John Hess

General Manager

John Hess became WUWM's General Manager in January 2020. He is a 30 year veteran of the media industry, working in television, radio and newspapers throughout his career.

He has spent nearly two decades building and leading public media organizations within and outside of a university structure. Prior to joining WUWM, John was Chief Operating Officer for Arizona Public Media, the public radio and television organization serving southern Arizona.

Prior his service at Arizona Public Media, John was the General Manager/Executive Director for Boise State Public Radio for 11 years. Boise State Public Radio is a 19-station radio network serving southwest Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. From 2000 to 2005, he was the Director of Broadcasting for stations KUNI/KHKE licensed to the University of Northern Iowa, managing a network of six full-service stations serving eastern and central Iowa.

John is also the President of the University Station Alliance, a nonprofit organization representing 80 public radio stations licensed to universities, school boards or public institutions across the country.

Chancellor's Report: A Conversation About Closing The Higher Education Equality Gap

By John Hess • Jan 7, 2021

On today’s Chancellor’s Report we take a look at what UWM is doing to eliminate the higher education equality gap. Our guests will discuss UWM’s Moon Shot for Equity program and the role that the Higher Education Regional Alliance in Milwaukee works with the Moon Shot program. Our guests today are UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone, MATC President Vicki Martin and Georgia State University Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Tim Renik.

Chancellor's Report: How UWM Is Working To Retain Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic

By John Hess • Dec 3, 2020

On today’s Chancellor’s Report we take a look at what UWM is doing to retain students that have been affected by the on-going pandemic, especially students of color. We will also explore the recently completed education survey conducted by Strada Education Network and the perils of delaying college and the value of UWM in a post-pandemic world.

Exploring UWM's Progress On Addressing Racial Equity & Social Issues; Higher Education Post-Election

By John Hess • Nov 5, 2020

On today’s Chancellor’s Report, we continue our periodic look at issues of injustice and inequity. We talk with UWM’s Chancellor Mark Mone and Dr. Joan Prince, vice chancellor of Global Inclusion and Engagement, about UWM’s progress on addressing racial equity and social issues on campus. And, now that Election Day has passed, we discuss how higher education will fare in this post-election environment.

Chancellor's Report: Reopening UWM Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic And Racial, Social Justice Protests

By John Hess • Sep 3, 2020

On today’s Chancellor’s Report, we talk with UWM Chancellor Mark Mone about UWM’s Fall 2020 semester reopening amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the racial and social justice protests taking place here in southern Wisconsin and throughout the nation.

How UWM Is Addressing Racial Equity And Social Issues On Campus

By John Hess • Aug 6, 2020

WUWM Director/General Manager John Hess chats with Chancellor Mark Mone and Joan Prince, vice chancellor of Global Inclusion and Engagement, about racial justice and how UWM is addressing racial equity and social issues on campus today.

How UWM And Its Partners Are Dealing With The Effects Of COVID-19

By John Hess • Jun 4, 2020

WUWM's John Hess chats with UWM Chancellor Mark Mone and special guests: Danae Davis, Milwaukee Succeeds Executive Director; Tim Sheey, president, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. They discuss how UWM and its partners in the Milwaukee area are dealing with the effects of COVID-19, and how they are creating plans to safely reopen the city. They will also address how the recent unrest in the city and surrounding communities are affecting UWM and Milwaukee’s rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.