Steinbacher Becomes Membership Director at Illinois Public Media

John Steinbacher has joined the staff of Illinois Public Media as membership director. Steinbacher came to Illinois Public Media from the Champaign-based International Society of Arboriculture, a professional organization with 21,000 members worldwide where he was the membership and component relations manager.

His experience also includes positions as membership manager and policy specialist for Canadian Doctors for Medicare, and membership specialist for the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals International, a nonprofit trade association based in Minneapolis. He is also a producer/co-host for Smile Politely Radio, a weekly show on WEFT that focuses on local people and organizations and is an offshoot of the online cultural magazine, Smile Politely.

Steinbacher said public media has kept him informed and helped shape his worldview since he began listening to WILL while an undergrad at the University of Illinois. Now that he’s back in Champaign-Urbana, his entire family has made WILL part of their daily lives with Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Morning Edition, Focus, Frontline and other programs. “With such a strong and dedicated membership base, I believe that WILL is well-positioned to continue to provide quality programming to east central Illinois,” he said. “I look forward to doing my part to help WILL grow with the community and remain an essential local resource for generations to come.”

Danda Beard, Illinois Public Media’s interim development director, said Steinbacher’s experience serving the members of the International Society of Aboriculture will easily transfer to members of the Friends of WILL. “He is dedicated to central Illinois and to public media,” she said.