Radio Catskill Announces New Board President, Officers, and Three New Board Members

(Liberty, NY–June 23, 2025) – The Radio Catskill Board of Trustees elected award-winning journalist Pete Madden as President at its June meeting. Madden joined Radio Catskill’s Board of Trustees in 2023 and served as Vice President of the Board, Chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee, and Board Liaison to the Community Advisory Board and is a member of the Finance Committee and the Local News Working Group.

Madden takes over from Sally Stuart, who served as President from 2024-2025 and Vice-President from 2021-2024. She leaves the Board after serving two consecutive three year terms.

Madden is an award-winning investigative producer, reporter and editor, currently managing enterprise projects for Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. As a member of the ABC News Investigative Unit, he developed groundbreaking investigations for print and broadcast and contributed coverage of national security, political corruption and human rights to Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline and 20/20, as well as ESPN and FiveThirtyEight. Previously, he was a senior producer at Sports Illustrated, where he co-reported the magazine’s “First Golfer” feature about President Donald Trump’s global golf business. His work has earned two Edward R. Murrow Awards and a Scripps Howard Award, and he was an Ottaway Foundation-sponsored visiting professor of journalism at SUNY New Paltz in 2023. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the Columbia Journalism School.

The Board also elected new officers: Better Homes and Gardens Health and Features Director Amy Brightfield as Vice-President; Field Notes Consulting Principal, User Researcher, and Voice of Customer Strategist Jill Fruchter as Vice-President; and Creative Film Cars Owner and Founder Donald Almquist as Secretary. Leif Johansen, community advocate and Founder and President of the Grace Johansen Foundation, was re-elected as Vice-President and Katie Childs, product development, marketing, and business consultant, was re-elected as Treasurer.

Jeff Barnes, Dale Blagrove, Barbara Demarest, Tanya Kalivas, and Ilya Marritz continue to serve as Trustees.

The Board also elected three new Board Members: Matthew Goldman, Brett Hogancamp, and Elizabeth Hope Williams.

About the New Trustees

Matthew Goldman has been pursuing careers and pastimes all united by the desire to bring people together in creative and meaningful ways since his involvement in the New Jersey pop punk scene in the late 1990s. This passion later led him to perform and record with the band Steel Train, touring overseas and through every major US market, and, ultimately, to private high school education. In addition to teaching AP US History courses, Goldman designed and oversaw the implementation of a network-wide history curriculum, giving annual professional development workshops to enhance teaching practices and student learning. Most recently, he was the dean of high school students at BASIS Independent Brooklyn, where he was responsible for all aspects of student support and community building throughout the upper school. Goldman has turned his passion for history, music, education, and building community to Ellenville, NY, and The Common Good, a community hub where visitors can find a wide array of books, craft cocktails, coffee, unique gifts, and space to congregate, collaborate, connect and unwind.

Brett Hogancamp is a community-centered professional with a diverse background spanning regenerative agriculture, operations, construction management, and education. He is the founder of White Stag Farms, a regenerative farm focused on sustainable food systems and environmental stewardship. In addition to running the farm, Hogancamp oversees day-to-day operations and long-term development at Camp White Stag, where he leads a staff of 25 and manages major infrastructure projects, including site planning, facility construction, zoning initiatives, and safety systems. He holds a dual degree in History and Education, originally intending to teach at the college level before his passion for hands-on, land-based work led him to build a life rooted in community and environmental advocacy. Hogancamp brings strong skills in communication, leadership, and community engagement, which have been key to the success of both his business ventures. He has also been an active volunteer in local schools, food co-ops, and civic events, where he teaches children and families about sustainable living and local food systems. With a practical, grounded approach and a deep commitment to the region, Brett is driven to support projects that strengthen connection, inclusion, and long-term resilience in the Catskills and Northeast Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth Hope Williams is a filmmaker with Rain Media based in the Catskills and New York City. Williams joined Rain Media in 2022 as an associate producer for their three-part documentary series America and the Taliban, which investigates how America’s 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory after two decades of mistakes, miscalculations, and hubris. Williams comes from a theatrical background as a performer, writer, and collaborator. Her interest lies in the partnership between language, movement, and imagery to communicate a narrative of shared human experience. Elizabeth recently co-produced the two-hour documentary China, the U.S. and the Rise of Xi Jinping. She is currently working on a one hour film about Syria after the fall of the Assad Regime to air in July 2025. She studied film at the Freie Universitat in Berlin and graduated magna cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BFA in musical theatre and an emphasis on political science. Williams lives in the Catskills with her husband and three daughters. In addition to her work with Rain Media, she is delving back into the world of theatre performance and storytelling, having recently performed in a production of “Half Life” at The Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre.

More information here: https://wjffradio.org/our-team/

Image: Pictured from left to right, newly elected Radio Catskill Trustees Matthew Goldman, Brett Hogancamp, Elizabeth Hope Williams