Last week, JPR lost a special member of our family. Steve Nelson was president of the JPR Foundation for the past 19 years – and one of our biggest fans.
Steve’s leadership has been one of the truly special factors that’s fueled JPR’s growth and success over the past two decades. Steve led the JPR Foundation through the exponential expansion of the JPR radio network, through the restoration of Redding’s historic Cascade Theatre, through the development of a new JPR studio facility on the campus of Southern Oregon University and through the community effort now underway to restore Medford’s historic Holly Theatre.
All of us here at JPR will miss Steve deeply. We’ll miss his genuine respect and enthusiasm for our work … we’ll miss his relentlessly optimistic commitment to our future … we’ll miss his wise counsel and passionate leadership … we’ll miss his friendship.
Steve was an avid JPR listener. He listened every day … and was motivated by what he heard on JPR – real journalism from NPR and JPR’s newsroom, in-depth regional interviews on the Jefferson Exchange, stories that fed his whirling intellect, and music that kept his diverse music collection fresh with new artists he discovered on Open Air.
We’re honored that our work is an enduring part of Steve’s legacy – it’s a legacy that will have a lasting impact on our community for decades to come.
A celebration of Steve's life and legacy will be held on Saturday, April 21st at 2pm at the SOU Music Rectial Hall.
