Heather L. Reese, who has served as interim executive director of Wisconsin Public Media (WPM) since August, has had the “interim” designation removed.
The announcement came Monday in a press release from WPM, the UW-Madison division that oversees the operations of Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin. Reese received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stout in hospitality and tourism management and is a graduate of the UW-Madison Law School.
She was named the interim director following the death of Gene Purcell, who held the position since 2018. She has more than 11 years of experience in the public media industry, including positions as WPM’s associate director and director of strategic initiatives and compliance.
The press release described Reese – a Wisconsin native – as “a longtime supporter of the Wisconsin Idea – the belief that UW-Madison teaching, research, outreach and public service should provide benefits beyond the classroom” and to the state’s borders.
“Public Media is an essential public service in the tradition of the Wisconsin Idea,” Reese said. “As media continues to evolve at a rapid pace, I look forward to building on our strong legacy to adapt and enhance our services to meet the needs of our audiences well into the future.”
As executive director, Reese will be tasked with establishing and maintaining relationships at the local, state and national levels to advance and support public media. This will involve “balancing the interests of multiple partners while focusing on meeting audience and stakeholder needs and preferences,” according to the press release.”
She will lead a unit of approximately 280 full-time and 60 part-time and student staff members and an annual budget of more than $35 million. Funding comes from multiple and variable revenue sources, including the university, state and federal government, audience memberships, major and planned giving, grants, business sponsorships, special events and sales of goods and services.
Marta Bechtol, executive director of the Educational Communications Board (ECB), said she has enjoyed working with Reese “throughout her tenure at WPM.” Reese has been “a great collaborator and I look forward to continuing our work together,” she added,
The ECB distributes public broadcasting across the state in partnership with the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
Kathy Bissen, co-chair of the search committee, said that “Heather’s experience with both public radio and television, as well as her leadership skills, knowledge of media law and passionate belief in the value public media brings to the people of Wisconsin, are just some of the qualities that made her stand out in a field of applicants from around the country.” Bissen is chief operating officer of PBS Wisconsin.
Niles Berman, the other search committee co-chair, noted Reese’s “commitment to our traditional broadcast services while we expand our use of other content delivery platforms, with a dedication to editorial independence underlying all of that.” Berman is board chair of the Wisconsin Public Radio Association and a member of the ECB.