Texas Public Radio chief led with compassion, enthusiasm
JOYCE SLOCUM 1957-2024
Joyce Slocum advocated for Texas Public Radio and its mission, guided a successful building campaign for a new headquarters in downtown San Antonio and developed an awardwinning staff and community-minded programming.
She also was a compassionate leader, colleagues said, whose high standards and enthusiasm helped shape public radio and engage listeners.
Slocum, who died Sunday from complications of colon cancer, is being remembered for her numerous contributions to public media, including 10 years as TPR’S president and CEO. She was 66.
“It’s a miracle someone of her caliber came here,” said Tim Watt, a TPR board member who worked closely with Slocum on the capital campaign that built the headquarters near San Pedro Creek.
“The station is in a different place than when she came,” Watt said in an interview Monday.
Born in Dallas, Slocum joined TPR in 2014 after a stint as interim president and CEO of National Pubic Radio in Washington, D.C., where she had worked since 2008.
She had longed to return to Texas, where “people are nice to each other,” said Watt, who was on the search committee that brought her to San Antonio.
In the decade that followed, Slocum presided over a staff increase of more than 60% and held them to high expectations, allowing the station to both expand its programming and improve its quality, colleagues said.
“She was absolutely driven about the work here at TPR,” said Nathan Cone, the station’s vicepresident for cultural and community engagement.
TPR was awarded the national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Large Market Radio in 2022 and 2023. Slocum helped create the station’s Border & Immigration desk and its Spanish language service TPR Noticias.
She was a founding member of the Texas Newsroom, NPR’S experiment in coordinating news staffs in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Austin, and cities across Texas, according to TPR. Its success would serve as the model for other regional network collaborations nationwide.
“Joyce’s passing is a tremendous loss for TPR and the public media sector,” TPR Board Chair Lori Castillo said in a story published on the TPR website Sunday. “Because of her impact as NPR’S interim CEO, Joyce was admired and respected across the industry. Moreover, her ambitious vision for TPR has made it one of the leaders among public media organizations.”
According to her biography on the TPR website, Slocum graduated from Southern Illinois University and the St. Louis University School of Law. She started her career in private law practice and later served as legal and business advisor to 7-Eleven Inc.
Before joining National Public Radio in 2008, Slocum was at HIT Entertainment, a producer and distributor of children’s entertainment products, serving as its general counsel and later in its global legal and business affairs and as its executive vice president. Slocum held numerous roles at NPR, including chief administrative officer, general counsel and chief ethics officer.
“NPR and the entire public media system mourn the loss of Joyce Slocum,” NPR CEO John Lansing said in a statement. “Joyce was a remarkable person who made countless contributions to this network throughout her distinguished career. She understood the importance of our public service mission like few do.”
Colleagues said there is talk of TPR hosting a public memorial for Slocum, but that nothing is finalized. Funeral arrangements are pending. According to the station, Slocum’s family has asked that people contribute to TPR instead of sending flowers.
Slocum, who entered hospice care last week after being hospitalized for cancer-related health complications, was not married and did not have children. She was known as “Aunt Juicy” to her nieces, nephews and friends’ kids, colleagues said. She doted on her dog Belle, described as her “faithful companion.”
Rebecca Caven, vice president of development, is serving as interim CEO, the station announced last week.