WICS-TV news anchor moving to new position with Rochester school district
It's a wrap for Jon Hansen as the news anchor at WICS-TV in Springfield.
On Monday, Hansen will start as director of communications and engagement for the Rochester school district. Hansen's hiring was approved by the board of education.
The position is new for the district, confirmed Superintendent Dan Cox on Thursday.
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Springfield and Ball-Chatham have similar positions. Rachel Dyas is the coordinator of public relations, media & marketing for District 186 while Zach Baliva is the director of communications for Ball-Chatham.
Hansen came to WICS, an ABC affiliate, from KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Texas, in 2019. At KLBK, he was a news anchor and investigative reporter.
"After more than a decade in the industry, my family dynamics have changed and it's time to step away," Hansen wrote on his Facebook page. "It's hard to believe how fast time has flown."
Cox said he talked to representatives from about 20 school districts to formulate a job description for the Rochester district.
He also worked with the National School Public Relations Association and got feedback from school staff members, families and school board members.
Cox didn't say how many applicants there were, but six candidates were interviewed.
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"It was a phenomenal pool," said Cox, who will work directly with Hansen.
Cox admitted the hunger for communication and information "is not getting smaller and the appetite to get it quicker is even greater. That's the tough part."
With Hansen, Cox said, the district was getting "a master storyteller and that's what we need. We know him as a news anchor, but he really brings a diverse skill set to the position."
Hansen will represent the district in various community organizations, Cox added. He also will be involved in strategic planning, event promotion, publication oversight and campaign coordination, among other duties.
Hansen has a bachelor's degree in communications from Brigham Young University.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: WICS-TV news anchor Jon Hansen takes new job with Rochester schools
