Strong journalism requires strong editorial leaders. So I’m happy to share the news that NHPR has promoted three experienced, creative, and compassionate journalists into new roles guiding our award-winning news, programming, and podcast operations.
Rebecca Lavoie, a 16-year NHPR veteran and nationally recognized podcast producer and host, is our new chief content officer. In this role, Rebecca’s core responsibility is ensuring that NHPR’s journalism and programming meet our business objectives and strategic goals. She previously ran NHPR’s podcast studio and before that was audience director and digital director.
Under Rebecca’s leadership, NHPR’s Outside/In and Civics 101 podcasts moved into weekly production, the station climbed into the top 2 percent of all U.S. podcast producers in downloads, and NHPR’s monetization of its podcasts became a model for public media nationally. With her husband, Kevin Flynn, Lavoie hosts and produces the Crime Writers On podcast and has written four true crime books.
Rebecca has been a spark to innovation in advancing NHPR’s public-service mission. She came up as a producer, which above all else means she figures out how to get things done. And she’s a natural leader, which means she gets things done purposefully.
I asked Rebecca how she felt about the new position. She told me: “I’m thrilled to begin working with all of our content leaders to expand our offerings and explore new opportunities for news, broadcast, and podcasts. People often say that NHPR ‘punches above its weight’ but I see this new role as a chance to prove our success isn’t an anomaly. I’m beyond confident our exemplary journalism will continue to be the engine that drives our business forward.”
Dan Barrick, NHPR’s news director since 2016, has been elevated to the newly created role of vice president of news. As NHPR’s newsroom grows, versus the continued shrinkage of reporting staffs in so much of local journalism, Dan will be laser focused on driving NHPR’s daily, enterprise, and investigative journalism.
Dan’s extraordinary news sense, compassionate management of people, hiring acumen, and editing prowess have made NHPR the most important news source in New Hampshire and one of the most admired in public media.
“Managing NHPR’s newsroom is a daily adventure,” he told me, “and it’s so rewarding to keep doing this work for our audience with such a talented, dedicated team of journalists.”
Taylor Quimby, the executive producer of Outside/In, is moving up to replace Rebecca as NHPR’s director of podcasts.
Taylor has been a leader in NHPR’s on-demand audio efforts and the talent behind some of its most innovative work for more than 15 years, co-creating Bear Brook’s first season, and reporting and producing the hit podcast Patient Zero, among many other things.
In his newly-scoped role, Taylor will serve as executive producer for Civics 101 and Outside/In, develop new projects, and lead NHPR’s podcasts forward through a rapidly-changing industry that now extends beyond audio to video and broadcast platforms.
“Podcasting has changed immensely in just the past few years, but the bread and butter of what our teams do best – tell stories, do great journalism, educate and entertain – remains the same,” Taylor told me. “I’m excited to help get their work in front of new audiences, and in new ways.”
