James Baumgartner
Production Director
James produces and engineers Political Roundtable, The Weekly Catch and other special programming on The Public’s Radio. He also produces Artscape, the weekly arts & culture segment heard every Thursday. His favorite part of the job is talking with artists, musicians and other creators about their process and what inspires them.
James learned the basics of audio editing while studying music at Missouri State University. He went on to get a Master of Fine Arts in Electronic Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he created electronic music, video art and internet-based media art. While at RPI, James went on the air for the first time, hosting an electronic music show on Rensselaer’s station, WRPI, but his love of radio came from staying up late so he could hear punk rock on KKFI, the community radio station in Kansas City, Missouri. More by James Baumgartner
Ben Berke
South Coast Bureau Reporter
Based in New Bedford, Ben staffs our South Coast Bureau desk. He covers anything that happens in Fall River, New Bedford, and the surrounding towns, as long as it’s a good story. His assignments have taken him to jails, factories, city halls, fishing vessels, bakeries, environmental cleanup sites and the homes of hundreds of interview subjects. Ben joined the bureau in February 2021 after three years in Brockton reporting for The Enterprise. His freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Providence Journal. When he’s not working, Ben can often be found near the beach hiking, surfing and collecting the strange things that wash ashore. More by Ben Berke
Jeremy Bernfeld
Senior Editor for Investigations
Jeremy leads the investigations desk at The Public’s Radio, helping the newsroom publish more investigative and accountability journalism that matters to Rhode Island and the Southcoast.
Prior to joining The Public’s Radio, Jeremy was the director of collaborative reporting at WAMU in Washington, D.C., and founder of Guns & America, an award-winning national reporting project covering the role of guns in American life. He was also editor of Harvest Public Media, a collaborative project covering our food system based in Kansas City.
A native New Englander, Jeremy currently lives in Providence, where he spends his time chasing after his wife, daughter and dog, and occasionally riding his bike. More by Jeremy Bernfeld
Ian Donnis
Political Reporter
One of the state’s top political reporters, Ian Donnis joined The Public’s Radio in 2009. Ian has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, arriving in the state just two weeks before the FBI raided City Hall and Buddy Cianci’s East Side home. Ian covers breaking news, develops in-depth features and investigative reports, and welcomes a range of newsmakers to “Political Roundtable” each week. He also writes our Friday political newsletter and maintains a strong social media presence.
For many years, Ian was a panelist on WPRI-TV’s Sunday morning public affairs show, Newsmakers, and he’s a regular guest on A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. His previous experience includes serving as news editor of The Providence Phoenix and as a reporter for the Associated Press and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He has a BS in journalism from Boston University.
Outside of work, Ian enjoys baseball, cooking, and exploring Rhode Island. More by Ian Donnis
Nate Halda
Manager, Member Services and Special Projects
A passionate public radio fan, Nate came to The Public’s Radio as a volunteer in 2017. He joined the progress team in 2021 full-time and now manages our donor base and is the friendly voice at the other end of our member services line. Nate also assists with events and serves as the on-air fundraising producer, and is the voice behind many of our promotional spots.
A lifelong musician and audio enthusiast, Nate likes to repair vintage sound equipment as well as develop his own audio effect circuits. He lives in Providence with his wife and their rescue cat.
Paul C. Kelly Campos
Paul C. Kelly Campos is a Report for America Corps member who covers democracy and community engagement for The Public’s Radio. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kelly is a writer, poet and translator of Irish and Nicaraguan descent. His bilingual work has appeared in NPR’s Next Generation Radio, The Washington Post, KQED Forum, KALW, Prism, The Golden Gate Xpress, Seen and Heard, The San Franciscan, and Borderless magazine. He graduated from SF State with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in English literature in 2021. In his spare time he can be found consuming pupusas, reading poetry, or playing with his cat ‘Dr. Otto Octavious Phd.’ all while “The Damned” plays loudly in the background. More by Paul C. Kelly Campos
Luis Hernandez
Morning Host
Luis helms the morning lineup. He is a 20-year public radio veteran, having joined The Public’s Radio in 2022. That journey has taken him from the land of Gators at the University of Florida to WGCU in Fort Myers to KNPR in Las Vegas and then to WLRN in Miami.
Luis sees himself as a journalist and an entertainer, which is what drives him every morning—bringing more local news to the listeners and doing it in an interesting and sometimes fun way.
