When WJCT Public Media needed someone to steer the ship after President and CEO David McGowan stepped down, the board did not look far. On Tuesday, trustees tapped veteran executive Geri Cirillo as interim president and CEO, turning to a familiar insider who has spent more than three decades at the Jacksonville station.
Cirillo will oversee day-to-day operations while the board conducts a search for a permanent leader, a move trustees are framing as a steady-hand approach meant to keep the newsroom, development staff and events team on track during the transition.
In an April 21 news release, cited by the Jax Daily Record, Board Chair Bill Hendrich praised Cirillo’s “comprehensive understanding” of WJCT’s audiences, partners and staff. Cirillo, for her part, said she was “humbled to serve” in the interim role. The board-approved appointment is described as a way to “ensure consistency in the organization’s executive team.”
While in the role, Cirillo will work closely with Editorial Director Jessica Palombo and Vice President of Development Sarah Dobson to keep building out WJCT’s multiplatform journalism and programming, from digital products to live events.
Board Brings In National Search Firm
The board has hired DRiWaterstone Human Capital to lead a national hunt for WJCT’s next permanent president and CEO. The search firm’s position brief sketches out a job that leans heavily on fundraising, digital expansion and building community partnerships, mirroring the priorities trustees have set for the station’s future.
In that document, DRiWaterstone details expectations that the next leader bring experience in both public media and nonprofit management, signaling that the board wants someone who can navigate mission-driven work and the financial realities that come with it.
McGowan's Legacy And Organizational Momentum
McGowan’s eight-year run at WJCT, which began in January 2018, is getting a largely positive review from the station. According to WJCT Public Media, his tenure included an aggressive push into digital and live-event programming.
Highlights cited by the station include the launch of Jacksonville Today, the expansion of the Jacksonville Music Experience and a near doubling of individual revenue. Trustees say putting an experienced insider like Cirillo in the interim role is meant to keep that momentum intact while DRiWaterstone sorts through candidates for the permanent post.
What Cirillo Brings To The Job
Cirillo is hardly an unknown quantity in Florida’s public media circles. She represents WJCT on the statewide Florida Public Media board and has long worked in development, sponsorship and community relations.
Those roles have given her deep relationships with donors, sponsors and civic partners. Trustees say that kind of institutional memory and community rapport is exactly what they want as the organization navigates a leadership change and keeps asking the region to invest in its coverage and programming.
The timing is significant. WJCT’s digital newsroom and events are reaching more people than ever. According to WJCT, the Jacksonville Today newsletter now tops 60,000 subscribers, and in-person programs are seeing growing engagement.
That growth has made continuity in the corner office a priority, even on a temporary basis, as DRiWaterstone Human Capital begins sorting through applicants. For the full announcement and additional board comments, see the Jax Daily Record.
