Roberta Oster
Journalist/
COMMUNICATIONS & LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT
Roberta Oster is an accomplished journalist, communications strategist, and leadership consultant, who brings passion, empathy, rigor, and decades of experience to her work. She has cultivated strategic partnerships and built strong relationships with leaders in business, government, faith communities, advocacy organizations, the media, and grassroots organizations.
As the Senior Producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series, “VPM News Focal Point,” Roberta played a pivotal role in launching and shaping this public affairs TV program. The show reached viewers across Central Virginia from 2022 to 2024. As the first person hired, she helped to create the show’s editorial vision and recruit staff. Roberta worked closely with VPM’s marketing team and external vendors to develop a brand identity, advertising campaign, and strategic plan. She oversaw the editorial and visual content of videos and articles for Focal Point’s TV and digital platforms. Roberta worked previously for two decades in New York as a network TV news producer at NBC News “Dateline,” ABC, and CBS.
For more than three years, Roberta served as Communications Director for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), a statewide, grassroots non-profit with 25,000 members. She managed strategic advocacy and crisis communications, built a communications plan that included PR, brand identity, external communications, the website, social media, and media relations. She also wrote op-eds, blogs, produced videos, and supported development outreach, events, and fundraising campaigns. Previously, Roberta worked at the University of Richmond as Associate Dean for External Relations for the School of Law and later, as Interim Vice President for University Communications, where she managed a $1.8 million-dollar budget for PR, media, internal and external communications, marketing, and publications.
At VPM, VICPP, and the University of Richmond, Roberta worked closely with Board members, community leaders and donors to understand how each organization could best serve their respective stakeholders and communities. She is skilled at leading teams, engaging with diverse groups of people, and serving as a spokesperson at the local, state and national levels.
Roberta is a storyteller driven by a passion for connecting with people, and uncovering and sharing meaningful narratives with editorial impact. The heart of her work as a nonprofit leader and a journalist is amplifying stories that educate, engage, and reflect the diverse communities across the U.S.
Roberta has a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. She was awarded a one-year Knight Professional Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University and was a member of Leadership Metro Richmond’s Class of 2021.
