Blue Ridge Public Radio’s longtime Program Director, Barbara Sayer, will retire at the end of July after 38 years of service.
Sayer has been with the station since its roots at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She started as a volunteer at the then fledgling station but quickly became an integral part of the station’s leadership team and a trusted voice in the community.
Blue Ridge Public Radio’s General Manager and CEO David Feingold says, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Western North Carolina would not have the quality public radio station that BPR has become without Barbara Sayer at the center of the operation for 38 years. She has shaped the sound, chosen the programs, and upheld the highest quality and ethical standards that have attracted so many listeners and so much community support across our region.”
Sayer considers herself privileged to have worked in public media for so long, “It’s been a joy to work in an industry driven by mission and service. Blue Ridge Public Radio has always been blessed with a talented, agile and dedicated staff, a disciplined and hardworking Board of Directors and passionate and generous listeners. That I’ve been able to spend so much of my working life doing important work around all of these smart, funny and inspiring people in this amazing region – well, lucky doesn’t begin to cover it. I’m forever grateful.”
BPR General Manager Feingold went on to say, “I will join the entire staff in missing her intelligence and sharp wit. I think all of us who have worked with Barbara over the years would agree that she’s the heart and soul of the station and is one of the major reasons that we all enjoy working at BPR.”
A national search for Sayer’s successor is underway.