OPB is pleased to announce the appointment of new leadership to its volunteer board of directors. At its quarterly meeting this month, the board elected John Tapogna as chair, Curtis Robinhold as vice chair and Peter Platt as secretary and treasurer. These appointments come at a pivotal moment for the organization as it expands its journalism and public service across Oregon and southwest Washington.

Tapogna previously served as board vice chair and succeeds Rukaiyah Adams, who completed her term as chair but will remain an active member of the board. Adams has served on OPB’s board since 2015 in a variety of roles including vice chair and secretary and treasurer.

This is Robinhold’s first leadership position on the OPB Board, and Platt succeeds previous Secretary and Treasurer Roger Cooke, who has served in that role since 2020. Like Adams, Cooke has been a member of OPB’s board since 2015 and will remain so.

These newly elected leaders step into their roles at a time when federal funding for public media organizations across the country is at unprecedented risk, and the media ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest is increasingly fragile with newspaper closures and cuts to essential reporting.

“This is a defining moment for OPB,” said incoming Board Chair John Tapogna. “Economic headwinds, digital disruption, and polarization demand clarity, courage, and unity. With our new CEO, a deeply committed staff, and a board aligned in purpose, we’re ready to protect OPB’s tradition of trusted journalism and civic dialogue—and invest boldly in the future of public media."

Along with a change in leadership, two longtime OPB board members are departing – Paul Speer and Dave Vernier, who have both served OPB for the last nine years.

“I am deeply grateful for Rukaiyah, John and Roger’s terrific leadership of this board during a period of rapid transformation in the media industry, and for Paul and Dave’s profound commitment to OPB and our mission over all of these years,” said Rachel Smolkin, OPB president and CEO.

“Because of their great work and strong stewardship of our organization, we are poised to expand our journalism service for communities across our region. I look forward to working with our new leadership and wonderful members to serve the Pacific Northwest during this critically important period.”

About OPB’s new board leaders

Board Chair John Tapogna is president emeritus at ECOnorthwest and a consultant to the Oregon Business Council. He founded ECOnorthwest’s social policy practice in 1997, focusing on welfare, education, and disability policy, and served as the firm’s president from 2009 to 2021, leading its expansion along the West Coast and into the Intermountain West. With the Oregon Business Council, he manages the Portland Central City Taskforce—a collaboration between the business community and the Governor’s Office. Prior to joining ECOnorthwest, Tapogna was an analyst at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office and a Peace Corps volunteer in Chile.

Vice Chair Curtis Robinhold has been a board member since 2023. He is currently the executive director of Port of Portland, which includes three working marine terminals, six business parks, and three airports, including Portland International Airport (PDX). He has served in the executive director role since 2017. Prior to joining the Port, he was Chief of Staff to Governor John Kitzhaber and previously served as CEO of an energy efficiency finance company in Portland. He’s also held various leadership roles in BP Alternative Energy’s businesses throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Secretary and Treasurer Peter Platt has served on the OPB board since 2023 and this is his first OPB board leadership position. He is the founder and family owner of Andina Restaurant in Portland – a local fine dining institution in its 23rd year of operation. He has previously worked for Mercy Corps and served two terms as a commissioner for Prosper Portland, the city’s economic development agency, in addition to his other community board service.

OPB is an independent nonprofit organization, governed by a board of directors that is currently comprised of 21 voting members.

These new officers will serve for a one-year period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/pressroom/opb-elects-new-board-leadership-as-the-organization-expands-its-journalism-and-public-service-for-the-future/