New England Public Media has several changes to its leadership, content, and sales teams, led by the promotion of John Sutton from Interim Chief Content Officer to the newly created role of Vice President of Content and Audience Strategy.
Sutton began his public media career in 1987 as NPR’s head of on-air promotion and fundraising. Over his decade at NPR, Sutton led the audience research department, was a member of the programming strategies board, and founded the On-air Fundraising Partnership.
In 1997, he launched his consulting business, serving clients like WGBH, WBUR, and WNYC, among others. Sutton then became the general manager at WESA in Pittsburgh in 2017, where he also served as VP of audiences and revenue for Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting.
In the content realm, Nirvani Williams has transitioned from a Report for America corps member to a full-time reporter at NEPM, focusing on socio-economic disparities in Western Massachusetts. Williams’s reporting recently earned her a Public Media Journalists Association Award for her coverage of immigrant challenges in Massachusetts.
Rebeckah Egan has been promoted to Sales Director, a role in which she will lead a team of four account executives. Egan joined NEPM earlier this year. Mandi Garfield has been welcomed as an Account Executive, leveraging her extensive media experience to enhance NEPM’s outreach and business development efforts.
Ayu Suryawan, who started as a part-time soundboard operator, has been promoted to a full-time Digital Producer. In their new role, Suryawan will produce The Fabulous 413 and The Rundown with Carrie Saldo.
Teresa Bendzinski joins NEPM as the Major Gifts Officer, bringing over a decade of non-profit development experience. Her role will be crucial in driving NEPM’s fundraising efforts and community engagement.
New England Public Media operates in western Massachusetts with eight signals carrying NPR programming, local journalism, and jazz, as well as five analogue signals and an HD2 carrying classical music.
NEPM President Matt Abramovitz said, “In this pioneering role, John will develop the strategy and plan to make NEPM the indispensable guide to western Mass. After months of searching, John stood out because of his many years of strategic and programming consulting in the public radio system, as well as his experience in-house at NPR and Pittsburgh’s WESA.”
“These additions and promotions within our team not only enhance our capabilities but also reinforce our commitment to providing in-depth and engaging content to our audience,” Abramovitz added.