He also co-hosts Artscape and hosts The Weekly Catch. In his spare time, Luis is working on a couple of novels, a couple of podcasts and is getting back into painting. More by Luis Hernandez
Pam Johnston
CEO, The Public's Radio & Rhode Island PBS
A passionate leader and believer in the power of local journalism, Johnston was hired in August 2024 to lead the newly merged Rhode Island PBS/The Public’s Radio. Johnston is a native of New England and brings to the organization almost 30 years of media experience. She previously served as general manager of news at WGBH in Boston and as a senior director of strategy and audience at FRONTLINE, the award-winning PBS investigative documentary series.
Mareva Lindo
Daily Editor
Mareva joined The Public’s Radio in 2022 and oversees daily news production, writes our Daily Catch newsletter and edits two weekly productions, Artscape and The Weekly Catch.
In 2023, Mareva received two awards from the Public Media Journalists Association for her work with The Public’s Radio, including a first-place Multi-Media Presentation award for the 2022 Elections page, and a second-place Short Documentary award for editing and co-production of “The Secret of Chiqui Versace.”
A Chicago-made journalist and musician, Mareva strives to document and tell stories driven by community, curiosity, and listening. She is the creator of The Archives podcast at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where in 2017 she conducted an oral history of the school in partnership with StoryCorps. In the past Mareva has reported on public meetings as a City Bureau Documenter, led workshops on podcasting and audio storytelling, and crafted ethnography-based theater as a company member of the Albany Park Theater Project.
She holds a B.A. from Smith College in American Studies with a focus in popular culture. When not at The Public’s Radio, she’s been known to sing sea shanties and play the fiddle. More by Mareva Lindo
Kim Millette
Director of Corporate Support
Kim leads the small but mighty team who connects with local businesses and introduces them to the many benefits of public radio sponsorship. A passionate public radio fan herself, Kim understands our audience and embraces her role in providing them with a showcase of area businesses who share both their community and their values. Kim understands the importance of adapting and crafting new approaches with clients as they look to the future and the evolving needs of the community.
Kim is a Rhode Island native who now calls Bristol County, MA home. She received her BA in Communication from Rhode Island College and spent more than two decades in commercial radio sales before joining The Public’s Radio in 2017. In all aspects of her life, Kim’s primary goal is to make a positive impact on the community, both through her work and in the moments spent with loved ones.
Outside of work, Kim finds joy in spending time with her family and friends. She keeps busy frequenting college sporting events, swimming and cycling, gardening, cooking, and gathering for memorable meals and good times.
Dan Schwartz
Corporate Support Representative
Before joining The Public’s Radio in 2022, Dan dedicated fifteen years of his career to a local magazine group, where he developed a deep understanding of Rhode Island’s culture and business landscape. This background provided him with valuable insights that he now utilizes in his work at The Public’s Radio.
In a media world that constantly blares and fragments, Dan firmly believes in the power of public media and its ability to serve both the local community and the global stage. In his role as a corporate support representative, he plays a crucial part in helping local businesses convey their messages to the community as underwriters. Dan truly values their contributions to the collaborative effort that keeps the non-profit radio station flourishing.
In his personal life, he’s a passionate Grateful Dead fan and draws culinary inspiration from his previous experience in the restaurant industry. Dan can also be found on the ice playing amateur hockey in a Pawtucket league.
Joe Tasca
Producer, host
The local voice on Weekend Edition for several years, Joe stepped into the role of morning producer in October 2023. Joe is also a reporter, covering stories in the field and conducting interviews with newsmakers.
From an early age, Joe was determined to become a broadcaster, and began his broadcast career as a high school student. His first job was working as a newscaster and engineer for WERI, a full-service radio station in his hometown of Westerly. Prior to coming to The Public’s Radio in 2018, Joe spent 15 years as a news anchor and reporter for a cluster of six radio stations in eastern Connecticut.
He graduated from Westerly High and earned his bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University. When he’s not working, he enjoys reading, writing, hiking, playing golf, and traveling to Canada. More by Joe Tasca
Lily Wasserman
Corporate Support Representative
Lily joined The Public’s Radio in 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience and long-standing passion for public media. Lily began her radio career at Ithaca College, and has since had the pleasure of working at WWOZ and WWNO in New Orleans, where she found her footing in fundraising, and KCAW in Sitka, Alaska, where she honed in on corporate support.
She enjoys working as part of a small team, and was drawn to The Public’s Radio’s outstanding reputation for community-centered journalism.
As a naturally curious person, Lily enjoys learning about the many businesses and nonprofits that make up the Rhode Island and Southeastern MA ecosystem. She has experienced first-hand the power of public radio sponsorship as a listener, and enjoys helping clients grow their customer and/or donor base.
Outside of work, Lily enjoys playing guitar, cooking, and exploring New England with her husband and rescue dog.
