FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC. AS MEDIA MANAGER OF WLRN PUBLIC MEDIA
Friends of WLRN, Inc. (Friends) has a media management agreement with the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida. As the Media Manager, Friends is responsible for all aspects of the daily operations and management of the School Board’s media properties including WLRN TV, WLRN FM, WKWM FM, associated radio translators and the station’s multiple digital distribution platforms.
PURPOSE
The Corporation is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, which purposes include: (1) to provide assistance to noncommercial publicly supported broadcasting in South Florida, including broadcast properties licensed to the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida or licensed to or managed by the Corporation, in the case of each such broadcast property for so long as such broadcast property is eligible to receive grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; (2) to provide assistance to the provision of educational and instructional television material to schools for education; (3) to operate and manage noncommercial educational radio stations and televisions stations licensed to the School Board of Miami-Dade County Florida or licensed to or managed by the Corporation, in the case of each such station for so long as such station is eligible to receive grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; (4) to improve the adaptability, creativity, and efficiency of such broadcast operations and to improve the programming capabilities of such stations; (5) to propose, plan, develop, acquire, purchase, lease, prepare, distribute, license, and otherwise make available radio and television programs to be broadcast by such station(s) or by other noncommercial networks, systems, and broadcast facilities; (6) to lease, purchase, acquire, own, order, have, use, contract for, and to otherwise obtain, arrange for, and provide technical equipment for the transmission of educational programs; (7) to establish and maintain services for the promotion and circulation of educational radio and television programs on electronic media; and (8) for any other lawful purpose consistent with the foregoing.
MISSION
The Mission of WLRN Public Radio and Television is to provide information, entertainment, and learning services with a commitment to excellence in serving local, national and international communities.
VISION
The Vision of WLRN Public Radio and Television is to be the most trusted, valued, and supported public media organization in South Florida.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Richard Rampell - Chair
Cheryl Wilke - Vice Chair
Retired Partner, International CPA Firm
Palm Beach, FL
Robert McGrath - Treasurer
Principal
Robert E.McGrath, CPA, LLC
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Darren Stokes, Secretary
EVP Human Resources,
Rick Case Enterprises,
Sunrise, FL
Michael Hernandez
Partner
LSN Communications
Miami, FL
School Board Member
Monica Colucci (District 8)
Miami, FL
Jamie Ortega
EVP, Regional Group Manager, Miami Dade Commercial Group, First Horizon Bank
Miami, FL
Sidney Lazard
Journalist & Financier, retired
Miami, FL
Lydia Harrison
Circle of Friends Member & Internship Sponsor
Miami Beach, FL
John LaBonia
Chief Executive Officer
Friends of WLRN/WLRN Public Media
Miami, FL
Sheila Reinken
Chief Operating Officer
Friends of WLRN / WLRN Public Media
Miami, FL
Darren Stokes
EVP Human Resources,
Rick Case Enterprises
Sunrise, FL
Kearey O. Wan
Shareholder Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson
Miami, FL
Christine Kotler
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Baptist Health South Florida
Miami, FL
Renee Johnson
Vice President, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stephanie Vega
CFO
Friends of WLRN
Miami, FL
MANAGEMENT
John LaBonia, CEO, jlabonia@wlrn.org
Sheila Reinken, COO, sreinken@friendsofwlrn.org
Stephanie Vega, CFO, svega@friendsofwlrn.org
Adrienne Kennedy, VP Television/Original Productions, akennedy@wlrn.org
Sergio Bustos, VP of News, sbustos@wlrnnews.org
Doug Petersen, VP Engineering, dpetersen@wlrn.org
Peter Maerz, VP Radio, peterj@wlrn.org
Caitie Munoz, Director of Newscasts and Original Live Programming, csmunoz@wlrnnews.org
Jessica Bakeman, Director of Enterprise Journalism, jbakeman@wlrnnews.org
Michael Anderson, Director of TV Production, manderson@wlrn.org
Giselle Reid, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, greid@friendsofwlrn.org
James March, Director of Program Acquisitions and TV Promotion, jmarch@wlrn.org
Ross Cooper, Director of Corporate Support, rcooper@friendsofwlrn.org
Nicole Stern, Director of Membership, nstern@friendsofwlrn.org
Monica Cruz, Director of HR & Administration, mcruz@friendsofwlrn.org