Executive Action: Vermont Public
• The Vermont Public Board of Directors announced that President & CEO Scott Finn (left) is stepping down from the organization at the end of this year. The Board concurrently announced that SVP of Development Brendan Kinney (right), a 14-year veteran of Vermont Public, will be moving into the Interim CEO role.
Finn joined Vermont Public Radio as President & CEO in 2018 and saw the organization through its 2021 merger with Vermont PBS — and a pandemic. “Two years after our merger, Vermont Public is in an incredibly strong position in terms of audience, talent, finances and infrastructure and I’m so proud of all we have accomplished in service to Vermont and beyond,” Finn said. “Now is the right time to find the next leader to steward this great organization forward, and for me to find a new adventure.”
Vermont Public Board President Marguerite Dibble noted, “Under Scott’s leadership, Vermont Public has grown to serve more than 1 million people every month on multiple platforms — online, radio and TV. It has more than 40,000 members in a state with only 643,000 people which is just awesome. We so appreciate Scott’s leadership and wish him well in his next chapter.”
Finn oversaw the launch of a daily news podcast and multiple e-newsletters, rapid audience growth of shows But Why? and Brave Little State, creation of the Made Here Fund and a full-time education manager, and multiple national awards, including a National Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence. Finn noted, “We’ve seen rapid growth of our on-demand content and maintained our radio and TV broadcast audience, which is no small thing as other stations see declines.”
Originally from Iowa, Finn has a long career in public media, journalism and nonprofit leadership. Prior to joining Vermont Public Radio in 2018, Finn was CEO and Executive Director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, led news departments at WVPB and WUSF Public Media in Tampa, FL, and was an award-winning journalist for WVPB and the Charleston Gazette.
Commenting on the choice of Kinney as Interim CEO, Dibble said, “Brendan knows this organization so well and we’re very excited to work with him in this new role.” The Board of Directors plans to conduct a search for the next CEO. [Photo credits: Daria Bishop & Herb Swanson For Vermont Public]
