MPR - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Active Life Trustee
- Retired Chairman & CEO, Piper Sandler Companies, Inc
Job Titles:
- Manager, Development Operations
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President and CFO for American Public Media Group
Barry Gisser is the senior vice president and CFO for American Public Media Group. In this role, Gisser oversees the financial operations of American Public Media Group, the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, American Public Media and Southern California Public Radio. He supports APMG's digital transformation and champions data-informed decision making to build the organization's financial acumen and a culture of financial stewardship and accountability.
Barry Gisser has more than 30 years of experience in leadership positions at private, public, for profit and non-profit firms including The Science Museum of Minnesota, Procter & Gamble, ConAgra Foods, and Ecolab. Barry's areas of expertise include finance and accounting, enterprise growth strategies, general management, organizational development, and change management.
As a Certified Management Accountant (CMA}, Certified Financial Manager (CFM} and CSCA-certified from the Institute of Management Accountants, Barry's expertise includes all facets of finance and accounting, strategy, and organizational development. Barry earned a bachelor's degree from Kenyon College, an MBA from The Kenan Flagler School at The University of North Carolina, and is currently pursuing a law degree at The Rogers College of Law at The University of Arizona. Barry serves on the Board of Directors for Twin Cities in Motion, the Mary T. and James J. Hill Foundation, as a judge for MN Cup, and as a Techstars Mentor.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Founder & President, Seed.Grow.Bloom LLC ( 2023 )
Job Titles:
- Director of Development
- Director of Development, Major and Planned Giving
As Director of Development, Brad works to identify and pursue revenue-generating strategies that deepen APMG's relevancy with current and prospective donors and reinforce its stronghold as a leader in public media.
Prior to this role, Brad held leadership roles and positions in National Classical Programs at APMG since joining in 2001. He was instrumental in APMG's efforts to diversify its programming and connecting audiences with experiences that surprise and delight them. His portfolio includes: The live American broadcasts of Last Night of the BBC Proms, The Minnesota Orchestra from Havana, Cuba, and Soweto, South Africa, and winning both a Gabriel Award and NY Radio Festival Award. Throughout his roles, Brad has driven collaboration to operationalize strategies across APMG.
He previously served on the board of directors for The Twin Cities American Guild for Organists, a community of musicians who provide knowledge and inspire passion for the organ. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Copper Street Brass Quintet.
Brad received his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in Music from Westminster Choir College. He is a classically trained pianist/organist.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Digital Producer for Classical Music
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Trustee
- SVP, General Counsel & Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. ( 2021 )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President, Chief Partnerships & Revenue Officer
In 2022, Kavati was named Senior Vice President, Chief Partnerships & Revenue Officer. Prior to that, Kavati served as Vice President, Underwriting and Distribution & Chief Revenue Officer for American Public Media, following her work as the managing director of development strategy and operations for Minnesota Public Radio where she led operations for the philanthropic development division. Kavati has 20 years' of experience in development, marketing, and operations with nonprofits, fostering innovation and building strong relationships, strategies and systems. Kavati has a Bachelor of Arts in literature and creative writing from Harvard University, and a Masters of Liberal Studies degree in innovation and creative writing from the University of Minnesota.
Job Titles:
- Development Manager
- Member of the Contact Our Development Team
Job Titles:
- Individual Giving Manager
Job Titles:
- Associate Producer, Classical
Job Titles:
- Associate Producer, Classical
Job Titles:
- Membership Communications Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- President & CEO, CentraCare Health ( 2018 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- CEO, Edison Energy, LLC ( 2020 )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
- Senior Vice President of American Public Media Group
Duchesne Drew is Senior Vice President of American Public Media Group and President of Minnesota Public Radio. In this role, he leads the teams that produce MPR News, The Current, APM Reports and Marketplace.
Before joining American Public Media Group, Duchesne led the Bush Foundation's leadership programs, community innovation and communication teams and built networks across the region as its Community Network vice president.
