Richard Bland Promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of WETA

Arlington, Virginia—WETA President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Percy Rockefeller announced today that Richard Bland will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of WETA, effective November 4, 2024. Bland has been WETA’s Vice President for Foundation and Government Development since January 2021 and has a strong record of successful fundraising and organizational management. Bland will lead initiatives in revenue generation by overseeing fundraising, communications, and branding areas, as well as serving as one of four executive vice presidents managing the station’s operations and reporting to Rockefeller.

“I am delighted to welcome Rich to this new leadership role at WETA,” Rockefeller shared. “His demonstrated ability to garner support for our mission and his deep understanding of the value of our content and our abiding commitment to public service make him a valuable partner as we navigate changes in the media landscape.”

In his new role, Bland will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, sustainable revenue strategy for WETA, which serves the national capital area with public television, radio and digital programming and is the second-largest producer of content for PBS stations nationwide. He will oversee four vice presidents and approximately 60 staff members across the major and planned giving, membership marketing and development services, corporate marketing, foundations and government development, licensing, production fundraising, creative design, and communications departments.  

“The public service that WETA provides for our community and the nation is more vital than ever,” Bland noted. “WETA has a unique opportunity at this critical juncture to continue to innovate and lead in public media fundraising. I look forward to working with some of the most talented fundraisers and communications professionals in the business to secure the resources necessary to expand our mission and build upon our strong foundation as a highly valued and trusted institution. I am tremendously grateful and excited for this challenge.”

In his four-year tenure leading the WETA Foundation and Government Development Department, Bland and his team increased foundation support by 22% for the general station projects and by more than 40% for funding of specific productions. Bland came to WETA with a distinguished record of executive non-profit management and advocacy. Before joining the station, Bland served as Chief Operating Officer of the Washington National Cathedral, leading the senior management team of the world’s sixth largest cathedral. He previously oversaw public and private fundraising as Chief Operating Officer of The Faith and Politics Institute and as National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Development for Save the Children’s United States programs. He formerly served as Director of Federal Government Relations at the YMCA of the USA and as Deputy Chief of Staff for United States Senator Patrick Moynihan. Bland earned a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College, a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, and a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. A longtime Washingtonian, Bland and his family live in Spring Valley, and are active members of St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Palisades neighborhood where Bland serves as Junior Warden.

ABOUT WETA  

WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, is the second-largest producer of new content for public television in the United States. The WETA production portfolio includes news and public affairs programs PBS News Hour, PBS News Weekend and Washington Week with The Atlantic; films by Ken Burns and Florentine Films including the forthcoming Leonardo da Vinci documentary; series and documentaries by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Great Migrations: A People on the Move; and performance specials including The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, National Memorial Day Concert, and A Capitol Fourth.   

WETA serves the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia with content that educates and inspires across broadcast and streaming platforms. WETA presents five television channels: WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA Metro, WETA World, and WETA PBS Kids; radio service WETA Classical; and content and streaming on weta.org and wetaclassical.org. Local programming and digital content created by WETA celebrates the people and history of the region through series such as Signature Dish, WETA Arts, Get Out of Town, and It’s Academic, and podcasts Classical Breakdown and Telly Visions. More information on WETA programs and services is available at weta.org. Visit facebook.com/wetatvfm on Facebook or follow @WETAtvfm on Instagram. 

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