JODY EVANS OUT AS PRESIDENT OF PRPD

Jody Evans

In a statement on the PRPD website [link] Jody Evans has announced she has resigned as President and CEO of the Public Radio Program Directors association. 

Evans said in her statement:

“The last four years have been some of the most professionally, and personally, rewarding times of my life. The opportunity to serve and in some small way be part of the industry’s leadership community has been a tremendous honor.”

PRPD Board President Todd Mundt, commenting on Evans’ departure, said:

“We are sad to see Jody step down from this role, but we understand and appreciate her desire to return to a station, serve a community and work directly with a station-based team. We are grateful for her hard work, dedication to the PRPD membership and efforts to support the continuous improvement and evolution of the field in a time of monumental change.”

According to Mundt, the PRPD Board of Directors will conduct a national search for a new CEO.

Evans became PRPD’s President and CEO in 2014. She was the fifth person to lead the organization since the organization began in 1987. Previous PRPD leaders were Craig Oliver (1987 – 1991), Steve Olson (1991 – 1997), Marcia Alvar (1997 – 2006) and Arthur Cohen (2006 – 2014).

PRPD is a relatively small organization but it has a big impact on public radio’s programming, strategy and brand. According the PRPD’s IRS 990 for the 2016 tax year, the organization had annual revenue around $800,000. Approximately half of the money came from memberships and most of remainder came from proceeds generated by the PRPD’s annual conference.

Spark News will have more information as it becomes available.