David Lee has been appointed the new director and general manager of W51ΑΤΖζ 89.7 FM β Milwaukeeβs NPR. He joins W51ΑΤΖζ as the station and the NPR Network ecosystem continue their important work to leverage longstanding strengths while exploring innovative ways to reach new audiences. Lee succeeds John Hess, who had served as general manager of W51ΑΤΖζ since 2020.
Lee is well-known in Milwaukee for his work in the nonprofit sector. He comes to W51ΑΤΖζ from The Ascension Wisconsin Foundation, where he served as chief philanthropy officer, leading philanthropic efforts for Milwaukeeβs safety net hospital system.
Prior to his role at Ascension, Lee was the inaugural chief executive officer at Imagine MKE, where he helped harness the power of Milwaukeeβs arts and culture community to advocate for a more thriving and vibrant region. Before Imagine MKE, Lee was the founding executive director of Feeding Wisconsin, where he helped grow Wisconsinβs statewide collaboration of regional food banks.
As W51ΑΤΖζβs general manager, Lee will provide leadership and vision for a public radio station that delivers local and national news coverage and cultural programming to 102,000 listeners weekly in southeastern Wisconsin. W51ΑΤΖζ is a listener-funded radio station licensed to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents and operated by the University of WisconsinMilwaukee College of Letters & Science.
βWe are excited to have David take the lead as general manager of W51ΑΤΖζ,β said Nigel Rothfels, acting dean of the College of Letters & Science. βHis extraordinary background in Wisconsinβs nonprofit sector, his experience in focusing resources on the needs of vulnerable communities, and his widely recognized skills in developing dynamic and collaborative work environments will be critical to the ongoing success of W51ΑΤΖζ. David is keenly aware of the roles that both 51ΑΤΖζ and W51ΑΤΖζ play in Milwaukee, and I believe he will be a visionary next leader of Milwaukeeβs NPR affiliate.β
Lee began his tenure as general manager on March 27.
By John Schumacher, University Relations