Communiqué
WOUB Member Spotlight: Mike Geringer
< < Back to woub-member-spotlight-mike-geringerATHENS, OH – As the O’Bleness Professor of International Strategy at Ohio University’s College of Business, it’s important for Mike Geringer to stay connected to what’s happening in the region, the state and around the world. Geringer says listening to WOUB FM every day helps him do just that.
“I’ve listened to public radio since I was a college student and started donating in the early 80s,” said Geringer. “I live by it. I appreciate the range of perspectives offered. I feel strongly about having a free press and unbiased perspectives because it is really essential for the kind of society I want to live in.”
Geringer says he often mentions something he heard on WOUB to his students in class.
“WOUB is like a friend. It’s a lifeline to be exposed to things that you may not otherwise,” said Geringer. “Not a week goes by where I don’t mention in class that I was listening to WOUB. It’s a gift that we have this available, and I share it with my students.”
Geringer is an expert in business consulting, venture capital and technology start-ups. He consults with a variety of domestic and multinational clients, including several Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500 organizations. Geringer has authored or edited over 50 books and monographs (in English, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indonesian), over 140 published papers, and over 40 case studies.
“I feel that WOUB is a fantastic resource not just for Athens but for the entire region. For many people it is the only access to international and local news that is well researched,” said Geringer. “The media in general and public media in particular is under threat. Some of the culture wars and culture identity kinds of things that are going on pose a threat to broad-based perspectives.”
Geringer recently became a member of the WOUB Cornerstone Society. Cornerstone members donate more than $1000 to support WOUB. It is made up of members, like Geringer, who want to ensure the future of public media in southeast Ohio, western West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky.
“To the extent I can help ensure we have this incredible resource for the future, I’m happy to do it,” said Geringer. “It’s making a more substantive commitment and providing a more stable base to give WOUB a stronger foundation that they can go to when they have special needs.”