Paul Westhelle
Executive DirectorPaul Westhelle oversees management of JPR's service to the community. He came to JPR in 1990 as Associate Director of Broadcasting for Marketing and Development after holding jobs in non-profit management and fundraising for a national health agency.
Paul grew up in northern New Jersey just outside New York City. As a student at Seton Hall University he developed a love for live music romping around Greenwich Village clubs. He traveled west in 1981 to attend San Jose State University where he graduated with a B.A. from its School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Paul believes the meaning of life can be found in public radio and baseball. He’s coached several of Ashland's outstanding youth baseball teams and served as Head Coach of the Ashland High School Varsity team in 2012.
Paul and his wife, Patti Grant, live in Ashland. They have two adult children, Kelsey and Evan.
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In Southern Oregon and Northern California, summer is the season for floating rivers, enjoying music at outdoor festivals, harvesting gardens, and taking jaunts to the coast. For JPR, it’s a season for tracking wildfire activity, covering local events and making progress on the many projects we have underway to improve our mountain-top transmitter sites before the snow flies. -
Long ago, as a college student studying media relations, I learned that no self-respecting communication professional would answer “no comment” to a reporter asking a question about virtually anything. -
As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic and return to operations that resemble the “good old days” – before we converted our spare bedrooms into recording studios and figured out how to run a radio network from our couches – we’re moving ahead on several initiatives that advance our mission and service to the region. -
All manner of historians, academics and political prognosticators these days are lamenting America's broken democracy. -
2021 was another doozy. The aftermath of a rugged national election that culminated in violence in our nation’s capital. Dashed hopes of a definitive end to the pandemic. And, a deepening political divide that has exposed the frayed threads that hold our democracy together. -
The clear, cool days of Fall are such a welcome change. And, with the change in season comes the culmination of a very difficult and stressful fire season. We’ve all endured too many smokey days that have kept us indoors and on edge. -
Several milestones have snuck by me this past year. Among them was the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast of This American Life. In the scheme of things, given all we’ve been through, it was a modest oversight. But I should have noticed, since the program and its creative genius, Ira Glass, have made such an indelible imprint on public radio. -
As we wrap up another fiscal year here at JPR on June 30th, we’re looking forward to implementing new ways we can improve our service in the year ahead. -
This is the 4th year running JPR News has won in the Hard News category. -
One of the tenets of public radio is to create news stories with substance and depth – stories that get to the heart of the issues we cover. -
Like so many people, the events of January 6th commanded my attention. I was working at home that day and connected to JPR’s News & Information Service webstream, which provided regular newscasts throughout the day. -
In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, there has been plenty of teeth gnashing and hand wringing among the media and members of the press.
