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Kansas City, MO— Kansas City PBS is proud to announce the promotion of Mike Portz to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective December 8. This promotion comes as valued member of the station's leadership, Jeff Evans, prepares for his retirement after 30 years of service.
Portz will transition into the CTO role, working closely with Evans during the transition period until his official retirement at the end of the month. As CTO, Portz will lead Kansas City PBS’ technology vision and strategy, ensuring the organization remains innovative and positioned for ongoing success. His responsibilities will also encompass overseeing building maintenance and grounds.
“For the past 19 years I've served in many capacities here at Kansas City PBS. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and the challenges that have been presented over the years” says Portz. “I'll strive to be as innovative and forward thinking as Jeff has been, certainly a tall order to fill, and look forward to the many new challenges coming my way.”
Jeff Evans, outgoing Chief Technology Officer, will be retiring on December 23. Evans began his journey with Kansas City PBS on October 28, 1995, as a Production Operations Engineer. Over the years, he advanced through several leadership roles, including Technical Engineering Maintenance Supervisor and VP of Broadcast & Technology, which ultimately became the Chief Technology Officer position.
“During the 30 years that I have been with Kansas City PBS I have watched as a generation of our brightest engineers have moved on and a new generation with a new set of skills has taken their place” says Evans. “I’ve watched technology evolve from large reels of video tape playing on refrigerator size tape decks and edits made with a razor blade and splicing tape to software-based video files playing on computer hardware seems to have happened in a moment. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the mission of an organization that is so well respected and to have worked each day with those who share the commitment to improve the lives of all in our community.”
Throughout his tenure, Jeff has been instrumental in key initiatives that have defined the station’s technical capabilities, including leading the building remodel project, overseeing the purchase and installation of a new transmitter (while skillfully maintaining the old one), providing valuable support as Kansas City PBS expanded to four TV channels, added the NPR music station 90.9 The Bridge, founded the non-profit newsroom Flatland, and began to offer streaming capabilities for all its services.
“We are incredibly grateful for his three decades of dedicated service and his flexibility in helping expand our services and explore new ways of working” says Kliff Kuehl, Kansas City PBS President and CEO. “We are just as excited for Mike Portz to build upon this strong foundation and lead our technology forward.”
Portz's promotion underscores Kansas City PBS’ commitment to internal talent development and sustained innovation in the dynamic multimedia landscape. If you have questions or would like to be notified of future job vacancies at Kansas City PBS, please email our team at humanresources@kansascitypbs.org or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/kcpt.