After greater than 20 years serving to battle starvation within the Southern Tier, Natasha Thompson is popping her power towards her second love: public broadcasting.
Thompson, who has been president and CEO of the Meals Financial institution of the Southern Tier since 2008, will step down in March to turn out to be the brand new president of Binghamton-based WSKG.
Each organizations serve varied counties within the Southern Tier of New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania.
By means of its community of almost 160 companion businesses, the meals financial institution distributes almost 13 million kilos of meals a yr to households in want in Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties.
“Natasha is a revered chief and is well-known for her imaginative and prescient, compassion and drive to finish starvation in our communities,” stated Joe Thomas, Chairman of the Meals Financial institution Board. “Throughout her tenure, she has developed a particularly robust management staff with the identical ardour and hearth that she dropped at the job every single day.”
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Thompson will succeed filmmaker and WSKG COO Brian Frey, who has served as interim president and CEO because the October 2022 retirement of Greg Catlin, who held the function for 5 years.
WSKG Public Tv and Radio serves 21 counties in Twin Tiers.
Thompson is just not solely a long-time member of WSKG, but additionally served because the on-air host of the station’s award-winning public affairs tv collection “Chasing the Dream” throughout its three-year run.
“Natasha Thompson is well-known and extremely revered within the enterprise and nonprofit world of our area,” stated WSKG Board Chairman Allen Buyck. “Her monitor report of her success and her wealth of expertise in organizational management, fundraising and group partnership constructing is the right talent set for our group.”
Thompson, who lives exterior of Ithaca, stated his proudest moments throughout his tenure on the meals financial institution embody main the company on its first capital marketing campaign in 2009 that raised $5.7 million for a brand new headquarters constructing in Elmira Heights, a transfer that elevated out there house from 15,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.
Underneath his course, the Southern Tier Meals Financial institution was additionally named 2017 Meals Financial institution of the Yr by Feeding America, the nation’s community of meals banks.
“We have constructed a really robust staff,” Thompson stated. “I feel my greatest legacy is to depart it in a really optimistic situation. The one who will get the CEO job will not need to put out any fires.”
The meals financial institution’s board of administrators and mother or father company Catholic Charities are engaged on a transition plan as the skin seek for a full-time substitute begins.
As soon as he takes the reins at WSKG, Thompson stated he hopes to construct on the robust group that already exists.
“WSKG is a precious group useful resource,” he stated. “It is an important alternative to construct on his legacy. On this divisive media local weather, it is necessary to have a public media station that’s an asset to the group.”
Observe Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. For limitless entry to the most recent information, enroll or activate your digital account in the present day.
This text initially appeared on Binghamton Press & Solar-Bulletin: Southern Tier Meals Financial institution President Takes Lead Position at WSKG