STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE PACIFICA NATIONAL BOARD
LOCAL STATION
Board
The WPFW Local Station Board (LSB) is the community's voice in the station — a body of 18 Listener Representatives and 6 Staff Representatives, elected by WPFW members to keep listener-supported programming alive, accountable, and rooted in the District and beyond.
STEWARDS OF
THE SIGNAL
THE ROLE OF THE LSB
The Local Station Board plays a vital role in sustaining and strengthening WPFW's connection to its community — guiding the outreach and fundraising efforts that keep listener-supported programming alive on the air.
As stewards of local priorities, board members organize and promote events, build partnerships with neighborhood organizations across the District, and ensure that programming reflects the diverse voices and needs of our communities — from Takoma to Anacostia.
Their fundraising work — from supporting pledge drives to cultivating donor relationships and securing grants — provides the financial backbone that allows WPFW to operate independently and maintain a high standard of public service, free of corporate editorial pressure.
By balancing accountability to listeners with proactive community engagement, the Local Station Board helps preserve WPFW as a resilient, locally rooted cultural resource — one that has served Washington, DC for nearly five decades.
"The LSB is where the listener becomes a stakeholder. We don't just tune in — we organize."
COMPOSITION
A PACIFICA COMMITTEE
The WPFW Local Station Board (LSB) is a standing committee of the Pacifica National Board (PNB). It is composed of 24 members total: 18 Listener Representatives and 6 Staff Representatives — paid and unpaid — elected by WPFW members in accordance with the Pacifica Foundation Bylaws.
Every seat on the board is filled by election, and every election is decided by the membership.
As a standing committee of the PNB, the LSB reports to the national board on local station matters while focusing on community outreach, local programming priorities, and station-level fundraising strategy.
18
LISTENER REPRESENTATIVES
Elected by WPFW listener-members to represent the community.
06
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES
Elected by paid and unpaid (programmers) WPFW staff to represent station operations.
WHAT THE BOARD DOES
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Organize and promote events that bring WPFW into DC neighborhoods. Represent the station at festivals, forums, and cultural gatherings. Build partnerships with neighborhood organizations across the DMV.
Community Outreach
Support on-air pledge drives, cultivate donor relationships, and help secure grants. The financial backbone that allows WPFW to operate independently — no corporate strings attached.
Fundraising
Ensure programming reflects the diverse voices and needs of our communities. Balance station accountability with proactive community engagement.
Listener Accountability
THE BOARD
LSB MEMBERS
Listener Representatives
Anita Irene Adams
Arthur Hyland
David Kaisi
Jawara Hunter
Julie Hewitt
Junette Anita Ngo Pickney
Latrice Vincent
Mariah McClain
Michael Byfield
Michael Hersh
Michele Tingling-Clemmons
Michelle Thomas
Minerva Sanders
Robert A. Gordon (Vice Chair)
Minerva Sanders
Wanda Gnahoui
Non-Voting Members
Ellen Carter (Secretary)
Shayna Lonoaea (General Manager)
Tom Chase (Treasurer)
Staff Representatives
Ambrose Lane Jr. (Programmer)
Kamau Harris (Chair)
Ron Pinchback (Programmer)
Sue Goodwin (News Director)
Verna Avery-Brown (Programmer)
Violetta Diamond (Programmer)
Committee Coordinators
Violetta Diamond (Outreach)
Tom Chase (Finance)
Michael Hersh (Programming)
Contact the LSB
Kamau Harris (Chair) lsb.chair@wpfw.org
Robert Gordon (Vice-Chair) lsb.vicechair@wpfw.org
Ellen Carter (Secretary) lsb.secretary@wpfw.org
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