Entrepreneurs have new leader

CED picks radio veteran as its chief

The general manager of N.C. Public Radio, WUNC-FM, is turning off her microphone.

Joan Siefert Rose, who joined WUNC in 2001, will become president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development in August.

CED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurs, has expanded from a group of volunteers 25 years ago into a Research Triangle Park organization with 5,000 members at 1,100 companies.

CED is the country's largest support group for entrepreneurs, helping them find funding, as well as sponsoring workshops and networking events.

Rose, 51, replaces Monica Doss, who announced in February that she was retiring after running CED for 22 years. Doss' last day is Friday.

"Joan understands about legacy, but she is totally an innovator," Doss said. "I think she'll take CED in fresh, new directions."

Rose oversaw WUNC's format shift to all news and information in 2001. It was a move that upset some classical music fans but ultimately led to more listeners and a big boost in donations.

During her tenure, WUNC's annual budget doubled to $7.5 million, and its staff increased to about 50. Rose orchestrated the fundraising campaign that led to new studios in Durham, the nationally distributed program "The Story" with Dick Gordon, and the innovations desk for the business program "Marketplace."

$2 million budget

Soon, she will take over at CED, which has an annual budget of $2 million and a staff of 16.

"In terms of nonprofit management, it's not that much of a stretch from what I've done at WUNC," Rose said. "We need to assess what's been done well, expand CED's footprint and reinforce its value in the community.

"CED has room to grow."

Rose said that her base salary at CED will be "comparable" to the $135,000 a year that she made at WUNC, and she will be eligible for bonuses based on factors such as membership growth and meeting revenue and expense goals.

CED officials conducted a several-months search and narrowed their choices to four finalists, said venture capitalist Steve Nelson, co-chairman of the search committee with Christy Shaffer, CEO of Inspire Pharmaceuticals in Durham.

Rose, who has been on the CED board for four years, was the unanimous choice, said Nelson, who is a general partner with the Wakefield Group in RTP and a former chairman of CED.

'A dream candidate'

Rose stood out because of her experience establishing relationships locally and nationally, managing and expanding a content-based organization and embracing new media, he said.

"In our world, if you don't continue to improve, you get passed over," Nelson said. "She's a dream candidate for us."

Rose got her start in commercial radio in 1979, delivering the morning news at WQDR-FM in Raleigh, then a classic rock station.

One of Rose's earliest assignments was covering the election of Raleigh Mayor Smedes York. She later ran a public radio station in Michigan, then returned to this region partly to be close to family.

"I do have a great fondness for public radio," Rose said. "I've had radio in my blood for a long time."

There is one thing Rose said she won't miss: WUNC's on-air fundraising drives.

Rose will remain with WUNC through the end of June. Bob Levin, the station's chief operating officer, will be interim general manager.

UNC-Chapel Hill officials will start a search for a permanent replacement. That will take a few months, said Nancy Davis, associate vice chancellor for university relations.

"She's leaving WUNC in great shape," Davis said.