PEORIA, Ill. – A name familiar in the community will become the new head of public television station WTVP.
Jenn Gordon – former Executive Director of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois – will take over the station’s top job about a month from now.
Gordon says it was, at least in part, the last more than six months the station has been under controversy for allegedly financial wrongdoing by late former CEO Lesley Matuszak that made her want to help the station recover.
“The community saw a new board step into place,” said Gordon. “I think everyone in the community thought this was really turning the new page for WTVP. It was an opportunity for us to move forward with a fresh start.”
Gordon has been working most recently as Executive Administrator at Grace Presbyterian Church. She says she never has to worry about what her kids see on WTVP.
“Today, we have limitless access to a lot of content, but very little of that content is quality,” said Gordon. “WTVP brings us quality content, and local quality content, that informs, educates, and inspires, and it’s a wonderful thing to have.”
Station officials say out of 70 potential candidates being whittled down to three, the votes by the committee, and later the full board to hire her were unanimous.
Heather Acerra of Galesburg, a new WTVP board member, was on the new CEO search committee.
“I think we’re extremely fortunate to have a candidate with such a wonderful combination of business acumen, commitment to the arts, and a profound interest in building up people and making teams operate very functionally to the benefit of the organization,” said Acerra.
“All these conversations that sometimes happen in the community – Who are we going to pass the baton to? Who is up and coming? We are very proud and lucky to have Jenn Gordon as our representative for the crown jewel of WTVP,” said Dr. Andy Chiou, board member who also was on the search committee.
Julie Sanders, Director of Marketing and Community Relations, has been serving as the Interim Station Manager since Matuszak’s resignation September 27, 2023. Matuszak died a day later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The station is still in the midst of audits, including one from the Inspector General of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, that will determine whether or not its annual funding allotment from the organization is pulled for the coming fiscal year. WTVP Board Chair John Wieland remains optimistic the station will get its money. It’s already received $1.2 million in pledges that will make up most of a recent shortfall.
(DISCLOSURE: Will Stevenson, WMBD Radio News Director, has been a member of the part-time studio production crew at WTVP.)
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