(Rochester, NY) September 25, 2025 – WXXI Executive Vice President and General Manager Susan Rogers, Ph.D., announced today that she will be retiring at the end of the month, after 29 years. Rogers joined WXXI in 1996 as Chief Operating Officer. In 1999, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, and in 2008 she was named Executive Vice President and General Manager.
During her tenure, Rogers was instrumental in leading WXXI’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, navigating two successful capital campaigns, and securing a broadcast partnership with the University of Rochester and WRUR, as well as Hobart and William Smith Colleges and WEOS/WITH, which has extended the reach of WXXI’s radio services.
Rogers also assisted in the acquisition of The Little Theatre, helping to increase WXXI’s reach from on-air and online to on-stage and on-screen and supporting The Little’s conversion to Digital Cinema Projection. She was instrumental in establishing Rochester Area Media Partners, a for-profit subsidiary of WXXI, and its acquisition of CITY News, now City Magazine, as well as the purchase of an FM signal for NPR and WXXI News.
“Sue’s history with WXXI is remarkable—her vision and leadership over nearly three decades have shaped this organization in ways that will resonate for generations. As someone new to WXXI and to Rochester, I have been deeply grateful for Sue’s guidance,” said WXXI President and CEO Chris Hastings. “She has helped me connect not only with the history of this institution but also with the spirit of the community it serves. Her steady hand has made it possible for me to step into this role with confidence, knowing that I am building on a foundation she helped create.”
While Rogers has seen many successful projects come to light, she is most proud of helping move the organization past a focus on television and radio broadcasting to a broader mission of strengthening the community through a wide range of efforts.
“It has been my privilege and honor, and most of the time a great pleasure, to work in public media, specifically at WXXI. Its importance to our culture and democracy has never been clearer,” said Rogers. “I intend to remain an avid supporter and cheerleader as the valuable work educating the community continues.”
In addition to her work at WXXI, Rogers was active in numerous organizations that support women, education, and public media. She served as board chair of Eastern Region Public Media, board member of directors for Women Helping Girls of the AAUW and taught a class on “Broadcasting in the Digital Age” at the University of Rochester. Currently she serves on the Board of the Judson Women’s Leadership Center at Alfred University and on the industrial advisory board for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
Before joining WXXI in 1996, Rogers was an Associate Professor and the Director of the Office of Distance Learning at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she was recognized as a leader in educational technology and distance learning.
In 2006, Rogers earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education. She’s also an alumnus of Alfred University, where she received both her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Master’s in Education degree. She resides in Brighton, NY, with her husband Scott Regan.
Rogers’ last full-time day at WXXI is September 29, but her wisdom and guidance will continue as she consults with the CEO part-time while WXXI enters an exciting new chapter.
###