Danda Beard Named Development Director

Danda Beard, who has worked in development at WILL for the past 23 years, has been named as the new director of development at Illinois Public Media. Beard joined the staff as corporate support director, became director of the major gifts program in 2000 and has been interim development director since June 2012.

Beard said she has a good feeling about the future of the WILL stations because she has gotten to know so many Friends of WILL, members of the organization, who have been donating every year since she began working at the stations 23 years ago. “We know they’re with us,” she said. “They continue to feel the stations are part of their lives and they continue to support us.”

Beard said the stations have a great start on raising funds this fiscal year. “It’s remarkable that the Friends of WILL made contributions that totaled more than $1 million by Dec. 31,” she said. “It bodes well for the second half of the fiscal year. We have a goal of at least $2.1 million to help us pay for programming for next year.”