Radio Milwaukee hires Jay Burseth as Director of Major Giving & Grants, names Kris deFelice as Director of Underwriting & Partnerships

MILWAUKEE (April 3, 2023) – Radio Milwaukee (WYMS-88.9FM) has hired fundraising expert Jay Burseth as its Director of Major Giving & Grants and named seasoned underwriting executive Kris deFelice as the Director of Underwriting & Partnerships, the station announced Monday.

In his new position, Burseth will be responsible for stewarding major donors of Radio Milwaukee and overseeing grant revenue. Most recently, Jay held the position of Development Director at the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Prior to that, he held development leadership roles at Milwaukee County Parks and WMSE-91.7FM.

“I am thrilled to bring my nuanced experience in non-profit fundraising back to public radio,” said Burseth. “Radio Milwaukee is a visionary organization with an eye on the future of public media and, through my role, I am excited to help build support and momentum to fuel our important mission.”

Kris deFelice has worked in the underwriting team at Radio Milwaukee since January 2013. Since September, she has also held the role of Account Support Manager, working to cultivate the station’s underwriting account executives.

In her new role, deFelice will be responsible for leading the underwriting growth strategies for both 88Nine and HYFIN, the organization’s Urban Alternative channel, as well as the organization’s digital properties.

“For over ten years, I’ve had the pleasure of building relationships with business partners that are interested in supporting our mission through underwriting,” said deFelice. “I am eager to continue and elevate this work by maximizing opportunities on our on-air channels and digital assets.”

Burseth and deFelice join Alma Velez, Director of Membership & Community Engagement, as the three leadership positions responsible for revenue generation at the station.

“With Jay on the team and Kris elevated to her new position, we’ve got a full roster of talent that will help us sustain and elevate the work we do here at Radio Milwaukee,” said Executive Director Maxie Jackson. “Each of our primary revenue streams now have a director focused specifically on their area of influence and the strategies around improving and maximizing what we do.”

Burseth started in his role on March 20 and deFelice transitioned into her position on February 14.

Radio Milwaukee is seeking an Account Executive to join deFelice’s team. Interested candidates can find more information at radiomilwaukee.org/jobs-and-internships.

For more information or interview requests, please contact Sarah Lahr at sarahm@radiomilwaukee.org or 414-892-4190.

About Radio Milwaukee
Radio Milwaukee (WYMS-FM 88.9) has been a positive force for Milwaukee on air, online and in the community since its 2007 launch. Through its creative programming and content, non-commercial Radio Milwaukee utilizes a multimedia platform for creating a better, more inclusive and engaged community. 88.9FM broadcasts and streams a unique blend of musical styles, including at least one song by a Milwaukee artist each hour, and short Uniquely Milwaukee stories that foster engagement and positive change. On 88.9FM-HD2 and hyfin.org, the station operates an Urban Alternative channel, HYFIN, that focuses on connecting with young, diverse audiences through the full spectrum of Black music. The organization runs a 24/7 all-Milwaukee music channel at 414Music.fm online and 88.9FM-HD3 on-air. The award-winning station receives the great majority of its financial support from its 6,000 contributing members, more than 150 underwriters and 25 foundations.. Learn more about Radio Milwaukee and stream the station at RadioMilwaukee.org or via the 88Nine mobile app.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.