KSJD’s longtime executive director, Jeff Pope, has announced his resignation. Pope was the radio station’s founding executive director and has served with the organization for 14 years. He also was the driving force behind the creation of the Sunflower Theatre. He will remain on the job through the end of February as the board of directors searches for a replacement. KSJD began as a tool for vocational students in 1996. In 2003 it transitioned to community leadership. Since then it has grown from a radio station reaching 4,000 listeners to a public media provider serving 60,000 people throughout the Four Corners that also offers arts and entertainment through its media assets, including the Sunflower.
Board President Dave Hart said in a statement, “Jeff’s vision, leadership, and personal sacrifice have had an enormous positive impact in the Four Corners region.” Pope tells KSJD although he and his wife have no firm plans yet, “We've got a few irons in the fire, some inside the public media sphere and some outside of it.” Pope says he never expected to work in public media, let alone have a career at KSJD for so long. He says he will most miss working with volunteers, interviewing people on-air and the excitement of bands arriving to perform at the Sunflower. He hopes to continue to produce the talk show “Ag Markets & More” as a volunteer with Bob Bragg.
