WJCT Public Media announced Karen Feagins as its next president and CEO July 31.
Feagins succeeds David McGowan, who retired in April, and will begin her new role Aug. 31.
“Karen represents exactly what we were looking for as the next leader for WJCT Public Media. She is a talented executive who has a passion for public media and serving the community in which she lives,” Bill Hendrich, chair of the board of trustees and chair of WJCT’s executive search committee, said in a news release.
WJCT said Feagins held leadership positions within the organization from 2005 to 2018, rising from news reporting and hosting “Morning Edition” to overseeing WJCT’s content and operations and ultimately becoming chief operating officer.
In 2018, she became PNC Bank’s first client and community relations director for the North Florida market. She remained connected to WJCT, serving for seven years on the board of trustees and volunteering on-air during pledge drives.
“Public media provides a vital service to this community, and my goal is to build on WJCT’s incredible momentum so more people can experience the value of public media in their daily lives. I have always been inspired by the passion and dedication of the people at WJCT and their commitment to serving our community. The perspective I’ve gained from the private sector will help us continue to innovate to best serve our audiences, while remaining rooted in the principles of public media,” Feagins said in the release.
Highlights of her previous career at WJCT include the Peabody Award-winning program “State of the Re:Union” and the oral history project, “Voices of the First Coast.” Her earlier journalism roles included time at KOMU-TV in Missouri, WZVN-TV in Florida’s Gulf Coast and WJXT News4Jax in Jacksonville.
Feagins received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, Leadership Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, The 5 & Dime Theatre and Florida Public Media.
WJCT announced that upon Feagins’ return, Geri Cirillo, who has served the organization as interim president and CEO since McGowan retired, will resume her previous responsibilities as senior vice president and chief operating officer.