Richmond public media company taps new CFO

Richmond-based nonprofit media company VPM announced that longtime financial executive Ed Brown has joined the public radio, digital media and TV network as its new chief financial officer.

Brown replaces former CFO Gary Ometer, who left VPM in July 2025 to become Hampden-Sydney College’s vice president of business affairs and finance. Brown’s first day on the job was Monday.

“I’m thrilled to join VPM at such a pivotal moment in public broadcasting,” Brown said in a statement. “VPM’s commitment to serving communities across the commonwealth resonates deeply with my own values of accessibility and community impact.”

Brown was most recently CFO at St. Vincent de Paul Baltimore, a provider of services for people in poverty in Baltimore. He managed a $40 million budget, led finance and IT professionals and oversaw a multimillion-dollar endowment.

“We are pleased to welcome Ed to the VPM team,” VPM President and CEO Jayme Swain said. “His extensive experience in nonprofit and corporate finance will enhance our ability to steward our resources strategically and ensure long‑term sustainability in a rapidly evolving media landscape.”

Earlier in his career, Brown served as CFO and chief operating officer at Elev8 Baltimore, where he guided the organization to independent 501(c)(3) status, rebuilt the finance function and helped modernize operations. Before that, he spent five years at TIAA in enterprise financial planning and analysis.

Brown has a master’s degree in finance from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Northwestern University.

VPM is a network of television, radio and digital media outlets across Central Virginia and Shenandoah Valley that reaches nearly 2 million people. The company employs about 100 people and plans to relocate later this year from its current location at 23 Sesame St. in Chesterfield County to new headquarters on East Broad Street in downtown Richmond.