Mark Vogelzang's farewell thoughts

Dear VPR friends & family:

I wanted to let you know that I am stepping down from my work at Vermont Public Radio after 15 wonderful years. I’m heading to NPR in Washington to help our larger public radio system raise new philanthropic support in partnership with member stations. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for some time now, but this was the right moment.

The decision wasn’t easy. We all love this region, as Vermont is a terrific place for public radio, and with such wonderful staff, listeners, and supporters, it’s a bittersweet moment. The station leadership will continue to be in excellent hands as the VPR Board of Directors has chosen Robin Turnau as our new President and CEO! The transition will be a smooth and seamless one as Robin assumes her new role on February 1st.

Fifteen years is a long time in the life of an organization, so when I look back and see what VPR was like in 1993, and what our listeners thought of us then, it's clear to me that Vermont Public Radio has changed enormously, but so has VPR's impact on our community. The station has a leadership role in journalism and the cultural life of this region, with all the responsibility and hard work that comes with the territory. I'm immensely proud of the programming VPR offers every day, and how it’s focused on you, our listeners, far away and close by, who quietly and enthusiastically continue to support us year after year.

Our team at VPR has completed a number of important milestones in the last few years – the change to two distinct networks in October ‘07, along with the growth in listeners and financial support in the past year. The expansion from 3 to now 9 full-power FM stations, with state-wide NPR news and classical networks reaching more audiences than ever before, and the daily news programming of Vermont Edition and more…all worthy efforts that continue to make a difference for Vermonters.

Change is in the air these days, but I'm a firm believer in a bright future for public radio, for VPR and for all of us – here's to VPR's next 15 years!

I’ll continue to support this great organization, and I know you’ll keep supporting it too! Many thanks....

Mark Vogelzang