FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ideastream Public Media Names Chief Development & Marketing Officer
Cleveland (February 14, 2023) — Ideastream Public Media, Ohio’s largest public media organization and the parent company that operates WVIZ/PBS, 89.7 WKSU and WCLV 90.3, has named Yvette Cook Darby as its Chief Development & Marketing Officer (CDMO). As CDMO, Darby will advance the organization’s individual giving, major giving, corporate and foundation support, and marketing/communications division. The CDMO position, created in direct response to the organization's 2023-2025 Strategic Plan is part of the executive leadership team at Ideastream Public Media.
Darby comes to Cleveland from Atlanta, where she worked as vice president of development & chief strategy officer at Georgia Public Broadcasting, Georgia’s largest public media provider. Prior to GPB, she was the chief marketing officer at United Way of Greater Atlanta. Darby also served as vice president of marketing & corporate development at Dallas/Fort Worth’s public media station, KERA. Darby will begin her new role on March 6, 2023.
“Ideastream has made great strides in the past few years, repositioning ourselves with a new brand and expanding our audience,” said Kevin E. Martin, Ideastream president and CEO. “Yvette’s deep experience in development as well as marketing makes her the ideal professional to help take Ideastream to the next level. I look forward to her joining our stellar executive team here at Ideastream.”
“The opportunity to serve in this new capacity at such a pivotal time for the organization and the community is an honor and a privilege,” said Darby. “Ideastream Public Media is one of the top public media organizations in the country. I’m very excited to join this team of esteemed colleagues.”
Prior to joining Ideastream, Darby was the Head of Coaching at The Leadership Coalition and President & CEO of Usher’s New Look Foundation in Atlanta. Earlier in her career, she worked for several commercial broadcast affiliates in both Dallas, Texas and Greensboro, North Carolina.
Darby earned her Bachelor of Arts, Public Affairs and Political Science degree and Master in Arts, Mass Communication, from the University of Denver. She also holds a Certificate in Professional and Executive Coaching from the CAPP Institute and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership.
About Ideastream Public Media
Ideastream Public Media serves the people of Northeast Ohio as a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Publicly supported and locally owned, Ideastream is indispensable and highly valued for its unique ability to strengthen our community. It is the home of five public television stations (WVIZ, WVIZ OHIO, WVIZ WORLD, WVIZ CREATE and WVIZ KIDS); WKSU, Northeast Ohio’s NPR news and public affairs radio station; WCLV, Northeast Ohio’s classical music radio station; and The Ohio Newsroom. Ideastream produces the award-winning children’s educational series “NewsDepth” and manages The Ohio Channel and the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau on behalf of all Ohio’s public broadcasting stations. As Ohio’s largest independent, publicly supported media organization, Ideastream provides free programs and services to 3.6 million people in 22 counties across radio, TV and digital platforms. For more information about Ideastream’s rich legacy of innovation and credible content, visit ideastream.org.
MEDIA: A high-res image of Yvette Cook Darby is available for download here.
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