Prior to his role at Bush Foundation, Duchesne was managing editor of operations at the Minnesota daily newspaper the Star Tribune, where he began as a summer intern and rose to one of the most senior roles in the newsroom. In 2019, he was honored with the Widening the Circle Award by ThreeSixty Journalism, recognizing individuals who have contributed to the next generation of journalists, particularly while promoting inclusion and diversity. And in 2021, he was inducted into the Hall of Achievement at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Duchesne was awarded the 2022 Spurgeon Award for outstanding community leaders, and he was named in 2022 to The Root 100, an annual list of the most influential Black Americans in the fields of arts, community, business, entertainment, media and politics. Duchesne serves on the Board of Directors for the McKnight Foundation and is an alumni and member of the Columbia University Board of Trustees.
Job Titles:
- Donor Engagement Specialist
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Communications Manager, 651 - 290 - 1233
- Media Inquiries Only, Please
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, National Fundraising
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Regional Fundraising
Job Titles:
- Major and Planned Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Technical Director, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- Member of the Contact Our Development Team
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
Heather Riddle brings to MPR/APM more than 25 years' professional experience leading philanthropic campaigns for nonprofit organizations including colleges and universities, healthcare, and the arts. Her professional and volunteer interests are aimed at building relationships, strengthening communities, and inspiring generosity.
Heather joined the leadership at MPR/APM in 2021, after completing nine years of service as Vice President for Advancement at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she led a capital campaign for a new academic building and a campaign to build the Augsburg endowment.
Prior to serving at Augsburg, Heather held leadership roles at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Concordia University, and Macalester College. She serves or has served as a board member for the Minneapolis Council of Churches, the Minnesota Urban Debate League, 826 Twin Cities, and the Eastside Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Heather has a Bachelor's Degree in Art and Art History from Concordia College in Moorhead Minnesota. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with her family and three cats.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President, SCPR
Job Titles:
- Major and Planned Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Active Life Trustee
- Retired COO, General Mills
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- President & CEO, Oregon Symphony ( 2023 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- EVP, General Counsel & Secretary, Medtronic ( 2014 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Managing Principal and Member of the Investment Committee for AB CarVal
- Managing Principal, AB CarVal ( 2023 )
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has announced that James Ganley, managing principal and member of the Investment Committee for AB CarVal, has been elected to its board of trustees.
Job Titles:
- Digital Fundraising Specialist
Job Titles:
- Institutional Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
- President of the Board
- Trustee
- President & CEO, American Public Media Group ( 2013 )
- President and Chief Executive Officer of American Public Media Group
Jean Taylor is President and Chief Executive Officer of American Public Media Group, the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, American Public Media, and Southern California Public Radio in Los Angeles.
Just prior to joining APMG, Taylor helped lead the digital transformation of Star Tribune Media as board chair. She was also an Executive Consultant for the Platinum Group, advising small to mid-sized family and private businesses, and was CEO of Taylor Corporation, a network of more than 80 small and mid-sized printing and communications businesses. She has served on the MPR and APMG Boards of Trustees since 2013, and with her appointment as APMG's CEO in August 2021, she was also named a Trustee for SCPR.
Taylor earned her BA at Augsburg University in Minneapolis and completed her MBA at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Jean is an active member of the community, sitting on the board of the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and all of APMG's divisional boards. Passionate about education, strong communities and industries in transformation, she previously served on the boards of Piper Sandler, e-Touch Menu, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation. Jean was named a "Business Titan" by Twin Cities Business in 2020, among a list of other honors throughout her career. Outside of the office, she enjoys theater, singing in her church choir, long walks with a podcast in her ear, and spending time with her two adult children.
