeling! What an incredible chapter Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me is in my life.”

WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Fla., promoted three employees to senior management roles.

Mary Shedden was promoted to senior managing director of content and will lead content strategy for WUSF and Classical WSMR. She joined the station in 2013 as a reporter. She has also been health news editor and was most recently news director.

Danielle Wright-Landry steps up to senior managing director of membership and audience support. She joined the station in 2019 as director of membership. She formerly held development roles with the University of South Florida, the station’s licensee, and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Chris Sampson became senior managing director of operations. Sampson joined the station in 2015 and has been assistant director of engineering.

“We are fortunate to have such experienced and talented individuals right here in our ranks to lead our strategic future,” said WUSF GM Leslie Laney in a news release. “With these elevations, we are sharpening our focus on the three pillars essential to our public service mission: Creating high-quality regional content, maintaining the technical infrastructure required for reliable delivery across multiple platforms, and ensuring the long-term sustainability that only deep community support can provide.”

Community engagement

Adina Duke was hired as manager of live events for KCUR and Classical KC in Kansas City, Mo. Duke previously worked as manager of public programs and creative practice for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She has also held roles at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Holocaust Museum Houston. “What a joy and honor to join this station and the people who power it,” Duke said on LinkedIn. “Keep your antennae up for important ways to plug in, participate, and protect public media!”

Development

Robin Carreon was promoted to director of individual giving for Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland. Carreon joined Ideastream in 2007 as membership operations manager and most recently worked as senior manager of sustaining donors and engagement. Before that, she worked in development for KCET in Los Angeles.

Jeffrey Bissoy was hired as individual giving manager for American Public Media Group. From 2017–23, Bissoy worked as an APM Reports fellow and was also an associate producer for MPR News and a web content writer for The Current. More recently, he was EP for Meadowlark Media and a marketing and communications specialist for the Center for Broadcast Journalism in St. Paul, Minn. “I’ve always believed that access to high-quality media is a cornerstone of a healthy community,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “Someone please tell my mom, I’m back on the radio!”

Content

NPR hired Kristofor Husted as supervising editor for the Science Desk. “Started today where I began,” Husted said on LinkedIn. “I’ll primarily focus on consumer health coverage. I’ll still be remote but so excited to return to the same desk I interned and temped on 15 years ago.” Husted first joined NPR as a Science Desk intern in 2011 and was also a production assistant. He later worked as a senior reporter and producer for KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and was a reporter for Harvest Public Media, a CPB-funded station collaboration that focuses on agriculture in the Midwest. He most recently worked for The Midwest Newsroom, another CPB-funded collaboration. He joined as senior content editor and was most recently investigative editor.

Rebecca Thiele was hired as P.M. news editor for St. Louis Public Radio. Thiele previously worked as energy and environment reporter for Indiana Public Broadcasting in Bloomington. She was also a producer for WMUK in Kalamazoo, Mich., and a reporter, anchor and producer for KBIA in Columbia, Mo. “It’s an incredible opportunity to work for my hometown station and make sure the important news that comes in after 5 p.m. gets the same care and attention as dayside coverage,” she said on LinkedIn. “Here’s to the next adventure!”

Sarah Mizes-Tan became a state government reporter for KUOW in Seattle and KNKX in Tacoma, Wash. Mizes-Tan previously worked as an on-call reporter and producer for KQED in San Francisco. She has also been a race and equity reporter and host of the Mid Pacific podcast for CapRadio in Sacramento, Calif.; a general assignment reporter for CAI in Woods Hole, Mass; and education reporter for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. “In a time of constrained resources, it is more important than ever to work together,” said KNKX News Director Jennifer Wing in a news release. “The listeners and readers of KUOW and KNKX, and every station in the Northwest News Network will benefit,” said KUOW News Director Jason Pagano.

Jaxon White announced that he’s leaving his role as state capitol reporter for WITF in Harrisburg, Pa. “I’m leaving on good terms for another gig in journalism (stay tuned),” he said on Bluesky. “Thanks to everyone at WITF who has been so welcoming and generous with their time as I’ve taken on audio reporting.” White joined the station in 2023 when the publication he worked for, LancasterOnline, was gifted to WITF.

Governance

Raina Wagner, assistant attorney general for the state of Washington, was appointed board chair for KUOW in Seattle. Wagner succeeds Andy McGovern, partner group product manager for Microsoft. Sharon Kioko, associate professor at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, succeeded Wagner as vice chair. Kevin Schofield, founder and publisher of Haftacook, was named treasurer. He succeeds Sarah Norris Hall, CFO of the Allen Institute.

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