The Streaming Book by Matthew Ball.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Public media; that’s a given. I’m also very supportive of the work the United Way is doing, especially around “cradle to career” and early childhood education.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Usually something to do with music… Play guitar, play bass, play keys, play horn.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Our destination spots are jazz clubs in New York or LA. I love the Chicago Symphony any chance I get… We want to be doing something where people are making art.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
The cat I currently own.
The Streaming Book by Matthew Ball.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Public media; that’s a given. I’m also very supportive of the work the United Way is doing, especially around “cradle to career” and early childhood education.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Usually something to do with music… Play guitar, play bass, play keys, play horn.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Our destination spots are jazz clubs in New York or LA. I love the Chicago Symphony any chance I get… We want to be doing something where people are making art.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
The cat I currently own.
Off the Cuff
azz music led Ed Ulman from his hometown of Vancouver, Washington to his current position as president and CEO of Alaska Public Media, the largest broadcaster in the state. Like an improvisational tune, of course, the path was not direct, but Ulman committed to each note.
“While I had a clear plan,” Ulman says, “I was open to opportunities and was willing to move where the opportunity existed.”
Ulman aspired from a young age to perform music, and he went to the University of Idaho on a music scholarship. He earned a master’s degree in teaching from Portland State University and went to Arizona for a doctorate in music. He pivoted from academics to nonprofit management by running the Tucson Jazz Society. Then Albuquerque called, recruiting Ulman to the New Mexico Jazz Workshop. Collaborating with local public TV led him to applying his teaching degree toward running the broadcaster’s education department. He then managed a station in Tacoma, Washington before being recruited to Anchorage in 2016.
“Anybody who has a passion for any human pursuit can successfully translate that into another career opportunity,” he says.
Ed Ulman: Family first. I have two boys, and I’ve been married for thirty-two years to my best friend… My wife and I, we just pal around.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Ulman: Transition from the musical arts and nonprofit sector and take a job with public television in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Ulman: [He laughs.] I play the guitar, and not well. But I love the guitar… The guitar has fascinated me for most of my life.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Ulman: To answer that question, you would have to suspend any humility you might have… It’s an important question to have an answer for in a job interview; that much I get. But it opens up a larger conversation about your value as a human.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Ulman: South… Anything that’s truly local.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Ulman: Wynton Marsalis. I’ve seen him multiple times in my life; I’ve even had the opportunity to perform with him. He’s not only a virtuoso and a subject-matter expert for all things American music and jazz; he’s just a wonderful individual.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Ulman: Gotta be my shoes. I wear Allen Edmonds shoes… I learned the power of spending more money (than you would normally spend on a throwaway pair of shoes) and keeping shoes… If you have access to cobblers—and we do in this town—you can own those shoes for a long time.
