Executive Operations
National Director: Shawn VanCour (University of California, Los Angeles)
Organizationally, the RPTF operates semi-autonomously, with its own National Director, and is authorized to develop projects and initiatives consistent with its charge. The Director coordinates with the RPTF Chair, who serves as a liaison to the NRPB, and both the Chair and Director report directly to the Board.
Consistent with its goals of promoting preservation of, research on, and educational uses of archival radio collections, RPTF activities are coordinated by three executive-level divisions, each of which has its own executive committee composed of individuals with expertise in their respective areas. Executive divisions are responsible for (1) coordinating RPTF operations relevant to their area and advising the National Director on key priorities and needed resources, (2) developing and compiling public resources for release through the RPTF website, and (3) developing new initiatives to complement or support work performed by other RPTF units. The RPTF has held two national conferences to date, in 2016 and 2017, both hosted by the Library of Congress. The RPTF sustains several standing projects in areas consistent with its charge.
| RPTF Chair: Josh Shepperd (University of Colorado) |
| RPTF Co-Chair: Michele Hilmes (University of Wisconsin) |
| Conference Director: Neil Verma (Northwestern University) |
Executive Divisions
Caucuses
Consistent with its mission statement, the RPTF maintains a series of themed caucus groups that explore opportunities for grant funding, help identify and generate metadata on relevant collections, and encourage academic study and educational uses of radio in their respective areas. Each caucus brings together a mix of researchers, archivists, collectors, and other experts. Caucuses have no fixed membership or duration, and new caucuses may be added in areas where sufficient interest and expertise is identified. Each caucus has at least one Chair, who coordinates its activities and reports to the appropriate executive divisions. Active caucuses include:
Graduate Student Council
The RPTF maintains a council of graduate students from a variety of cognate disciplines invested in radio preservation, including media studies, communication studies, American studies, history, sound art, and information studies. Members of this council advise the RPTF on matters of student concern and advocate for issues relevant to students’ professional development.
- Fiona Boyd (University of Chicago)
- Laura Brown (University of Texas at Austin)
- Maureen Mauk (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Luz Ruiz (University of Colorado)
- A. Brad Schwartz (Princeton University)
Online Content Management
The RPTF aims to maintain a robust online presence that includes both web and social media content. This includes a dedicated webpage on the Library of Congress’s website (https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-plan/about-this-program/radio-preservation-task-force/), as well as an independently managed website (https://radiopreservation.org/). For social media channels, the RPTF maintains an independent Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/radiopreservation), as well as its own Twitter account (@RadioTaskForce).
The RPTF’s web and social media content is overseen by the organization’s Online Content Manager, who supervises a web development and social media team. RPTF unit heads who wish to release content via the RPTF website, announce their unit’s activities or events, or develop online promotional campaigns, may consult with the Online Content Manager to make arrangements.
| Online Content Manager: Ingrid Ockert (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab) |
| Web Developer: Andrew Thompson |
| Social Media Manager: Laurie Grobe (UT Austin) |
| Web Editor: Lauren Bratslavsky (Illionois State University) |
This organizational plan and accompanying organizational chart will be reviewed and updated at regular intervals by RPTF executive officers.
Last updated January 2021