Greater Public President Doug Eichten will retire in the third quarter of 2017 after an 18-year tenure, the Minneapolis-based media consultancy announced this week.
“This is by far the best job I’ve ever had,” said Eichten in a press release. “And yet the time will come for me to move to the next chapter.”
Eichten assumed leadership of the organization, previously known as the Development Exchange Inc., or DEI, in 1997, and he then oversaw the rebranding to Greater Public in 2013.
During his time, the organization has experienced steady growth in station membership, currently 263, services provided, and in the size and attendance of its station-service event of the year: the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference.
Greater Public launched a series of new projects in 2015, such as the Major Giving Officer Certificate, the Social/Mobile GPS program, Legacy Builders and Digital Leapfrog.
In response to this news, the board of directors will also begin to consider strategic plans ahead of a 2016 search to replace Eichten.
“The two-year process will ensure a smooth and productive transition. It’s a testimony to Doug’s leadership that Greater Public is in outstanding shape,” said Greater Public Board President Paul Jacobs. “We will be collaborating with Doug over the next two years to create a smooth process that ensures that Greater Public will continue to provide outstanding service to public media stations. And if you know Doug, he will be working until the last possible moment.”
