New York Public Radio Names Brenda Williams-Butts Vice President of Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion
(New York, NY — October 20, 2015) — New York Public Radio (NYPR), which comprises WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space and New Jersey Public Radio, announced today that Brenda Williams-Butts has been appointed to the role of Vice President, Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion.
In the newly-created role, Williams-Butts, who most recently served as NYPR’s Senior Director of Community Engagement & Audience Development, will join the Human Resources team and lead the organization’s recruitment and diversity strategy through the hiring of new staff, the development of new pipelines for diverse talent, guests and content, and the assurance that the NYPR brand is reflective of the community it serves.
“NYPR has a track record of convening conversation and creating community around the critical issues of the day,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio. “Yet as we expand our program and podcast production to new levels, we see a need and an opportunity to put a sharper focus on diversity and inclusion in all that we do, and bring a broader set of voices to the table. We must sound and look more like the city and country we serve and in order to do so, we need to refine how we attract and retain the best employees from a variety of backgrounds for positions both on and off the air. With Brenda’s experience and commitment to cultivating community partnerships, and her passion for connecting NYPR content with new audiences, we know we can achieve this goal.”
“I’m thrilled to take on this new role at such a pivotal moment in NYPR’s evolution, as we both deepen our connections in New York City and expand our national reach through on-demand content,” said Brenda Williams-Butts. “This new role is a natural progression for me, as diversity and inclusion have always been central in my work of expanding the station’s reach, cultivating new voices and building lasting partnerships with vital communities across the New York City area. NYPR employs some of the smartest journalists, hosts and producers, and it’s wonderful to lead this effort with fellow colleagues who know how crucial it is for our content and workforce to reflect the audience we serve. ”
Williams-Butts has been with NYPR since 1996. As the Senior Director of Community Engagement & Audience Development, she was responsible for cultivating new voices at the station and building a more diverse audience. She has spent the past fifteen years as the guiding force behind the organization’s outreach, engagement, and on-air content diversification. Williams-Butts has worked to build credibility with new audiences by forming key community partnerships throughout New York City with organizations including The Bronx Museum of the Arts, African Film Festival, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, El Museo del Barrio, the Queens Council on the Arts, NJPAC, among many others. She also spearheaded WNYC’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. event at the Apollo, which will celebrate its 10th Anniversary in January 2016. In 2009, Williams-Butts was named one of The Network Journal’s “25 Influential Black Women.”
About New York Public Radio
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, New York Public Radio produces innovative public radio programs, podcasts, and live events that touch a passionate community of over 16 million people monthly on air, online and in person. From its state-of-the-art studios in New York City, NYPR is reshaping radio for a new generation of listeners with groundbreaking, award-winning programs including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, On the Media, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin and Carnegie Hall Live, among many others. New York Public Radio includes WNYC Studios, WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio. Further information about programs, podcasts, and stations may be found at www.nypublicradio.org.
