The retirement of founding CEO Alan Chartock put the wheels in motion on a successor to an individual who made WAMC/Northeast Public Radio a major NPR Member service across a wide swath of New York’s Capital Region, the Hudson Valley, the Catskills and the Berkshires.
The Board of Trustees has selected Chartock’s successor.
Sarah Gilbert will take the President/CEO role, pending final Board of Trustees approval. She is in the process of relocating to the Albany, N.Y., area and will start at WAMC on August 19.
Gilbert has a rich resume, with experience at Bush House in London working for the BBC. She also led teams in the field across Europe and the Middle East for the British Broadcasting Corp. from offices in Brussels.
In 2006, Gilbert relocated to Washington, D.C., where she led the BBC’s 2008 presidential election coverage. She joined NPR as Supervising Senior Editor of Weekend Edition after a stint in Los Angeles as Managing Editor for American Public Media’s Marketplace.
At NPR, Gilbert would rise to Executive Producer of Morning Edition, and then VP of News Programming.
Most recently, Gilbert was President and Chief Content Officer at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. There, she built a team of diverse young journalists to deliver news and insights on digital platforms designed to inform and engage Gen Z audiences where they are.
“Coming to WAMC, with its strong staff, powerful programming, and dedicated listeners and members, is an incredible opportunity to use all my skills and experiences to continue to build, grow, and strengthen this amazing organization,” Gilbert said.
COO Stacey Rosenberry has served as Interim CEO since the retirement of founding CEO Chartock.
“I was incredibly honored to be given the opportunity to lead and I now look forward to expanding the leadership team,” Rosenberry said. “We are first and foremost a news and information organization and Sarah’s experience, particularly in digital production, will help us diversify our delivery tools while maintaining our highest commitment to quality programming.”
WAMC retained executive search firm Isaacson, Miller (IM) to assist in this national search. Led by partner Karen Avery, the IM search team reached out to over 200 prospects and potential sources, reviewed candidate materials, and arranged interviews to be conducted by the WAMC search committee and then by the WAMC Board.
WAMC’s listening area reaches parts of seven states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire; WAMC-FM 90.3 in Albany ranks among the most-listened-to public radio stations in the United States. In the Mid-Hudson Valley, WAMC’s programming is rebroadcast on WAMK-FM 90.9 in Kingston.
