Jason R. Daisey Named Chief Financial Officer for WETA, the Flagship Public Broadcasting Station in the Nation’s Capital

ARLINGTON, VA — WETA President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Percy Rockefeller announced today that Jason R. Daisey has been named Chief Financial Officer of WETA, heading financial operations for the region’s flagship public broadcaster. When he takes the post August 23, Daisey will report to Rockefeller and work closely with the WETA Board of Trustees, Chief Operating Officer Rick Schneider, and the WETA Executive Management Team. Daisey will oversee the Finance, Facilities and Human Resource departments while providing executive level fiscal and operational counsel for the organization.

With his deep background in strategic planning and financial management, Daisey brings strong expertise to the complexities of a creative telecommunications company that is also a highly-valued non-profit institution. WETA operates four digital television channels, Classical WETA 90.9 FM, innovative literacy websites, and educational content for learners of all ages. WETA is also the second-largest station producer of content for the public television system; productions and co-productions include PBS NewsHour; Washington Week; documentaries with Ken Burns, including the forthcoming film The Vietnam War; history and genealogy series with scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; and performance and arts specials from the nation’s leading cultural venues. The largest share of support for WETA comes from individual contributions, and the company has production and operational funding from a wide range of funding sources. WETA, licensed to the District of Columbia to serve the Greater Washington community, operates on an annual budget of over $100 million and has its headquarters and production studios in Arlington, Virginia.  

“I am delighted to have Jason joining our executive management team,” Rockefeller commented. “He is an incisive thinker whose dynamism and expertise both in and out of public media are an excellent match for the multi-faceted operations and ambitious goals we have in serving our community and the nation.”

Daisey is currently Chief Financial Officer at Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., a national trade association representing 22,000 members engaged in commercial and industrial construction. He has held that position since 2009, responsible for all financial activities of the core trade association and two foundations, a national 401K, a for-profit subsidiary magazine, and one of the largest association PACs. Daisey also leads all corporate operations, including Finance, Accounting, Facilities, Administration, IT, and Human Resources functions.

Formerly, Daisey served for two years as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at KERA, North Texas Public Broadcasting, where he was responsible for all aspects of a $16 million annual operating budget and $15 million investment portfolio.  From 2000 to 2007, Daisey worked for PBS, headquartered at that time in Alexandria, Virginia, as Senior Director of Financial Planning and then Vice President of Finance and Planning. At PBS, Daisey built financial models and reporting to inform strategic and tactical decision-making against a $325+ million operating budget and a $10 million capital budget. Daisey received both his B.B.A. in Finance, Magna Cum Laude, and his M.B.A. in Business Strategy from Loyola College in Maryland. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been honored with industry awards from BizNow as a 2015 Trending 40 CFO in Non Profits and Associations and the 2012 winner of Association Trends! Non-Profit Chief Financial Officer of the Year Rising Star Award.  Daisey lives in Jefferson, Maryland on a historic farm he shares with his partner, Malcolm Harkins, and is passionate about his efforts to save the rare Cleveland Bay breed of horse and foxhunting.  

“Public broadcasting matters now more than ever,” Daisey noted.  “The opportunity to join WETA – an essential part of our capital community – and work with visionaries and innovators like Sharon and the WETA leadership team is incredibly compelling.”

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About WETA

WETA is the leading public broadcasting company in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and with high-quality programming on WETA Television and Classical WETA 90.9 FM.  For fiscal year 2017, the company had an annual operating budget of $97 million, nearly 300 employees, and more than 103,000 contributing members. The WETA fiscal year 2018 budget is $109 million.  Classical WETA 90.9 FM brings classical music, concerts and specials to Greater Washington. WETA Television broadcasts on four channels: WETA TV 26, WETA HD, WETA UK and WETA Kids. WETA Television celebrates the people and history of this region through programs such as WETA Around Town, WETA Extras and The WETA Guide.  For national PBS audiences, WETA produces PBS NewsHour; Washington Week; documentaries by filmmaker Ken Burns and scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; and performance specials from the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Embracing the educational mission of public broadcasting, WETA creates leading public service websites such as www.ReadingRockets.org, www.LDOnline.org, www.ColorinColorado.org, www.AdLit.org and www.Brainline.org; and develops community outreach programs to engage people of all ages in the joy of lifelong learning.  The WETA studios and administrative offices are located in Arlington, Virginia.  More information on WETA and its programs and services is available at www.weta.org.