Albany, NY’s Northeast Public Radio, operator of WAMC, has appointed Sarah Gilbert as its new President and CEO. Gilbert brings extensive experience from her roles at the BBC, NPR, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She will start on August 19.
Gilbert started with a decade at the BBC where she led teams across Europe and the Middle East from their London and Brussels offices. In 2006, she moved to Washington, DC, to oversee the BBC’s coverage of the 2008 US election and worked as the Executive Producer for Americana, a show focusing on politics and culture. Later, she served as Managing Editor for Marketplace in Los Angeles before returning to DC to join NPR.
At NPR, Gilbert held several key roles, including Supervising Senior Editor of Weekend Edition, Executive Producer of Morning Edition, and Vice President of News Programming. She was one of the creators of Up First, which remains one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the US.
WAMC Board Chair Dorothy H. Reynolds said, “We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the helm of this incredible organization. This has been an intense and deliberative process. While the final decision rests with the Board, we are deeply grateful for the thoughtful and on-going input from WAMC staff who took time away from other obligations to work with us in this critical effort.”
Stacey Rosenberry, who served as Interim CEO, will continue to contribute to WAMC’s leadership, focusing on programming and digital production. Rosenberry commented, “I was incredibly honored to be given the opportunity to lead and I now look forward to expanding the leadership team. 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.”
Sarah Gilbert added, “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.”
