The North Carolina Open Government Coalition will welcome three new board members to its ranks this fall who have backgrounds in media organizations and public office. They will work with the coalition to advance the mission of promoting openness and transparency in local government.
Rick Gall currently serves as news director for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, a position he’s held since 2005. He’s responsible for running the news department and disseminating news content across multiple platforms, including television stations, the web and radio stations. He supervises more than 100 people. Since becoming news director, Gall has won a regional Emmy for live breaking news coverage, and the station has received commendations such as a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence, three Associated Press (North Carolina) awards for Outstanding News Operation, a regional Emmy for Spot News and a Radio-Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas award for Best Newscast. Gall grew up in Wisconsin and earned his B.A. from Marquette University and his M.A. from The American University in Washington, D.C.
Sue Rowland, a native of North Carolina, has served as the town clerk for the Town of Cary since 1992, when the Cary Town Council appointed her to the position. As town clerk, she is responsible for training staff and elected and appointed officials on the North Carolina Sunshine Laws. She has also worked for the North Carolina Department of Corrections in various capacities, ranging from office manager to inmate substance abuse counselor and program coordinator at a major prison facility. Rowland is a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), the North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks (NCAMC) and the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP). Rowland attained her Master Municipal Clerk certification from IIMC. She attended the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Roger Sarrow has been the president and general manager of WFAE Public Radio in Charlotte and its affiliated media operations since 1998. Sarrow, a native of Wisconsin, also served as public radio news director, producer, program host and program director at Wisconsin Public Radio. In 1984, he became general manager of WEKU-FM and WEKH, which are public radio stations serving Lexington, Ky. Sarrow was elected to National Public Radio’s Board of Directors in 2008 and recently served as treasurer of the University Station Alliance, which represented public radio stations owned by higher education institutions. He’s also a former chairman of the Public Radio Directors’ Association and former chair of the North Carolina Public Radio Association. Sarrow earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin.