WSHU General Manager George Lombardi Retires

George J. Lombardi, long-time general manager of WSHU Public Radio, based in Fairfield Connecticut and owned by Sacred Heart University, has retired, ending his 44-year tenure with the station. He has been succeeded by A. Rima Dael, a development and management executive with over 25 years of experience with nonprofit organizations in the public media, arts and education sectors.

“The WSHU of today is the station that George built, and Sacred Heart University is deeply grateful for his contributions to the university and to the community at large,” said Michael Iannazzi, vice president for marketing & communication and chief of staff at SHU. “We are thrilled to have identified an extremely worthy and capable replacement in Rima. She is a leader who has already demonstrated her commitment to WSHU’s mission and will usher the station towards a vibrant future.”

George was first hired to serve as a part-time radio engineer at WSHU. But as his interest grew, so did his singular vision. Under George’s leadership, the station evolved from a student-run radio station into an NPR member station with an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning regional news team and a steadfast commitment to classical music. What began as the single 91.1 FM frequency grew into an operation broadcasting on 13 frequencies and serving listeners in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, the entire Connecticut shoreline, Suffolk County on Long Island and beyond. Thanks to WSHU’s nationally syndicated classical music program, Sunday Baroque, and that award-winning sports journalist Frank Deford recorded his weekly NPR commentaries at WSHU’s studios for many years, WSHU has become visible to listeners throughout the country.

In recognition of his contributions, Sacred Heart University dedicated the soaring entrance space of the new WSHU Broadcast Center as the George J. Lombardi Lobby. George looks forward to spending his retirement in Maryland with his wife Patricia, their daughters, Karen and Sarah, and three grandchildren.

Dael joined WSHU Public Radio as station manager in September 2019. Prior to that, she was the executive director of development & major gifts at New England Public Radio, where she was an integral part of the team negotiating the strategic alliance between WGBH TV and New England Public Radio. She also served as the executive director of Country Dance & Song Society, an international arts service organization for North American traditional dance, music and song, during their successful Centennial Celebration and Spread the Joy campaign. She was a founding faculty member of the Nonprofit Management & Philanthropy graduate program at Bay Path University.

“I am both honored and exhilarated by the opportunity to lead the station,” Dael said. “Over the past 16 months, I have worked together with the WSHU team to weather the COVID-19 pandemic—one of the biggest challenges the station has faced. It is clear to me that WSHU has an extremely dedicated staff and an unshakable commitment to serving the community with the best content available. I am convinced that WSHU’s future is bright indeed.” 


In her new role, Dael will continue to build WSHU's infrastructure to meet the station’s strategic goals; focus on revenue generation and sustainability; and envision a relevant 21st-century radio station committed to sharing the stories of our local communities, the region and the world.


Originally from the Philippines, Dael spent her early years in Old Greenwich, CT, and in several Southeast Asian countries. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and theatre arts from Mt. Holyoke College. Her master’s degree is in nonprofit management from the Milano School of Management & Urban Policy at the New School University where she was a Community Development Finance Fellow. Dael currently lives in West Hartford, CT.

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Submitted by Milford, CT

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