Veteran journalist Sarah Gilbert heads up WAMC

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio Board of Trustees Announces Appointment of Sarah Gilbert as New President and CEO

ALBANY—The WAMC/Northeast Public Radio Board of Trustees has named Sarah Gilbert as its new president and CEO.

Dorothy H. Reynolds, board chairwoman, described the selection process as “intense and deliberate,” expressing appreciation for the contributions of WAMC employees.

“We are thrilled that Sarah will be leading this incredible organization,” she said.

Gilbert has extensive experience in public service media, having worked for the BBC in London and Brussels and later in Washington, where he oversaw the BBC’s coverage of the 2008 election and was executive producer of Americana.

Gilbert has held various executive positions at NPR, including senior editor, weekend edition, and vice president, news programming. Gilbert also led NPR’s digital transformation by creating and producing the news podcast Up First. She most recently served as president and chief content officer at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Gilbert expressed enthusiasm about joining WAMC, citing the station’s strong staff, programming and listenership as key factors in her decision.

“Coming to WAMC, with its strong staff, rich programming and dedicated listeners and members, is an incredible opportunity to use all of my skills and experiences to continue to build, grow and strengthen this incredible organization,” Gilbert said.

The board also thanked Stacey Rosenberry, chief operating officer, who served as interim CEO following the retirement of CEO Alan Chartock. Rosenberry successfully led WAMC through four fundraising efforts and maintained operations during the search process.

Gilbert is scheduled to start Aug. 19 and is in the process of relocating to the Albany area. The national search was conducted by executive search firm Isaacson, Miller.

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a nonprofit, public radio station that offers news and cultural programming 24/7, reaching parts of seven states and Canada. It has more than 400,000 monthly listeners and is a member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International. For more information, visit www.wamc.org.

A Few Things to Know About Sarah Gilbert

• He has worked for the BBC in London, Brussels and Washington, overseeing the BBC’s coverage of the 2008 elections.
• He served as executive producer of the program “Americana.”
• He has held senior positions at NPR, including senior supervising editor of “Weekend Edition” and vice president of news programming.
• He helped lead NPR’s digital transformation by creating and producing the news podcast Up First.
• Most recently, he served as president and chief content officer of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
• Enthusiasm for the role: Gilbert expressed excitement about joining WAMC, noting that her decision was driven by its strong staff, rich programming and dedicated listeners.
• Start date: Gilbert is scheduled to begin serving on Aug. 19.

Michael Hallisey is editor-in-chief of Spotlight Newspapers.