KPCW President and General Manager Renai Bodley is leaving the station this spring.
Her departure comes after a record-breaking fundraiser. KPCW raised close to $310,000 during its Winter Pledge Drive - 10% higher than last year’s March fundraiser.
“It’s clear the station is on solid footing, so it seemed to be a good time to make a transition in the corner office,” said Bodley.
Bodley was promoted to President, General Manager in June 2017. She had been a part-time news reporter at the station since August 2015. Prior to joining KPCW, she was the Vice President of News at KSTU Fox 13 in Salt Lake City for 16 years.
“I am especially proud of how much KPCW’s news department has grown since I became General Manager,” said Bodley. “We have a seven-person news department providing deeper coverage of Summit and Wasatch counties that accommodates the tremendous growth our region has experienced. The newsroom is staffed seven days a week. All of our on air stories are now also online, and the launch of The Local was a huge step for the station in terms of growing our audience.”
The Local is KPCW’s free daily newsletter that is emailed in the morning to subscribers. Many KPCW donors say it is their main source of local news and information.
“Renai has done an excellent job expanding KPCW’s service to the community,” said Robert Holmes, Chairman of KPCW’s Board of Trustees. “She took on a capital campaign – raising the necessary funds to expand KPCW’s offices on Swede Alley just before COVID. Even more significantly, she has been instrumental in strengthening community support for KPCW and expanding the Broadcasters Club, ensuring the fiscal health of this nonprofit radio station.”
The Broadcasters Club is a group of citizens who support public radio by giving KPCW $1,000 or more a year. The station holds several events for members, like ski days, a summer barbecue and a ski season kickoff party. During Bodley’s tenure, the Broadcasters Club has grown from just over 200 members to more than 700 members.
Bodley is taking on a new role at WVTF in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. She will be the station’s first Chief Advancement Officer, responsible for raising money for the NPR affiliate & classical music station through major gifts and grants. Bodley will leave KPCW in May. KPCW will launch a nationwide search for her replacement.