Incoming CEO Ashley Alvarado shares vision for future of Texas Public Radio
TPR's incoming President and CEO Ashley Alvarado joined TPR's "The Source" on Tuesday to share her vision for the station's future.
Alvarado grew up in Oregon and has worked in California for the past 12 years. She is the former Vice President of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at LAist, a station that serves Southern California.
David Martin Davies, the host of "The Source," asked Alvarado when she first became interested in a career in public media. Alvarado shared that growing up she didn't see herself reflected in the stories told by public media. She carried that perceived lack of representation into journalism school and, eventually, the newsroom with the idea that things could be different.
"One of the things that I really focused on was being part of the change so that I could be a part of amplifying more kinds of stories and having more kinds of experiences reflected," said Alvarado.
In her new role, she'll be overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading the programming on the organization's broadcast, streaming and digital platforms.
One of Alvarado's goals is to increase collaboration between public radio stations in Texas.
"I do think that there's the opportunity to lean into the Texas Newsroom and the collaborations that are happening with organizations across the state, and then to really double down to serve folks in San Antonio," she said.
The Texas Newsroom is a network of NPR and NPR member stations across the state, including Texas Public Radio, KERA in Dallas, Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, and other stations.
Alvarado is succeeding the late Joyce Slocum who died in March after a battle with cancer. Slocum was a successful lawyer and media executive who led NPR and TPR into a new era for public media.
Alvarado shared her appreciation and admiration for Slocum's contributions to public radio. She recalled listening to the March 7, 2024 episode of "The Source" where friends, loved ones and colleagues reflected on Slocum's leadership and legacy.
"And it was reminding me, not only the caring and really competent woman that Joyce was, but also things that are good to remember in times of a lot of change," said Alvarado. She recalled someone in the program mentioning Slocum sharing advice in the form of words of wisdom from her grandmother. She called them "Grannyisms." Alvarado added, "I've actually caught myself saying a number of times 'don't borrow trouble,'" referring to one of Slocum's oft-repeated Grannyisms.
Alvarado addressed a question about the future sustainability of public media under the new Trump administration.
She said that TPR can remain resilient and sustainable in the event that funding from the Corportation for Public Broadcasting is disrupted.
"There are a number of organizations that would be affected to the point of it being catastrophic. There are other organizations that potentially could close the gap. And then also really building that partnership with community members so that we can be financially stable," said Alvarado.
TPR's Vice President of Development & Membership Rebecca Caven has served as interim president and CEO since March. Caven said it has been an honor to serve as interim after the grievous loss of Slocum.
"As we welcome Ashley Alvarado, I couldn't be more excited for the future of Texas Public Radio. Ashley brings exceptional expertise in digital media and community engagement—exactly the skills needed to connect and inspire our community in new ways. She's the perfect fit to lead TPR forward as a vibrant, multimedia organization for San Antonio and beyond," said Caven.
TPR's Vice President of Cultural and Community Engagement Nathan Cone echoed Caven's statement.
"After meeting Ashley Alvarado in person, I was impressed with her ability to think and speak fluidly about the challenges that public media faces today, and the opportunities we have here at TPR to address these challenges and to continue building an organization that connects with our community in meaningful ways. And as the person chiefly responsible for KPAC 88.3 FM, I was also happy to see that she's a fan of classical music," said Cone.
