The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is proud to announce the appointment of Judy Diaz as the new General Manager of Delmarva Public Media—a collaborative network of public radio stations WSCL, WESM, and WSDL, licensed by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University. The stations offer a diverse lineup of news, jazz, R&B, blues, classical, and adult album alternative programming across the Delmarva Peninsula.
Judy brings a distinguished career in media and innovation to the role. She was instrumental in launching PBS KIDS in 1999 and later led brand and audience strategy across PBS. She founded PBS Next Avenue, a digital platform serving adults 50+, and later joined AARP to lead strategy and operations for the digital initiative Life Reimagined. She also served as Vice President of Marketing at POLITICO and worked with Paul Allen, founder of Ancestry.com, on a number of start-ups.
Since relocating to Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 2021 with her husband Kevin Diaz, a journalist who now freelances for Delmarva Public Media, Judy has focused on strengthening local media. As General Manager of WHCP in Cambridge, MD, she secured funding to transition the community station into a full-power NPR affiliate. Following the retirement of Delmarva Public Media’s previous General Manager in 2024, she served as interim GM, leading a number of key initiatives.
During her interim GM tenure, Judy expanded local news and locally-produced music programming, upgraded production and broadcast infrastructure, launched Intergenerational Beats which pairs experienced journalists with journalism students to cover pressing topics for Delmarva listeners, revamped the station’s website for improved access to content and information, and built an emergency alert system infrastructure in Princess Anne to now have emergency alerts throughout Delmarva.
“Judy brings the ideal blend of media and startup experience for this pivotal moment in public media,” said Robert Vickers, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing at UMES. “It’s exactly what these stations need—respect for their legacy, with a clear eye on the future of public media.”
“I feel like all of my career has led to this role,” said Diaz. “It’s incredibly important and meaningful to ensure that local, independent, and non-commercial public media not only survives but thrives on the Eastern Shore, even in the face of the recent federal funding cuts. The dedicated team at Delmarva Public Media built a strong foundation, and we’re all committed to carrying it forward.”
We are excited to welcome Judy into this permanent leadership role and look forward to the continued growth and impact of Delmarva Public Media under her guidance.
For more information about Delmarva Public Media go to delmarvapublicmedia.org.