Jean Taylor, President and CEO, American Public Media Group, is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
jtaylor@americanpublicmedia.org
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board
- Trustee
- SVP, Chief Communications Officer, Thomson Reuters ( 2021 )
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Regional Fundraising
Job Titles:
- Digital Producer, Classical
Job Titles:
- Donor Relations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Development Data Specialist
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Vice Chair of the Board
- Chairman of the Board, 8th Ave Food & Provisions ( 2013 )
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, Classical
Job Titles:
- Classical Music Director for Classical Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media
Job Titles:
- Associate Producer, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Director of Development, Mid - Level Giving
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Predictiv Consulting
Job Titles:
- Program Director, Classical Minnesota Public Radio, and Manager, C24
Job Titles:
- Institutional Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Chairman Emeritus, Western Bank ( 2017 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- EVP & Chief Audit Executive, U.S. Bank ( 2020 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, Andersen Corporation ( 2022 )
Job Titles:
- Director of Development, Membership
Job Titles:
- Associate Producer, Script Writer, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Education Specialist, Classical
Job Titles:
- Regional Membership Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Institutional Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Major and Planned Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Director, Development Strategy & Operations
- Director, Major Individual Giving & Development Operations
Laura joined MPR | APM in 2019. She has spent 20 years fundraising for arts and culture organizations in the Twin Cities. Most recently she served as Vice President, Development at Minnesota Children's Museum during their $30M capital campaign, including planning for the grand opening of the fully renovated museum. Previously she held development positions with Minnesota Orchestra, the American Composers Forum and the Dale Warland Singers. She holds a Masters in Non-profit Management from Hamline University and a B.A. in Music & Literature from Coe College. She is a Saint Paul resident and enthusiast, a member of the Leadership Saint Paul class of 2013 and currently serves on the board of Saint Paul Rotary Club 10.
Job Titles:
- Development Events Program Manager
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- President, Driscoll Foundation ( 2017 )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer at American Public Media Group
- Senior Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer
Liwanag Ojala is the Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer at American Public Media Group. She leads the organization's digital transformation and growth, in addition to leading YourClassical and YourClassical MPR. Her focus is on identifying and activating digital transformation initiatives throughout American Public Media Group.
Before joining APMG, Ojala was CEO of CaringBridge, a global nonprofit social network dedicated to connecting friends and families facing challenging health journeys. Prior to her role at CaringBridge, Ojala served as Vice President of eCommerce for Meijer Inc where she championed and led its multichannel grocery strategy. She also previously held senior leadership positions at Pear Tree Greetings and CobornsDelivers.com and practiced law at Briggs & Morgan and Spartan Nash.
Ojala received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Minnesota. She has been honored with many awards recognizing her success as a leader nationally and in the Twin Cities, including the 100 Who Care Award, by Holding Co & IDEO 2020 and Person to Know in 2020, by Twin Cities Business Magazine.
Job Titles:
- Associate Institutional Giving Officer
Job Titles:
- Individual Giving Manager
Job Titles:
- Individual Giving Manager
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- President & CEO, Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing ( 2021 )
Job Titles:
- Producer, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board
- Trustee
- Retired President, Winslow Capital ( 2021 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- SVP, M.a. Mortensen Companies, Managing Director, Vermilion Group ( 2016 )
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Senior Vice President
Job Titles:
- Senior Individual Giving Manager
Job Titles:
- Individual Giving Manager
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- EVP, Employee Benefit Solutions, Securian Financial Group ( 2019 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Managing Principal, Aethlon Capital LLC ( 2017 )
Job Titles:
- Active Life Trustee
- Founder & Chair Emeritus, Twin Cites Rise
Job Titles:
- Active Life Trustee
- Retired Partner, Spencer Stuart
Job Titles:
- Senior Producer, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Executive Communications and Public Relations Manager, 651 - 290 - 1340
- Manager, Executive Communications and Public Relations
Job Titles:
- Music Logger, Performance Today
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- EVP, Chief Growth Officer, Principal Financial Group ( 2019 )
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Consultant to Foundations in Global Health ( 2015 )
Minnesota Public Radio Board of Trustee meetings and Advisory Council meetings are open to the public. Find schedules for specific dates, times and locations for advisory council meetings. All board and committee meetings are held at The Kling Public Media Center, 480 Cedar Street in St Paul.