Transitions - January 2013

Prometheus would like to welcome our newest intern Eros and bid farewell to our Community Radio Director Vanessa Maria Graber. They have both brought a wealth of talents and energy to our work in this field, and our organization is all the better for their contributions. Read more about them here in this section!

Vanessa Maria Graber in the studios of KPFT, Houstin, TX

Farewell and Best Wishes to Vanessa Maria Graber!

In mid-December Vanessa made the decision to move on from the Prometheus Radio Project and pursue work that allows her to spend more time making independent media and supporting social justice issues in other capacities. When Vanessa was hired she made a commitment to remain at Prometheus for two years, and in the two and a half years she has worked here we have achieved significant change in the organization. We have realized our dream of the passage of the Local Community Radio, grown our staff and board, and are now on the heels of the largest expansion of community radio in US history.

Vanessa has been an integral member of the staff collective, challenging us to think broadly about the changing field of community radio and representing communities of color. She has also been a very visible member of our team, organizing and presenting workshops at media conferences, representing us at many public events, and providing training to media makers, community radio stations, and Low Power FM hopefuls throughout her time here.

While at Prometheus Radio Project, Vanessa also contributed to the success of the WGXC barnraising, participated in the grassroots effort to pass the Local Community Radio Act, advocated for our constituents at the FCC, strengthened our local ties to community media and provided education to hundreds of our constituents across the US. Vanessa will continue to participate in community media in Philadelphia with her memberships at WPEB, G-Town Radio, and Philly CAM, as well as continued affiliations with national organizations like the Radio for People Coalition, the Grassroots Radio Conference, and the Media Action Grassroots Network.

While she is leaving our staff, we know that she is not leaving the movement. We wish her well in her future endeavors and look forward to collaborating with Vanessa in new ways.

A Warm Welcome to Eros!

Eros comes to us from Antioch College, where she studies Media & Queer Theory. Her interest in Media Justice and Prometheus was piqued by a class she took at Antioch in 2007, called Media & Social Change. When Antioch closed for a time she found herself once again in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Her passion for liberating the means of (media) production led her to become an organizer of the Richmond Zine Fest. Upon her return to the re-opened Antioch she found herself in the world of government regulation and public policy while working for a local Community Land Trust, Yellow Spring Home, Inc. Now that she's at Prometheus she hopes to bring both her experience and passion to the fight to free the airwaves.