GBH Names Susan Goldberg Pres. & CEO
• The GBH Educational Foundation (GBH), which operates News-Talk WGBH/Boston, WGBH-TV & WGBX-TV/Boston and a group of NPR member stations across the state of Massachusetts, has chosen Susan Goldberg as its next President & CEO — the first woman to fill the post in GBH’s 71-year history.
Goldberg most recently served as a Vice Dean and professor of practice at Arizona State University, with a joint appointment to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Global Futures. Known as a trailblazer for women in journalism, Goldberg previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic and the Editorial Director of National Geographic Partners, which manages the brand’s multiplatform content. Goldberg was also the first female Executive Editor of the Washington, D.C. Bureau of Bloomberg News, the first female Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and the first female Executive Editor of the San Jose Mercury News.
In a statement, Ann Fudge, Chair of the GBH Board of Trustees and the head of the search committee, said of Goldberg, “At a time when the media industry is changing at a rapid pace, Susan is a direct, focused, empathetic and visionary leader who has the operational and editorial savvy to understand what resonates with our audiences, along with deep experience in executing a multiplatform transformation.”
Goldberg begins her new job on Dec. 1 and will overlap briefly with outgoing CEO Jon Abbott, who led GBH for 15 years and initiated the organization’s shift from a traditional broadcaster into a multiplatform digital content creator. “GBH is a trusted local and national media leader, steeped in excellence, with a proud history of investigative journalism, groundbreaking innovation, and care for its community,” Goldberg said. “I have spent my life telling stories that make a difference. As a journalist who is committed to helping and reflecting the communities we serve, I’m honored to be a part of GBH’s next chapter.” [Photo credit: Celeste Sloman]
