New York Public Radio Board of Trustees Chair Timothy Wilkins Email to Staff Regarding President and CEO Goli Sheikholeslami’s Move to Head up Politico Media Group

Dear Staff,

Our President and CEO Goli Sheikholeslami has accepted an exciting new role as the CEO of Politico Media Group and will be moving on from New York Public Radio.

Goli has made a tremendous impact during her two years with the organization. She brought a strategic, committed and values-driven ethos to the organization, and invested significantly in our DEI efforts, including the launch of the Race Equity Action Plan. She hired a talented executive leadership team, strengthened our financial position, increased the size of the newsroom, and led the creation of a three-year strategic plan to better serve and expand NYPR’s audiences and bolster our position as a leader on the local journalism and cultural landscape. And she did all this while leading through a pandemic – working with all of you to keep our audiences informed, connected and inspired during one of the most challenging times for our organization and our city and region. 

On behalf of the Board, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Goli for her leadership – and to all of you for your dedicated service to our community. 

Goli’s last day will be Tuesday, February 1st. At that point, NYPR Trustee and former Board Chair Cynthia King Vance will step in to serve as Interim CEO, working closely with our stellar executive leadership team to continue driving our three-year strategic plan, and ensure the important work you do every day is supported seamlessly throughout this transition.  

The Board of Trustees is commencing a national search process, led by a committee co-chaired by Trustees Tanuja Dehne and Josh Empson, to find a new CEO as expeditiously as possible. The trusted news, conversation, classical music, and cultural programming you produce everyday are unparalleled—and truly essential to the function of our city and our region. The Board is confident we will find a visionary new leader to continue this organization’s incredible momentum and carry us forward. 

Thank you for everything you do for our community. I look forward to seeing you shortly at the All-Staff meeting.

Best regards,

Tim
Timothy A. Wilkins
Chair, Board of Trustees
New York Public Radio
160 Varick Street, New York NY 10013